126 THE REALITIES OF MODERN SCIENCE 



form, for explaining electricity and magnetism. He 

 wanted to know the general principles and laws and to 

 put them into such form that men might predict what 

 would happen under any set of conditions which they 

 might imagine. That he succeeded very well is evident 

 from his contribution to radiotelegraphy. Maxwell 

 was a " mathematical physicist. " 



Hertz although well trained in mathematics was a 

 " research physicist. " He was perhaps most interested 

 in experimental attempts to extend the body of scien- 

 tific knowledge. He was not immediately concerned 

 with the application of this knowledge to the uses of 

 mankind. He probably knew that all knowledge is 

 ultimately of use and that his contributions to the sum 

 total of general knowledge would interest, inform, and 

 inspire others, some of whom might make practical 

 applications. 



Marconi was the inventor and the engineer. With- 

 out his vision of the possibilities of Hertz's discovery 

 this new art would not have developed until some time 

 later. He contributed some of the means for the prac- 

 tical application. 



We notice that all three types were necessary for 

 the complete development. Sometimes the mental 

 qualifications are combined in one man, but in most 

 cases a man's best ability lies along only one of these 

 lines. If we see the importance in the progress of 

 science of each type, we may appraise more accurately 

 their contributions and thus avoid the popular error 

 of attaching too much credit to the inventor or the 

 converse academic error of failing to give him sufficient 

 credit. 



