176 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1953 



research, the region in which most of our larger research institutions 

 now operate. I have purposely refrained from representing applied 

 research by a block with special incentives and objectives but have 

 used, instead, two circuits to typify its functions. 



The "blue" arrow indicates the demands of development and engi- 

 neering for understanding. In the course of a development, new 

 phenomena may be encountered or problems arise that require elucida- 

 tion from a broad point of view. If brought to his attention, these 

 stimulate the interest of the scientist, and the understanding resulting 

 from his researches feeds back to broaden the basis on which the de- 

 velopment rests, to predict promising modifications, or suggest reme- 

 dies for troubles. The development of high-performance jet engines 

 furnishes an excellent example of the working of the "blue" circuit. 

 These engines depend on combustion reactions in gases moving at 

 relatively high speeds^ and in the course of their development many 

 significant problems have been brought to light in chemical kinetics, 

 fluid dynamics, and thermodynamics — the need for a fundamental 

 theory of flames has been accentuated. These problems have chal- 

 lenged the research physicists and chemists to develop understanding, 

 and already their results are being fed back into the design of practical 

 engines. 



The "green" arrow indicates a circuit energized by what are essen- 

 tially byproducts in the quest for understanding, new substances, 

 techniques, or principles. The outstanding example of this circuit is 

 the use of atomic energy, which applies on a large scale substances 

 and techniques that were completely in the domain of pure research 

 only a few years ago. Another current example is a byproduct of 

 solid-state physics (one of the more academic subjects in modern 

 physics) , namely, transistors. The "green" circuit has already started 

 to oscillate in the transistor field, and a revolution in electronics is in 

 process. 



Figure 2 presents a simplified and unified picture of modern tech- 

 nology, the interlocking world of technical thought and action in 

 which the professional scientist works and for which he must be 

 educated. It suggests several interesting points: (1) The intrinsic 

 place of pure research as a necessity and not a luxury in the integral 

 scheme of technology is brought out; pure research is the source of 

 understanding, the catalyst of technological progress. (2) The dia- 

 gram is noteworthy for the absence of any mechanism for negative 

 feedback or automatic volume control in any of the circuits. In the 

 long run negative feedback may be needed for stability, but in the 

 meantime explosive buildup in any of the circuits is inhibited by such 

 attenuation or friction-damping factors as the shortage of well- 



