8i8 



NATURE 



[August 25, 192 1 



of the method — a view taken in these articles, 

 thoug-h it is not likely to be immediately accept- 

 able to fully assured relativists — is to regard the 

 theory of relativity as an indirect attempt, not 

 unlike the principle of Least Action, to treat all 

 material phenomena as developments or manifesta- 

 tions of unknown essential features in one univer- 

 sal medium; thus restoring a kind of absolute- 

 ness to motion, and therefore presumably to space 

 and time. From that point of view the compre- 



hensive scope of the method, with its infinitesimal 

 continuitv of treatment, is hopeful and encourag- 

 ing ; and the highly abstract and symbolic modes 

 of representation, which now seem inevitable in 

 its more advanced developments, are the tribute 

 to our ignorance of the kind of dynamics appro- 

 priate to a substance the properties of which must 

 be more fundamental than any we are likely as yet 

 to have encountered among its sensory derivatives, 

 electricity and matter. 



The Edinburgh Meeting of the British Association. 

 By Prof. J. H. Ashworth, F.R.S. 



Programme of the Sections. 

 '"PHE Journal for the Edinburgh meeting of the 

 -'- British Association, now in the hands of the 

 printers, shows the completed plans for* the busi- 

 ness of the various sections. In particular, atten- 

 tion may be directed to the careful arrar^gements 

 for the joint discussions. "The^A^e of the Earth " 

 is to be the subject of a discussion, by the con- 

 joined sections of physics, geology, zoology, and 

 botany, to take place in the Natural History 

 Lecture Theatre, Old College — the largest theatre 

 in the University, with accommodation for an 

 audience of more than 400. The discussion will 

 be opened by Lord Rayleigh, and other speakers 

 will be Prof. Sollas, Prof. Eddington, Prof. J. VV. 

 Gregory, and Prof. Lindemann. 



Sections A and B will take part in a discussion 

 on the structure of molecules, to be opened by 

 Dr. Langmuir, of New York. He will be followed 

 by Prof. Smithells, Prof. W. L. Bragg, Prof. 

 Partington, Prof. Rankine, and others. 



Chemists and physiologists will find common 

 ground in the discussion on "Oxidations and Oxi- 

 dative Mechanisms in Living Organisms," to 

 which Prof. Gowland Hopkins will contribute the 

 opening paper. 



The sections on geology and engineering are to 

 discuss the various aspects of the proposed mid- 

 Scotland canal. The geology of the suggested 

 route will be explained by Mr. M. Macgregor and 

 Mr. C. H. Dinham, of H.M. Geological Survey. 



"The Origin of the Scottish People" is to be 

 the subject of discussion opened bv vSir Arthur 

 Keith before the joint sections of geography and 

 anthropology. Prof. T. H. Brvce, Lord Aber- 

 crombv. Prof. R. Weymouth Reid, Prof. Jehu, 

 Prof. W. J. Watson, and Dr. Tocher are to take 

 part in this discussion. 



The sections of geographv and education will 

 combine for discussion on the teaching of geo- 

 graphy, which will be opened bv Mr. G. G. 

 Chisholm, and it is hoped that Sir Richard 

 Gregorv, Sir Halford Mackinder, Prof. J. W. 

 Gregory, Prof. Patrick Geddes, Dr. Rudmose 

 Brown, Mr. W. H. Barker, Mr. T. S. Muir. and 

 others will put forward their views on this subject. 



The sections of zoology and psvcholoey are to 

 discuss "Instinctive Behaviour." Dr. Drever will 



NO. 2704, VOL. 107] 



open for the psychologists, and he will be followed 

 by Prof. Goodrich, Prof. J. Arthur Thomson, and 

 others. 



A joint meeting of the sections of economics, 

 psychology, and education will be held to discuss 

 "Vocational Training and Tests." 



The discussion following the presidential ad- 

 dress in Section K, in which Section C is to take 

 part, on the early history of plants, with special 

 reference to the Rhynie fossil plants, promises to 

 be an outstanding feature. These plants, repre- 

 sentative of the earliest known land flora, had an 

 organisation different from that of any living land 

 plants, and their investigation by Dr. Kidston and 

 Prof. Lang has thrown much light on the evolu- 

 tion of land floras. In addition to the president 

 of Section K (Dr. D. H. Scott), Dr. Kidston, Prof. 

 Lang, Dr. Home, Prof. Bower, and Dr. Lotsy 

 will take part in the discussion. There is to be an 

 extensive demonstration by Dr. Kidston in the 

 Botanical Laboratory, Royal Botanic Garden, of 

 sections of these Rhynie plants. 



As indicated in a previous notice, the presi- 

 dential addresses in other sections are to be fol- 

 lowed by discussions, and in several cases should 

 lead to interesting debates, for instance, on "The 

 Principles by which Wages are Determined," on 

 "The Place of Music in a Liberal Education," 

 and (at the Conference of Delegates of Corre- 

 sponding Societies) on "Science and Citizenship." 



There are other discussions planned which, 

 though nominally forming part of the programme 

 of one section only, will attract interested members 

 from other sections. Among these mav be men- 

 tioned discussions on "An Imperial School of 

 Anthropology for the Training of Civil Servants 

 and Administrators in the Dependencies of the 

 Empire," on "Heavy Muscular Work," on "Size 

 and Form," on "Extramural Education," and on 

 "University Reform." 



There are to be, as usual, many communica- 

 tions giving the results of recent investigations, 

 and there will be exhibitions of apparatus and 

 specimens and demonstrations of methods. • 



Nearly all the sections have arranged excur- 

 sions to places of special interest to their members. 

 The local secretaries of the sections of chemistry, 

 geology, engineering, and botany have been par- 



