6oo 



POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



THE PEOGKESS OF SCIENCE. 



THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION. 

 The meeting of the American Asso- 

 ciation for the Advancement of Science 

 held at Denver during the last week of 

 August was of more than usual sig- 

 nificance. For the first time in its his- 

 tory the Association met west of the 

 banks of the Mississippi. California 

 was ceded to the United States in the 

 same year in which the Association 

 held its first meeting, and the great 

 western half of the country and the 

 Association representing science in 

 America have developed together. It 

 was Fremont, then a scientific man en- 

 gaged in scientific surveys, who saved 

 California for the Union. The western 

 States — dependent on railways, mines 

 and modern agriculture — are the chil- 

 dren of science. Having attained 

 through science their remarkable ma- 

 terial development, they are now pre- 

 pared to unite wdth the older culture 

 of the east in efforts for the advance- 

 ment of science. Extending from 

 the Mississippi river to the Pacific 

 coast we have the first civilization 

 based definitely on science, and we may 

 expect to see in this region the world's 

 chief centers for the diffusion and ad- 

 vancement of science. The first meet- 

 ing of the American Association in the 

 west is merely an announcement of 

 what has been accomplished already, 

 yet it represents an epoch in the his- 

 tory of science and of civilization. 



The meeting at Denver was itself 

 full of interest. Though not quite so 

 large as meetings on the Atlantic sea- 

 board, it was larger than the recent 

 meetings at Madison and Detroit, and 

 nearly as large as the meetings at 

 Springfield, Buffalo and Columbus. 

 Further, the 306 members in attend- 



ance were mostly scientific men, as is 

 shown by the fact that two hundred 

 and twenty papers were presented. The 

 people of Denver did everything pos- 

 sible to ensure the social success of the 

 meeting, and the scenery and resources 

 of the State of Colorado were of the 

 greatest possible interest to all visitors. 

 The address of the president, published 

 above, was worthy of the occasion, and 

 many interesting papers were read be- 

 fore the different sections. In several 

 respects the business transacted was of 

 importance in the history of American 

 science. The committee on the journal, 

 'Science,' made its first report on the 

 arrangement made at the New York 

 meeting last year, in accordance with 

 which this weekly journal is sent free 

 of charge to all members of the Asso- 

 ciation. It appears that the fees of 

 new members were sufficient to defray 

 the cost of sending 'Science' to all mem- 

 bers of the Association, and that the 

 plan has proved acceptable on all sides. 

 Another important step was the per- 

 fecting of the affiliation of the special 

 societies with the Association. Hith- 

 erto the national societies devoted to 

 the special sciences have met in- 

 formally with the Association; here- 

 after they will be an integral part of 

 it, being represented on the council. 

 The council will thus become the body 

 chiefly responsible for the organization 

 of science in America. The Association 

 plaimed for a winter meeting to be held 

 at Washington a year from next 

 January. Attention has already been 

 called here to the movement now pro- 

 gressing for the establishment of a con- 

 vocation week for the meetings of 

 scientific and learned societies. It is 

 now assured by the action of our lead- 

 ing universities and of the American 



