238 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 19 60 



to these coarse-grained senses there is no miracle ; everything happens 

 smoothly with apparent certainty of prediction. 



HARMONIZATION OF DIFFERENT DOMAINS OF SCIENCE 



So far I have concentrated on laws and phenomena associated with 

 what is customarily called the realm of physics. Even here I have to 

 admit that theoretical physics is at present in rather a messy state. 

 When, however, we contemplate the wider realms of knowledge em- 

 bracing biology and what we have recently learned in astronomy, there 

 is much to be desired. Our know^ledge of nature is like that of a world 

 of little islands and countries, separated from each other, each being 

 governed, apparently, by its own laws, with no very satisfactory rela- 

 tionship between the laws of one country and those of another. In the 

 affairs of men one can tolerate a situation of this kind. One does not 

 expect the laws of all nations to agree, although one has a hope that in 

 time they may. In science, however, we have sufficient respect for the 

 design of the universe to believe that there is a unified scheme covering 

 all realms of phenomena, and indeed, in the last analysis, the afl'airs of 

 mankind as a particular case. The idealistic philosopher will not 

 cease to search for such a scheme and it is right that he should do so. 

 If and when he succeeds, however, it may well be that we shall find 

 that the scheme which he has found is of very little practical use. 



As a matter of fact, a very general scheme covering as particular 

 cases a wide range of phenomena dare not, in the nature of things, be 

 very specific about any one of the phenomena. It can only be specific 

 about things which are common to all the phenomena; and of these 

 there may be very few. The very general theory will be like a very 

 evasive politician. As an active member of a group devoted to econ- 

 omy in public affairs, you come to him and ask what he has to say 

 about expenditure on armaments, hoping perhaps to get a detailed 

 budget, stating how much may be assigned to this and to that, and 

 how much may be saved from armaments for peaceful projects. 

 However, the reply you get is something like this: "Our expenditures 

 should be such as to maintain a stable and safe economy which re- 

 flects security in all that pertains to our lives." Well, you don't get 

 very much out of that; and as you leave, and as you pass through the 

 door, there comes a man fanatically devoted to military preparedness 

 who wishes to ask about budgets designed to secure the most up-to- 

 date equipment for all that pertains to Avar; and on posing his ques- 

 tion, the politician again replies: "Our expenditures should be such 

 as to maintain a stable and safe economy which reflects security in 

 all that pertains to our lives." 



Any statement which has to cover a wide range of circumstances 

 cannot, in the nature of things, say much which applies to all ; and 

 indeed, when the range of circumstances is infinitely wide, the safest 



