vi PREFACE 



place of science in school curricula, on the necessity 

 for affording every boy an opportunity of learning 

 something of natural phenomena, and on the 

 supreme importance of a sympathetic and intel- 

 ligent attitude towards the natural sciences on the 

 part of those entrusted with the direction of 

 national affairs. While all these questions receive 

 some attention in the following essays, the primary 

 bbject of the authors is the presentation of facts 

 and arguments which may enable the reader to 

 grasp in its true perspective the relation of pure 

 science to applied science, "the worker in pure 

 science discovers ; his fellow in applied science 

 utilizes." It is often impossible to prophesy whether 

 or not a particular branch of natural knowledge will 

 have a bearing upon industrial or technical problems. 

 An analysis of many striking achievements into the 

 successive stages of their development often dis- 

 closes some discovery which pointed the way to 

 results of the greatest value. The history of scientific 

 discovery furnishes numerous illustrations of the far 

 reaching importance of pure science as the force 

 which gave the impulse to developments that have 

 led to industrial prosperity or to the betterment of 

 the race. 



Schemes of reform and reconstruction formulated 

 under the present abnormal conditions are apt to 

 be hastily conceived and ill-proportioned. To be 

 successful they must be based on the firm founda- 

 tion of experience: it is the aim of the authors of 



