6 SCIENCE REMAKING THE WORLD 



terns then in vogue. Even in a country to which our 

 ancestors came in order to think freely, they themselves 

 soon began to shackle, and occasionally destroy, those 

 whose alleged freedom in thinking led to conclusions 

 unacceptable to those in authority. In the present age 

 of science and renewed belief in the power of truth, we 

 see the old and inevitable strife between those who do 

 and those who do not believe in the progressive nature 

 of truth. Attempted legislation against truth merely 

 increases the caution and obligation of inquiring minds, 

 thus helps to refine the inquiry and make the results 

 more secure. Certainly an attack upon a progressive 

 thinker cannot kill progressive thought, but rather by 

 antithesis creates one more spiritual monument in the 

 name of truth seeking. Legislation against truthful, 

 progressive thinking helps to advertise the issues in- 

 volved, and to cause plastic minds to desire to know. 1 

 Even if legislative walls could be erected, progressive 

 truth would leak through, filter beneath, fly above, or, 

 radium-like, would radiate by processes too elusive, too 

 intangible, and too fundamental to be denied its logical 

 advance. Did the persecution of Columbus keep the 

 earth from being round, even though many of the ideas 

 of Columbus's times have since been found to be faulty? 

 Did the persecution of Harvey stop the complete cir- 

 culation of human blood, even though later investiga- 

 tions have corrected many of Harvey 's ideas? Could 

 legislation stop biological development even though 

 thousands of research workers are earnestly endeavour- 

 ing to ascertain unknown truths about the processes 

 involved ? 



