September 15, 1923] 



NA TURE 



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different — and also more difficult — position. Inter- 

 preters are needed^ if not in the Section rooms them- 

 selves, then in the public press. Leading newspapers 

 prefer that their own correspondents or contributors 

 should perform this function, but there are many 

 others which would gladly make use of notes and 

 articles on scientific subjects suitable for the general 

 reading public. 



In the United States an institution entitled " Science 

 Service " was established a year or so ago to provide 

 such popular articles as a scientific news syndicate, and 

 it now supplies about fifty American newspapers, and 

 several in Canada and other parts of the world, with 

 news Bulletins sent from Washington every day except 

 Sunday. " The first consideration in a Bulletin story," 

 says a circular of instruction to writers of articles, " is 

 to tell of or interpret a scientific event. But the news 

 stories must be so well written that large national 

 newspapers will use them without rewriting or revision, 

 either in form or language. Write your story so that 

 those who know nothing about science will understand 

 and want to read it. Weave in the scientific back- 

 ground that the man in the street does not have. Use 

 simple words. Make your story as graphic as if you 

 were talking about it." It is pointed out, in addition, 

 that " ' By Science Service ' must stand for accuracy of 

 content and implication." 



In order to establish this publicity agency for science, 

 a generous benefactor gave the sum of one million 

 dollars to a Board of Trustees which includes among 

 its inembers several of the most distinguished men of 

 science in the United States. The whole field of 

 scientific activity everywhere is covered by " Science 

 Service," and the Bulletins are first-rate examples of 

 what can be done to present scientific progress in 

 popular and yet accurate form. We understand that 

 the demand for the Bulletins from newspapers is now 

 sufficient to make this admirable news agency practi- 

 cally self-supporting. 



Here, then, we have an excellent example of what 

 can be done successfully for the popularisation of 

 science ; and it is obvious that the constitution and 

 methods of such an organisation are very different 

 from those of the British Association, though the aims 

 of both are " to promote general interest in science 

 and its applications." We believe that the National 

 Union of Scientific Workers contemplates estaMishmu; 

 a similar scientific news agency to that of " Science 

 Service," and a beginning has already been made by 

 the British Science Guild by the issue of Publicity 

 Pamphlets sent to the newspaper press for reproduction 

 in whole or in Dart without payment. Since January 

 1921, the I'll Foundation of New York has 



been issuing a ..nu ^ ol such " Research Narratives," 



NO. 281 I, VOL. I 12] 



each containing the story of some research, discovery, 

 or notable achievement in science or engineering. In 

 one form or another these narratives have found their 

 way through practically the entire range of the public 

 press in America as well as the technical journals. 



It is clear, therefore, that we in the British Isles are 

 much behind the United States in the provision made 

 for publicity for science. Our scientific societies are 

 second to none, and the number and value of papers 

 published by them are higher now than ever they were, 

 yet no adequate agency exists to extend the knowledge 

 of this work beyond scientific circles and thus to create 

 in the public mind a feeling of pride in our scientific 

 achievements. A great opportunity awaits the bene- 

 factor who will provide a liberal sum to establish a 

 British science publicity service comparable with what 

 has proved so effective in America. Political, social, 

 religious, temperance, labour, and scores of other 

 organisations regard it as a duty to carry on their 

 propaganda by means of leaflets and like publications, 

 but science is content to keep its message to itself. It 

 is no wonder, therefore, that the community under- 

 stands so little of the value and meaning of science. 

 Let us hope that means will soon be forthcoming to 

 establish a bureau which will not only make the pro- 

 ceedings of annual meetings of the British Association 

 widely known and easily intelligible, but will also, 

 throughout the year, continue to interpret scientific 

 advances to a world eager to learn of them but un- 

 acquainted with the technical vocabularies in which 

 they are commonly expressed. 



Science and Man. 



Science and, Civilization. Essays arranged and edited 

 by F. S. Marvin. (The Unity Series, VI.) Pp. 350. 

 (London : Oxford University Press, 1923.) 125. 6^. 

 net. 



THE history of science is by no means a record 

 of steady progress. It was bom among the 

 Ionian Greeks, who were the first to speculate intelli- 

 gently, on the basis of observed facts, " how things 

 grow " and " how they behave," these being the mean- 

 ings of their two words physis and nonios, so inade- 

 quately represented by natura and lex. It is often said 

 that Greek science was unsound, being based on 

 brilliant guesswork instead of careful investigation. 

 The Greeks certainly loved bold and sweeping general- 

 isations, but modern biologists, including Charles 

 Darwin, have thought no praise too high for Aristotle, 

 and the achievements of Greece in mathematics, 

 astronomy, and medicine are now held to be scarcely 

 less notable. It must, however, be admitted that the 



