THE RESEARCH TRADITION 203 



pursued in the universities it can hardly be pursued 

 anywhere. A mathematician, even a purely mathe- 

 matical physicist, is under no such restriction, for 

 he does not need a laboratory, and even in books 

 his requirements are relatively modest. He is no 

 more necessarily attached to a university than a 

 poet, painter, preacher or musical composer. But 

 an experimental physicist, chemist or biologist can 

 hardly carry on research outside a university, for 

 a laboratory is essential. It thus has come about, 

 largely through the exigencies of the work, that experi- 

 mental science, practically alone of the great creative 

 activities, is necessarily almost wholly bound up with 

 universities, and has thereby enlarged their whole 

 raison d'etre. There are many advocates for retain- 

 ing and strengthening the connection, even at great 

 sacrifice to the interests of research itself, because 

 only can the teaching in science be living and 

 up-to-date if research is being pursued. 



But in Scotland and England alike the bond 

 is weakening. Unintelligent "pseudo-democratic" 

 administration, increasing numbers of students and 

 the never-ending expansion and multiplication of 

 curricula and examinations, and the lack of any 

 clear financial distinction between the dual functions 

 of the university have brought serious research, 

 in many institutions, practically to the point of 

 extinction. On the other hand there is an ever- 

 growing technical demand for research workers of 

 the highest quality. Some of the finest research 

 in pure physical science that is being produced 

 in America to-day emanates from the General 

 Electric Company's Research Laboratories at 

 Schenectady, New York. In this country the 

 Government scheme of scientific and industrial 

 research has resulted in the formation of numerous 

 research associations, each in connection with a 



