Science: Death of Chamberlin

Of a long line of philosophers who have tried to explain the Earth's origin, the best died last week. He was Thomas Chrowder Chamberlin, 85, professor emeritus of geology at the University of Chicago. His death was due to heart disease, made worse by bronchial pneumonia. His theory, the planetesimal, he ex pounded again in a new book published only last month — The Two Solar Families — the Sun's Children (University of Chicago Press, $2.50). In brief his theory is this : Eons ago a Star, swished near the Sun and by its...