﻿100 
  JOURNAL 
  OF 
  THE 
  WASHINGTON 
  ACADEMY 
  OF 
  SCIENCES 
  VOL. 
  12, 
  NO. 
  4 
  

  

  interest. 
  In 
  other 
  words, 
  if 
  an 
  investigator 
  has 
  the 
  necessary 
  brain 
  

   power 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  his 
  researches 
  are 
  directed 
  toward 
  the 
  solution 
  of 
  a 
  

   practical 
  problem 
  will 
  not 
  prevent 
  his 
  reaching 
  the 
  very 
  fundamentals. 
  

   Moreover, 
  the 
  large 
  majority 
  of 
  investigators 
  are 
  likely 
  to 
  be 
  more 
  

   accurate 
  in 
  their 
  inquiries 
  if 
  the 
  results 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  subjected 
  to 
  the 
  acid 
  

   test 
  of 
  industrial 
  use. 
  

  

  Under 
  the 
  stimulus 
  of 
  industry 
  every 
  crumb 
  of 
  scientific 
  knowledge 
  

   is 
  seized 
  with 
  avidity, 
  and 
  there 
  is 
  always 
  danger 
  of 
  premature 
  an- 
  

   nouncement 
  of 
  results. 
  An 
  investigator 
  more 
  anxious 
  to 
  obtain 
  the 
  

   plaudits 
  of 
  the- 
  public 
  than 
  to 
  test 
  the 
  soundness 
  of 
  a 
  theory 
  may 
  

   yield 
  to 
  this 
  temptation. 
  This 
  has 
  happened 
  in 
  the 
  Federal 
  service 
  

   with 
  the 
  connivance 
  of 
  some 
  bureau 
  that 
  hoped 
  to 
  receive 
  support 
  

   because 
  of 
  spectacular 
  announcements 
  rather 
  than 
  because 
  of 
  thorough 
  

   work. 
  The 
  evil 
  cures 
  itself, 
  for 
  the 
  punishment 
  will 
  be 
  quick 
  and 
  

   drastic. 
  

  

  Some 
  critics 
  hold 
  that 
  the 
  ideals 
  of 
  the 
  investigator 
  will 
  be 
  lower 
  

   if 
  his 
  research 
  is 
  directed 
  toward 
  the 
  solution 
  of 
  industrial 
  problems. 
  

   These 
  critics 
  are 
  strangers 
  to 
  the 
  inspiration 
  that 
  comes 
  from 
  hope 
  

   of 
  rendering 
  service 
  to 
  the 
  people. 
  Most 
  great 
  inventors 
  must 
  have 
  

   felt 
  the 
  same 
  stimulus, 
  even 
  though 
  they 
  are 
  generally 
  credited 
  with 
  

   only 
  the 
  motive 
  of 
  gain. 
  The 
  sympathy 
  of 
  the 
  people 
  gives 
  an 
  in- 
  

   spiration 
  to 
  the 
  investigator 
  which 
  is 
  not 
  exceeded 
  by 
  the 
  expectation 
  

   of 
  advancing 
  scientific 
  knowledge 
  alone. 
  

  

  "Science 
  for 
  science's 
  sake" 
  is 
  sometimes 
  used 
  to 
  express 
  the 
  highest 
  

   ideal 
  of 
  the 
  investigator. 
  The 
  essence 
  of 
  this 
  borrowed 
  phrase 
  is 
  

   simply 
  love 
  of 
  truth, 
  to 
  which 
  every 
  scientist 
  must 
  always 
  be 
  loyal. 
  

   Scientific 
  ideals 
  are 
  not 
  in 
  danger 
  because 
  research 
  may 
  be 
  directed 
  

   to 
  supplying 
  the 
  material 
  needs 
  of 
  the 
  Nation. 
  The 
  real 
  danger 
  lies 
  

   in 
  the 
  investigator 
  who, 
  while 
  parading 
  his 
  love 
  of 
  science, 
  in 
  reality 
  

   makes 
  this 
  only 
  secondary 
  to 
  his 
  desire 
  for 
  self-aggrandizement. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  a 
  measure 
  of 
  our 
  high 
  scientific 
  standards 
  that 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  best 
  

   opportunities 
  for 
  research 
  come 
  to 
  those 
  by 
  whom 
  they 
  are 
  well 
  

   deserved, 
  but 
  the 
  greater 
  number 
  of 
  scientists 
  must 
  "carry 
  on" 
  under 
  

   conditions 
  as 
  they 
  find 
  them, 
  and 
  perhaps 
  even 
  greater 
  honor 
  than 
  

   that 
  accorded 
  to 
  the 
  favored 
  ones 
  is 
  due 
  to 
  him 
  who 
  goes 
  forward 
  on 
  

   a 
  path 
  strewn 
  with 
  difficulties. 
  Science 
  is 
  not 
  commercialized 
  when 
  

   it 
  is 
  used 
  for 
  practical 
  ends 
  ; 
  only 
  when 
  the 
  investigator 
  is 
  working 
  prin- 
  

   cipally 
  for 
  his 
  own 
  profit. 
  Yet 
  we 
  should 
  not 
  judge 
  harshly 
  those 
  who 
  

   have 
  been 
  driven 
  by 
  threatened 
  bankruptcy 
  to 
  leave 
  their 
  laboratories 
  

   and 
  their 
  professorial 
  chairs 
  for 
  commercial 
  life. 
  This 
  course 
  is 
  not 
  

  

  