182 THE PATH OF SCIENCE 



all other institutions in that it has and should have no direc- 

 tion from outside and complete freedom in its choice of sub- 

 ject. It is from the universities that the bulk of the new ideas 

 by which science is advanced are likely to come, since in all 

 other institutions there is some restriction and will probably 

 always be some restriction in the fields selected for work. 

 The application of science is dealt with primarily in the re- 

 search laboratories of industry, in the endowed technological 

 institutes, and in the laboratories operated through govern- 

 ment departments, which are increasing very rapidly in size 

 and complexity. The more complicated fields of science re- 

 quire for their exploitation research institutes, each of which 

 deals with a limited field of science and is recognized as a 

 center for the advancement of knowledge in that field. 



Research institutes will not relieve the universities of their 

 responsibilities for teaching and for conducting scientific re- 

 search; indeed, the activity of the universities in the prosecu- 

 tion of research may be expected to increase. Whereas the 

 fundamental business of a university is to teach, the argument 

 for research has been that teaching is impossible unless the 

 knowledge is available and that those engaged in the produc- 

 tion of knowledge are the best teachers of it. This is un- 

 doubtedly true within limits, and it is probable that a research 

 institute is the best training place for a research student. 

 Certainly the giaduates from the Cavendish Laboratory 

 would justify the policy of its directors, and a student who 

 had worked under Ramsay would be the first to insist that 

 the eager pursuit of knowledge in that ill-equipped labora- 

 tory at University College, London, was a inost stimulating 

 atmosphere in which to acquire the methods and habit of 

 research. But for the student who wants a general kno^vl- 

 edge of the subject and does not propose to devote himself 

 to research, a too specialized university laboratory has its 

 disadvantages. Moreover, the universities are finding it in- 

 creasingly difficult to supply the equipment required for re- 

 search. In the past, the enthusiasm of the investigator, the 

 availability of sympathetic wealthy individuals, and, by no 



