August 17, 191 6J 



NATURE 



513 



variation in years of many sun-spots. As regards dis- 

 turbance, in some years there seems a clear connection 

 with sun-spots, in others little, if any. This is what 

 we might expect to happen if the 27-day periods in the 

 two elements in one year tended to be in phase, and in 

 another year did not. But the 27-day period may be 

 prominent in magnetic phenomena in years when 

 re are almost no sun-spots. Also the 27-day period 

 xhibited by magnetic calms as well as by magnetic 

 ms, and no one has suggested that limited solar 

 is can exercise a calming influence on terrestrial 

 magnetism. 



On the question naturally of most interest to my 

 audience, whether terrestrial magnetism has any direct 

 bearing on the problems of electrical engineering, a 

 few words must suffice. If wireless phenomena are 

 affected, as has been suggested, by the greater or less 

 conductivity of the upper atmosphere, one would ex- 

 pect them to have certain features in common with 

 magnetic phenomena. In particular, the ii-year 

 period and the 27-day period might be expected to dis- 

 close themselves. If these periods affect wireless to 

 anj-thing like the same extent as they do terrestrial 

 magnetism, there should be no great difficulty in 

 establishing the fact, if systematic observations were 

 directed to that end. Another possibility is that 

 means may be developed for utilising some of the 

 power that now goes to magnetic storms. This would 

 naturally be most feasible in high latitudes where 

 aurora and magnetic disturbance are most in evidence. 



UNIVERSITY AXD EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



We learn from the British Medical Journal that 

 Prof. Charles Richet, of the University of Paris, has 

 been awarded the State prize for poetr\-. The subject 

 was ''The Glory of Pasteur." 



Examinations in biological chemistn.-, bacteriolog}', 

 fermentation and enzyme action, and in chemical 

 technology will be held in connection with the Institute 

 of Chemistry in October next. The lists of candi- 

 dates will close on September 12. . __ 



Dr. a. Lauder, of the Edinburgh and East of Scot- 

 land College of Agriculture, has been elected honorary- 

 secretar)- of the Edinburgh and East of Scotland sec- 

 tion of the Society of Chemical Industrv, in succession 

 to Dr. J. P. Longstaff, now general secretary of the 

 society in Lx)ndon. 



Miss S. E. S. Mair and Mrs. A. M. Chalmers 

 Watson, on behalf of women medical graduates, stu- 

 dents, and their friends, have offered to pay to the 

 Edinburgh University Court within a year the sum 

 of 4000/. to defray the cost of undertakings intended 

 to facilitate the medical education of women. 



The following Edgar Allen entrance scholarships are 

 being offered by the University of Sheffield : — ^Two 

 open to men and women, and two restricted to the 

 " sons of workmen earning daily or weekly wages and 

 foremen of workmen and managers." Each scholar- 

 ship is of the annual value of looZ., and is tenable 

 for three years. 



The part of the forthcoming calendar for 1916-17 

 of University College, London, dealing with the 

 facult}- of engineering has been published in advance 

 as a booklet. This faculty, including the departments 

 of civil, mechanical, electrical, and municipal engineer- 

 ing, is intended to provide for students wishing to 

 devote themselves to engineering as a systematic train- 

 ing in the application of scientific principles to indus- 

 trial purposes. The courses of work are suited to the 

 requirements of students who intend to enter for 



XO. 2442, VOL. 97] 



appointments in the Indian Public Works Depart- 

 ment, Engineering Department of the General Post 

 Office, Department of the Director of Engineering 

 and Architectural Works in the Admiralty, Patent 

 Office, and other similar services. Facilities are pro- 

 vided also in the engineering departments for post- 

 graduate and research work in all subjects of engineer- 

 ing. The more important engineering institutions 

 grant various exemptions to holders of the different 

 certificates awarded by the college. All communica- 

 tions from intending students should be addressed to 

 the Provost. 



The calendar for the session 1916-17 of the North 

 of Scotland College of Agriculture is now available. 

 The classes of the college are held in the buildings of 

 the University of Aberdeen, except those in agricul- 

 tural engineering, which are held at Robert Gordon's 

 Technical College. The college farm at Craibstone. 

 about five miles from Aberdeen, includes experimental 

 plots, an experimental and demonstration garden, and 

 a horticultural department. Field experiments and 

 demonstrations are carried out on ordinary farm crops. 

 Feeding and other experiments upon stock are con- 

 ducted, and there are extensive woods, including both 

 conifers and hardwood trees, on the estate, which are 

 being utilised for the purposes of the forestry depart- 

 ment. It is proposed to institute a school of rural 

 domestic economy for girls. There is a large mansion- 

 house on the Craibstone estate which will be equipped 

 as a residence in which classes will be carried on. 

 It is proposed to provide courses of instruction suitable 

 for those who intend to spend their lives on farms 

 and crofts. For the instruction of classes in nature- 

 study and school gardening, two acres of ground at 

 Kepplestone, Rubislaw, have been laid out as a demon- 

 stration garden. 



The valuable series of papers on the better co- 

 ordination of science and industry read during the 

 last six months before the American Chemical Society 

 was followed by the appointment of a committee, who 

 have now presented a report based on the examina- 

 tion of the subject from three different points of view, 

 viz. those of the universit}', of the industries, and of 

 the consulting chemists. The report is classified 

 under findings, conclusions, and a single recommenda- 

 tion to the effect that a permanent central committee 

 should be created and appointed by representatives of 

 the universities and the industries to studv opportuni- 

 ties and make public recommendations. The distinc- 

 tion is drawn between industrial problems which are 

 common to specific industries, so that research on 

 them can be carried out in universities and published, 

 and those problems which cannot properlv be pub- 

 lished, and are, therefore, not adapted to university 

 treatment. On the other hand, the industries are 

 asked to make known to the universities problems 

 which are not of sufficient importance to the industrv 

 to undertake their solution directly so that the univer- 

 sities can use them as live material on which the 

 students can be trained. The recognition by the uni- 

 versity that the industry- alone is in a p>osition to state 

 its problems, and by the industry that it should be pre- 

 pared to give the necessan*^ financial assistance to the 

 university to investigate these, is an important step 

 towards the desired co-ordinated effort. It is pointed 

 out that no matter how efficiently the university may 

 train its men, the industries that take up such men 

 must be prepared to expend much time, effort, and 

 money in training them for the specific work before 

 them, but it is agreed that co-operation between the 

 university and the works as to the requirements of the 

 latter in tlie fundamentals of instruction seems pos- 

 sible, feasible and mutually profitable. The findings 

 deal with certain controversial points in the education 



