MODERN SCIENCE 9 



The specialist, however, like other people, guides his 

 life by the stars which he sees, and his conclusions about 

 affairs and people outside of his field are sometimes 

 seriously and harmfully limited. One can and must, if 

 he is a productive student, dig deep into a special sub- 

 ject. But deep wells, while suggestive of depth and 

 height of vision, are not suggestive of broad and 

 comprehensive views. The figure would better be 

 changed to that of a "skyscraper mind," which rises to 

 great heights and consequently may have broad and 

 dependable views, since it stands upon foundations 

 which are secure and since its structural materials are 

 those which will endure under the seasonal and human 

 exigencies of its working environment. 



One of the greatest functions of our organizations of 

 science men is the bringing together of scientists from 

 various sectors of science and compelling them to learn 

 enough of the elements, at least, of the other fields, to 

 gain some understanding of the purposes, ambitions, 

 and accomplishments of other science men. It would 

 not be bad for science, nor for the public, if special- 

 ists were required to teach other specialists enough 

 to enable all to take a reasonably elementary exami- 

 nation upon the special fields of one another. 



There is another supremely important function to be 

 served by means of a better public understanding of 

 modern science and its uses. Science knowledge, scien- 

 tific processes and appliances, have reached the stage 

 where ignorance means danger, sometimes destruction. 

 Far more people are killed at street crossings than be- 

 fore the gas motor became common property. The air- 



