;8 



NATURE 



[January 2. 19 19 



depending on radio-active change distinguish, nol onlj 

 heterobaric, but isobaric isotopes, and also isobaric 

 heterotopes thai is, substances of different atomic 

 weight and identical chemical character, of the same 

 tpmic weighl and chemical character, and of the same 

 atomic weighl and different chemical character. A 

 glance at the chart will show main examples oi all 

 three kind-. Nol only has the chemical element been 

 robbed of its time-honoured title to be considered the 

 ultimate unchanging constituenl of matter, bul iis 

 title to be considered homogeneous has also vanished. 

 The century thai began with Dalton and ended with 

 1 In • discoveries "I Becqucrol and the Curies took the 

 practical conception of the element it found extant, as 

 that which could not be further resolved, and made of 

 it the central conception of a theory of the ultimate 

 constitution of matter. The element was first 

 atomised, and then the atom and the element became 

 synonyms, related as the singular is to the plural. 

 Every one of the conceptions which associated the 

 atom with the chemical element now has to be 

 modified. Atoms of different chemical elements may 

 have the same atomic weight; those of what the 

 ch( mist and spcctroscopist regard as the same element 

 may have different atomic weight; and, mosl difficult 

 to include of all to anyone to-day attempting to define 

 the chemical element, even though the atoms all have 

 the same weight, the element, nevertheless, may be 

 an unresolvable mixture of fundamentally different 

 isobaric isotopes. Present-day complete identity may 

 conceal differences for the future of paramount import- 

 it 1 e, if ever transmutation is practically realisable 

 at will. The goal that inspires the search for the 

 homogeneous constituents out of which the material 

 world is composed is now known to be, like infinity, 

 approachable rather than attainable. The practical 

 and necessary conception of the chemical elements, as 

 understood before these discoveries, is, of course, un- 

 ili cted. ft had, and it has, a real significance as 

 repri senting the limits of the spectroscopic and 

 chemical analysis of matter, which remains, though it 

 is now known to convey something very unlike the 

 original and natural conception of the elements as 

 the ' m u 's of the material alphabet. 



IXIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



The following candidates have been elected to repre- 

 sent Universit) constituencies in the House of Com- 

 mons (members of the late Parliament are distin- 

 guished bv an asterisk): — Oxford: *Lord Hugh Cecil 

 and *Mr. R. E Prothero. Cambridge: *Mr. J. E. P. 

 Rawlinson and *Sir Joseph Larmor. London : ""Sir 

 Philip Magnus. Combined English Universities: *Mr, 

 H. A. L. Fisher and Sir Martin Conway. Wales: 

 'Mr. f. Herberl Lewis. Scotland: *Sir Watson 

 Cheyne, Mr. D. M. Cowan, and *Sir Henry Craik. 

 Dublin: "Mr. A. \Y. Samuels and Sir Robert Woods. 

 National: Mr. ]. MacNeil. Queen's (Belfast): Sir 

 William Whitla. 



The National Education Association, Caxton House, 

 Westminster, has prepared and published .1 useful 

 summary of sixteen quarto pages (price (></.) of the 

 Education Act, iqi8, in which the Act is succinctly 

 summarised and explained. The. pamphlet further 

 contains a brief n tunii ol each of the sections of the 

 Act, i' 1 which is included onlv the operative words and 

 phrases grouped undei I bladings, such as the 



"Organisation of Education," "Co-operation and Com- 

 bination," "Expenditure," \ttendance at Continua- 

 tion Schools." "To Aid Research." "Central Schools 

 and Classes," "Education Grants," etc. Il will prove 

 ■' ilinglv helpful to members of education com- 

 XO. 2566, VOL. I02] 



mittees, to officials engaged in administration, ai 

 the teaching profession, both public and pri 

 ii gives without technical and legal verbiage a clear 

 view of the operations of the Vet, and enables them 

 in see how very much of the Act can, even in present 

 circumstances, be brought into immediati operation. 

 Now that the war is practically over it may be 

 assumed that the Board of Education, as it is em- 

 powered by the Act, will, so soon as the conditions 

 ol peace are arranged and the treat) is signed, bring 

 into operation the vital sub-sections of the Act ra 

 the compulsorj age ol attendance at public elementary 

 schools to fourteen years in all areas, and empower 

 local authorities to raise In by-law the age to fifteen 

 where so desired. Already a majority of the sections 

 of the Act is in full operation, and it only awaits 

 the conclusion of peace for this, the most important 

 \n 11I the last ses..i,,n of Parliament, to come into 

 full and salutary effi 1 1. 



It has been known for some time that, by reason 

 of the general interruption of academic studies during 

 the war, special and temporary provision would be 

 made for the admission of men of militar) agi into 

 the < 'ivil Service otherwise than by competitive 

 examination. Announcement is now made that ap- 

 pointments within the scope of clause 5 of the Prin- 

 cipal Order (the Civil Service (Consolidating) Ordi . 

 January 10, 1010) may be made by selection on a 

 competitive basis, but without competitive examina- 

 tion, through the agency of a selection board 

 boards appointed by the Treasury, and according 

 regulations framed, or to be from time to time framed, 

 by the Commissioners, and approved by the Treasury. 

 All nun who have served either in his Majesty's 

 Naval, Military, or Air Forces, or, being unfit for 

 general service in those fore, s, have been employed in 

 one or more of his Majesty's Civil Departments 

 during the war, and are in a position to satisfy the 

 Commissioners and the Selection Board that they are 

 of the requisite age, health, character, ami educa- 

 tional and other qualifications, will be eligil 

 compete for such appointments. It is understood that 

 the Selection Board to be appointed by the Treasury 

 will be charged with the work for India and the 

 Colonies, as well as for the Home Service. It is 

 very important that thesi Selection Boards shall in- 

 clude representatives of scientific and other modern 

 subjects, as well as those with literary or legal in- 

 terests, so as to ensure that a just proportion of the 

 candidates appointed shall possess the training and 

 knowledge which a progressive nation needs in its 

 administrative officials. 



In ihe Scientific Monthly for s. Dti mb< 1 Prof. I ii 

 Sarton has an article on "The Teaching of the His- 

 torj of Science," which gives further insight into his 

 id. as on this subject. Jus', as a skilled workman 

 employed day bv day on th< one job he can do 1 • ■ 

 runs the risk of becoming a human machine, so the 

 scientific investigator who devotes bis life to one par- 

 ticular field of research is in danger of losing ti 

 with reality. The workman may gain a broader out- 

 look over the work on which be i- engaged 

 ing evening classes at a technical institute; for the 

 scientific investigator Prof. v 1 mmends lec- 

 tures on the history of science. The lecturers on this 

 subject would give com •■uivo. ol 

 whole ii, id of science, illustrating their lectures, so 

 far as possible, with models and simple experiments. 

 The author considers thai each university should 



establish time such courses; (a) An introductory 



course on the history of science throughout the ages; 

 (b) lb.- historj of a particular science; and (c) the 

 historj of science and civilisation al a special period. 

 The two special courses would be changed from year 





