76 



NATURE 



[March 22, 19 17 



How much research has been undertaken by the 

 student of pure science which he would have frankly 

 admitted to be apparently useless? How much patient 

 work and loving care have been bestowed upon investi- 

 gations seemingly impossible of application to any of 

 the specific problems of the day? Upon research of 

 this kind no utilitarian would have been at all likely to 

 embark, vet sooner or later such research has either 

 proved capable of direct application or — and this has 

 more often been the case — has unexpectedly formed 

 a corner-stone, or occupied a more humble but still 

 useful position, in building up some far-reaching 

 generalisation capable of being seized upon at once 

 by the worker in applied science, thus in turn perhaps 

 stimulating further scientific research, 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



Cambridge. —The subject proposed for the Adams 

 prize essay for the period 1917-18 is '"The Diffrac- 

 tion of Sound Waves." The solution of a typical 

 problem or problems, such as that of diffraction by a 

 circular or rectilinear aperture in a plane screen or 

 by a circular disc, is desired free from approximations 

 or restriction to relatively long waves. Treatment of 

 the corresponding problems in electric waves is also 

 ijuggested. 



The question of compulsory Greek in the Previous 

 ■examination has been very prominent during the pre- 

 sent term. The case for the abolition of compulsory 

 •Greek has advanced greatly since 1905, when it was 

 put to the vote and defeated. A syndicate appointed 

 in 19 13 to consider the regulations for the Previous 

 examination reported that it was unable to recommend 

 that Greek should continue to be a compulsory sub- 

 ject, and a new scheme was drawn up for the ex- 

 amination in which Greek was made alternative to 

 French or German. Had it not been for the outbreak 

 of war, this reform would probably by this time have 

 become an accomplished fact, but, as it was, the dis- 

 cussion of the report was delayed until last year, and 

 afterwards the syndicate expressed the opinion that it 

 was inexpedient to bring the scheme before the Senate 

 while so many members of the Senate were absent 

 on war service. 



Early in the present term the council of the Senate 

 issued a report on the subject. The council agreed 

 that it was inadvisable to proceed at once with the 

 whole question of the reform of the Previous ex- 

 amination, since this should be considered together 

 with th^e considerable modification and reconstruction 

 of the educational system of the University which 

 was likely to take place after the war ; but it held 

 that the question of Greek was of practical urgency 

 at the present time, and it was of opinion that, as a 

 temporary provision, the papers at present set in 

 French and German (which are easier than those pro- 

 posed by the syndicate) should be alternative to Greek. 

 However, the council had ascertained that if a dis- 

 cussion were held and a vote taken in the existing 

 circumstances, it would be greatly resented by some 

 members of the Senate absent on war service, and it 

 had accordingly decided not to take action at the 

 present time. This aroused widespread disappoint- 

 ment in the University, and a memorial bearing a 

 long and influential list of signatures was presented to 

 the council asking ir to reconsider its decision. A 

 counter-memorial was presented; strong protests were 

 also issued by a small number of residents now en- 

 gaged on war service in various Government offices. 

 The result has been that the council adheres to its 

 decision to take no action at present, but the con- 

 stitution of the Previous examination is to be con- 



NO. 2473, VOL. 99] 



sidered further, so that it may be possible to take 

 action immediately upon the conclusion of the war. 



The third conference of the Committee for the 

 Development of Regional Survey will be held at New- 

 bury on April 7-17, and it is proposed to make a de- 

 tailed study of the town and region. No formal 

 classes will be held or lectures given, but there will 

 be daily conferences for the purposes of study. The 

 committee hopes that sufficient workers will be able 

 to attend the conference to make all aspects of the 

 regional survey possible, physical, historical, and 

 social. Members are asked to communicate with the 

 hon. local secretary, Kingsbridge Road, Newbury. 



The governors of the Imperial College of Science 

 and Technology have recently considered the conditions 

 to be fulfilled in the case of students of the Royal 

 School of Mines whose associateship courses of study « 

 have been interrupted by their undertaking service;! 

 with the Forces of the Crown or other approved war- " 

 work, precedent to the award to them of the diploma 

 of associateship of the Royal School of Mines in 

 Mining or in Metallurgy or in Oil Technology. Instead 

 of insisting upon the full four-year course, the oppor- 

 tunity is offered for a student to complete in three 

 years the tests ordinarily imposed, having regard to 

 experience gained during the war, and, in that case, 

 the reduction is contemplated of the requirement as 

 regards practical work (shifts) by one-third, and the 

 possibility of a man making good in certain arrears of 

 subjects during vacations, but it is considered inadvis- 

 able to make any curtailment of the work of the first 

 and second years. 



At a representative and largely attended confer- 

 ence of examining bodies in Great Britain held on 

 March 15 at the Board of Education under the presi- 

 dency of Mr. A. T. Davies, chairman of the British 

 Prisoners of War Book Scheme (Educational), it was 

 unanimously decided, on the motion of Sir Edward 

 Busk (University of London), to approve certain pro- 

 posals for the encouragement and recognition of the 

 studies pursued by prisoners during their internment. 

 Steps are being taken to give effect to these proposals, 

 and various examining bodies (including most of the 

 universities) have already intimated their willingness 

 to recognise work done and examinations passed in 

 the camps, and to extend to the men on their return 

 facilities for sitting for examinations under conditions 

 which will take account both of their special circum- 

 stances and their needs. A message was read from 

 the President of the Board of Education in which 

 Mr. Fisher expressed sympathy with the objects of 

 the conference and his belief that the result of its 

 efforts would prove a great encouragement to the; 

 • men to use wisely and well the time of their captivity, 

 and, further, would be of material assistance to them 

 on their return to this country. It is intended that 

 the decision arrived at shall be communicated, as soon 

 as possible, as "a message of encouragement and 

 hope " to the various internment camps in enemy and 

 neutral countries. In the meantime it was suggested 

 that friends and relatives of student prisoners might 

 do them a service if, when writing to them, they will 

 direct their attention to the steps in this connection 

 which are being taken on their behalf. 



The issue of the Journal of the Royal Society of 

 Arts for March 9 contains a paper on "German 

 Methods " by Mr. J. H. Vickery, read before the 

 society on March 7. In it Mr. Vickery deals, among 

 other jnatters, with German education and science. 

 He points out that it is the habit of the Germans to 

 refer to the English as being a "practical " people. 

 But he urges that, in point of fact, the German has 



