i6 president's address. 



The notable discussion in the House of Commons on the 

 13th May last (reprinted in Nature of the 20th May) on the 

 motion of the Government to form an Advisory Council on 

 Industrial Research, sets an example, which is sure to be 

 followed by other British communities. All the debat^ers 



spoke of the extraordinary example of Germany rising to great 

 material power through the spread of technical education and 

 scientific research. No country can afford, or would be justi- 

 fied in lagging behind, but a more ethical objective should 1)e 

 the ideal. 



In South Africa several problems have suggested them- 

 selves, but the experimental work would be very costly, and 

 might, after all, be insufficient, so that their solutions do not 

 appeal to pri\ate enteri)rise — the local production of liquid 

 fuel is one of these problems^ — liquid fuel can be made both 

 from low grade coals and from agricultural produce, and it is 

 within the ranee of probability that what to-dav are considered 

 noxious weeds* might have an economic value in the production 

 of alcohol. Again the extraordinarily favourable duration of 

 sunshine in the Union invites the trial of sunpower boilers, 

 especially for pumping. A census of the water power " white 

 coal " is also desirable, because while we have no great specta- 

 cular falls of water excepting the Victoria Falls, we must 

 remember that our high veld rivers have a descent of 6,000 feet 

 to sea-level, and some of this fall is probably economically avail- 

 able. 



If Science is co-ordinated knowledge, what is the Scientist? 

 The true type of Scientist is a man of faith, believing in the 

 power of co-ordinated knowdedge to make the W'orld a purer 

 and a better one. If the object of Science was only the 

 material conquest of Nature it would be unworthy, and sooner 

 or later it would be rejected by mankind. The faith of the 

 Scientist is unlimited — he might declare his creed in words 

 somewhat as f ollowsf : — 



I believe in the ultimate distinction between Good and Evil, and in a 

 real Process in a real Time. I believe that it is my duty to increase 

 Good and to diminish Evil. T believe in doing so I am serving the purpose 

 of the World. This I know and I do not know anything else ; I will not 

 put questions to which I have no answer, and to which I believe no one 

 has an answer. Organic Action is my creed, .Abstract speculation weakens 

 Action. I do not wish to speculate ; I wish to act ; I wish to live. 



Or, he says, using the words of Bacon : — 



The knowledge of Truth, which is the Presence of it : and the Beleefe 

 of Truth, which the Enioying of it; is the Soveraigne Good of Humane 

 Nature. The first Creature of God. in the workes of the Daves, was the 

 Light of the Sense; The last, was the Light of Reason; .And His Sabbath 

 Worke, ever since, is the Illumination of His Spirit. 



* Such as the euphorbia and other cacti. 



t Adapted from "Appearances,' by G. Lowes Dickinson (1914). 



