68 



science. I make no attempt to estimate the time required to 

 reach this state of stagnation in appHed science. It is certain 

 that the stagnation would come under the stated conditions. It 

 is relatively unimportant how soon it would come. The im- 

 portant point to be kept in mind is that progress in pure science 

 is absolutely necessary in the long run to progress in applied 

 science. 



It is this which makes it fundamentally important to encourage 

 and to foster pure research in science in all feasible ways, by 

 establishing well equipped laboratories, by organizations for re- 

 search, by generous rewards to those who are successful in 

 research, by every possible device to enable the exceptional man 

 w^ith unusual gifts in this line to devote his whole time in a 

 favorable environment to pure research. An abundant harvest 

 can not be gathered in applied science unless plenty of good 

 seed is secured from pure science. 



Although history shows that each discovery in pure science 

 is ordinarily followed sooner or later by corresponding advances 

 in applied science, yet it also shows that the lag which occurs 

 between the discovery and its useful application, though some- 

 times short, is frequently very long. Applied science should be 

 encouraged and fostered in order to shorten the lag. The ap- 

 plication is as important to man as the discovery. Much less 

 of genius is needed to make the application than to make the dis- 

 covery. The rewards are also more obvious and more certain. On 

 the other hand, the total amount of work awaiting the laborers 

 in the field of application is very large and the total lag of 

 application behind discovery is great. The harvest being gather- 

 ed in applied science is much smaller than the possible maxinnim 

 from the seed already furnished in ])ure science. 



It seems to me that universities are responsible in part for 

 the unnecessarily great lag of application behind discovery in 

 science. The atmosphere of universities leads one to put strong 

 emphasis on knowing and very light emphasis on doing, leads 

 one to be rightly and fully appreciative of discovery, but to ap- 

 preciate in a half-hearted way only the effective application of 

 discovered truth. It tends to lead one to accord enthusiastic 



