42 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



Again, what would astronomy have done without the endowments of 

 observatories ? By their means, that science has become the most per- 

 fect of all branches of physics, as it should be from its simplicity. 

 There is no doubt in my mind that similar institutions for other 

 branches of physics, or, better, to include the whole of physics, would 

 be equally successful. A large and perfectly equipped physical labora- 

 tory, with its large revenues, its corps of professors and assistants, and 

 its machine-shop for the construction of new apparatus, would be able 

 to advance our science quite as much as endowed observatories have 

 astronomy. But such a laboratory should not be founded rashly. The 

 value will depend entirely on the physicist at its head, who has to de- 

 vise the plan, and to start it into practical working. Such a man will 

 always be rare, and can not always be obtained. After one had been 

 successfully started, others could follow ; for imitation requires little 

 brains. 



One could not be certain of getting the proper man every time, but 

 the means of appointment should be most carefully studied, so as to 

 secure a good average. There can be no doubt that the appointment 

 should rest with a scientific body capable of judging the highest work 

 of each candidate. 



Should any popular element enter, the person chosen would be 

 either of the literary-scientific order, or the dabbler on the outskirts 

 who presents his small discoveries in the most theatrical manner. 

 What is required is a man of depth, who has such an insight into 

 physical science that he can tell when blows will best tell for its ad- 

 vancement. 



Such a grand laboratory as I describe does not exist in the world 

 at present for the study of physics. But no trouble has ever been 

 found in obtaining means to endow astronomical science. Everybody 

 can appreciate to some extent the value of an observatory ; as astron- 

 omy is the simplest of scientific subjects, and has very quickly reached 

 a position where elaborate instruments and costly computations are 

 necessary to further advance. The whole domain of physics is so wide 

 that workers have hitherto found enough to do. But it can not al- 

 ways be so, and the time has even now arrived when such a grand 

 laboratory should be founded. Shall our country take the lead in this 

 matter, or shall we wait for foreign countries to go before? They 

 will be built in the future, but when and how is the question. 



Several institutions are now putting up laboratories for physics. 

 They are mostly for teaching, and we can expect only a compar- 

 atively small amount of work from most of them. But they show 

 progress ; and, if the progress be as quick in this direction as in 

 others, we should be able to see a great change before the end of 

 our lives. 



As stated before, men are influenced by the sympathy of those 

 with whom they come in contact. It is impossible to immediately 



