A HISTORY OF SCIENCE 



periment. But the possibility that this may occur, 

 together with the utter novelty of the entire subject, 

 gives the low-temperature work precedence over al- 

 most every other subject now before the world for 

 investigation (possible exceptions being radio-activity 

 and bacteriology). The quest of the geographical 

 pole is but a child's pursuit compared with the quest 

 of the absolute zero. In vital interest the one falls as 

 far short of the other as the cold of frozen water falls 

 short of the cold of frozen air. 



Where, when, and by whom the absolute zero will 

 be first reached are questions that may be answered 

 from the most unexpected quarter. But it is interest- 

 ing to know that great preparations are being made to- 

 day in the laboratories of the Royal Institution for a 

 further attack upon the problem. Already the re- 

 search equipment there is the best in the world in this 

 field, and recently this has been completely over- 

 hauled and still further perfected. It would not be 

 strange, then, in view of past triumphs, if the final goal 

 of the low-temperature workers should be first reached 

 in the same laboratory where the outer territories of 

 the unknown land were first penetrated three-quarters 

 of a century ago. There would seem to be a poetic 

 fitness in the trend of events should it so transpire. 

 But of course poetic fitness does not always rule in the 

 land of science. 



