Misc('Ua)ii(>Ns Paper.-t. 121 



The popular scientific lecture seems, unfortunately, to be on 

 the decline. Too often they are given by men who are doing it 

 for the financial rather than the scientific consideration. Scien- 

 tific workers may do much to aid in the popular dissemination 

 of scientific knowledge by giving some of their time to popular 

 scientific lectures for the general public. The attention of pub- 

 lic-school and college students should be frequently called to 

 current scientific work. For years we have allowed able young 

 men and women to be deterred from entering upon scientific 

 research on account of lacking financial support needed to 

 maintain them comfortably while engaged in the work. We 

 have passed our pioneer days, and this condition does not 

 longer need to exist. National, state and local aid should be 

 evoked for this purpose. We have been very proud of the 

 Carnegie Institution and the Rockefeller Institute for Scientific 

 Research, and justly so; but far better than pausing to express 

 our gratification at the founding of these splendid institutions 

 and in exultation at the work they have already done, would 

 have been to secure the founding of other similar institutions. 



There is a real danger in overemphasis of the so-called prac- 

 tical in education, if that may be made to detract from re- 

 search. The scientific work in various lines contributes to the 

 success of other lines of investigation, so that the public 

 should be made to know that all lines of research must be 

 fostered. Public aid may be more readily obtained if the solu- 

 tion of its problems is more eagerly undertaken by scientists. 

 A research made on the properties of the soil may lack some- 

 what the fascination of the pursuit of electrons, but it gives 

 splendid opportunity for the young research worker to gain 

 experience, and urgently needs to be done if we have and hold 

 the full cooperation of the public. A closer relationship be- 

 tween the state governments and the research laboratories 

 within their borders is important. Problems arise in the de- 

 velopment of any section of the country that can be adequately 

 dealt with only by the research worker. When these work- 

 ers show their willingness to devote their time to such prob- 

 lems, and when the public realizes that results may be had 

 from such cooperation, abundant funds will readily be fur- ^ 

 nished for the needs of research. 



A pronounced decadence has taken place in the high-school 

 sciences in the period from 1890 to 1910, inclusive, according 

 to the report of the Commissioner of Education, 1910. vol. 2, 



