26 DOCS.
37,
38
JUNE
1906
formulation.
Now,
this
is
not
a
characteristic of
electromagnetic processes
in
vacuum
but rather of the
emitting
or
absorbing
matter,
and
hence radiation
does
not
consist
of
light
quanta
as
it
says
in
§6
of
your
first
paper;[5]
rather, it
is
only
when
it
is
exchanging
energy
with matter
that
it behaves
as
if it consisted
of
them.[6]
The
proof
that
the first
assumption
leads
to
impossible implications
seems
to
me
to
be the
most
essential
point
of
my
thermodynamics
of interference
phenomena;[7]
but then the derivation of Wien's
distribution
law[8] given
in
§6
also falls
by
the
wayside,
and its
place
is
taken
by
Planck's
law. Your restriction
to low
radiation densities then becomes
superfluous,
and
it
is,
in
my
opinion,
of
great importance
that
the
same
idea
may
be utilized in
areas so
far removed
from
the
radiation
theory proper
as
is
the Volta
effect,
the
generation
of cathode
rays,[9]
etc.
By
the
way,
I
have
never
discussed
your
heuristic
point
of
view with
my boss.[10]
It
is
possible
that there
are
differences
of
opinion
between
him
and
me on
this
question;
I
am
almost
sure
that
such
is
the
case
with
regard
to
the
Rayleigh-Jeans
papers.[11]
But
he also did
not comment
on
this
when
he
looked
through
my proofs.
In
any
case,
every
paper
in which
probability
considerations
are
applied
to
vacuum
looks
dubious
to
me.[12]
With
best
regards,
yours,
M.
Laue
38.
To
the
Bern
Municipal
Gas and Water
Works
Bern,
Wednesday
[6
June
1906]
P[leno] T[itulo]
The
undersigned
requests
that
you
send
a man
to him within
the
next few
days
for
the
purpose
of
installing
a
gas
connection
pipe.[1]
Time of
day unimportant,
but-if
possible-not
between
11
& 12
A.M.
Respectfully,
Dr. A.
Einstein
Aegertenstr.
53
Bern
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