380 
the chair. The position of geography as the bridge 
subject between tne humanistic and the purely scien- 
tic studies was well brought out in the papers and 
discussions. Mr. H. J. Mackinder, M.P., in opening 
a discussion on the resolutions drawn up by the bive 
Associations, quoted a statement issued by the council 
of the Geographical Association with regard to the 
teaching of geography. 1n this document the object 
of teaching geograpny in schools is said to be to train 
future citizens to imagine accurately the interaction of 
human activities and their topographical conditions. 
It is pointed out that as these conditions have been 
established partly by natural forces and partly by 
human effort, any discussion of the correlation of the 
various conditions must be both scientific and 
humanistic. The case is summed up thus :—* The 
unity of geography, tor school purposes at any rate, is 
essentially humanistic, and on one side related closely 
to history, but the assembling of the physical 
data is a very important part of geographical 
teaching and cannot,be left to the teacher of other 
subjects.”’ 
Two other papers brought out the relationships of 
geography, and at the same time curiously emphasised 
the fact that geography is a subject in itself. Prof. 
Fleure read a paper on ** Regions in Human Geo- 
graphy,” which was saturated with humanism, and 
was marked by a strong historical flavour, and yet 
was in no sense history. ‘‘ Correlation of various con- 
ditions”’ within a region is essentially geography, what- 
ever is or is not. *‘‘ Though essentially humanistic ”’ 
and ‘related to history,’’ geography has a unity of its 
own. Prof. Nunn read a paper to a joint meeting of 
the association and the Mathematical Association on 
““Map Projections.’’ The relationship of geography to 
science was taken for granted in the meeting, just as 
the joint meeting last year with the Historical Asso- 
ciation took the humanistic relation for granted. What 
was perhaps more striking with regard to the paper 
was the different point of view of the geographer from 
that of the mathematician, even a most sympathetic 
mathematician, in regard to this almost purely mathe- 
matical subject. It was quite evident that while both 
geography and mathematics gain immensely by correla- 
tion, yet there is very distinct work for each. The danger 
of leaving projections for geographical work entirely to 
the mathematical teacher, or, indeed, for mathematical 
training to be left to the geographical teacher, was un- 
mistakable. Again, to quote the statement, “the 
assembling of the physical data . . . cannot be left to 
the teachers of other subjects.’’ The last sentence of 
the statement starfds true: ‘Experience has shown 
that the art of geographical correlation depends on 
specially trained habits of thought.” 
The Mathematical Association held its annual meet- 
ing on January 5, under the presidency of Prof. White- 
head. After the business meeting—at which Prof. 
T. P. Nunn was elected president for 1917-18—Prof. 
Nunn read an important paper on ‘The School 
Course in Geometry,” illustrated by many interesting 
models and practical devices. He urged that geometry 
should be closely connected with the facts of life and 
that the pupils should approach it through practical 
work of various kinds; that many topics which have 
hitherto been postponed to a late stage or omitted 
altogether—e.g. certain facts of solid geometry and the 
simpler properties of the conic sections—should be in- 
troduced at a comparatively early stage; and that the 
reasoning, while of a nature suitable to the stage 
reached, should throughout be careful and rigid. In 
this connection he distinguished three stages : the first 
that of simple intuitional reasoning in connection with 
direct experience; the second that of deductions based 
upon the assumption of certain fundamental truths; 
and the third that of constructing a system of geo- 
NO. 2463, VOL. 98] 
NATURE 
[JANUARY I1, 1917 | 
metrical truths on the smallest possible basis Of 
assumptions. ‘NS ; 
The afternoon session -opeéd with an inspiring 
ae 
tion.” His main thesis was that a liberal education - 
should in all cases be in close touch with the activities 
of life; and it should include in varying proportions 
the literary, scientific, and technical elements. These 
should be closely connected; technical education needs 
the enlightenment of science, intellectual education 
lacking some relation to handwork is barren, while the 
literary element supplies that wider contact with other 
life and thought which is essential to healthy mental 
life. Only so can we reach the ideal in which “ work 
is play and play is life,’ and nothing but harm can 
come of the assumption that the practical world is 
one in which high ideals can have no place. ; 
Later in the afternoon Mr. P. Abbott opened a dis- 
cussion on ‘‘ The Place of Mathematics in Educational 
Reconstruction,” dealing chiefly with the mathematics 
suitable for continuation schools. Other speakers dealt 
with other aspects of the subject. 
The twenty-fifth annual general meeting of the 
Incorporated Association of Headmasters was held at 
the Guildhall, London, on January 8. The Rev. J. R. 
Wymnne-Edwards (Leeds Grammar School), in his 
presidential address, said that in science teaching in 
schools two chief objects are in view—first, the acquisi- 
tion of facts that ‘‘every educated man ought to 
know,’’ the laws of Nature, the constitution of our 
planet and its atmosphere, the chief properties of light, 
heat, and electricity, and their bearing on daily life; 
and secondly, the investigator’s respect for truth, his 
determination to observe phenomena irrespective of 
preconceived ideas, and to reason on observed facts 
without being hampered by preconceived theories. Of 
these two objects the second is by far the more im- 
portant. It is agreed that the time has come to im- 
prove our system of science teaching and to bring 
science to bear more fully on the problems of our daily 
life; but difficulties present themselves the solution of 
which will tax all the ingenuity of the nation. At 
present there is not an adequate supply of teachers, 
and it is absolutely essential that a solution of this 
difficulty should be found. Another difficulty is to 
adapt science teaching to the need of industry without 
taking away its power as an intellectual stimulus, 
and to persuade the manufacturers of the country that 
it is to their interest to have the very best advice that 
science can give them and to pay for it accordingly. 
One still hears of graduates serving in Government 
munition works as science experts at 21. a week, which 
they are prepared to accept in their anxiety “to do 
their bit” for their country, while workmen in the 
same works may be earning their 5]. or 61. per week. 
There are, however, signs of a change, and the great 
demand and very limited supply of expert science men 
is giving rise to abnormal conditions. 
The following resolution was carried by 70 votes 
to 15:—‘That it is of the highest importance to the 
welfare of this country that the decimal system of 
weights and measures be adopted, and that this asso- 
ciation approves of the policy and aims of the Decimal 
Association, and invites its members to support the 
proposals.” 
PRIZE AWARDS OF THE PARIS ACADEMY 
OF SCIENCES FOR 1916. 
Vf ATHEMATICS.— The Grand Prize of the mathe- 
‘ matical sciences. No memoir was received deal- 
ing with the question proposed, buta prize of 2000 francs 
was awarded to N. E. Norlund, professor at the Uni- 
versity of Lund, for his work on the linear equations 
% 
address from Prof. Whitehead on ‘‘ Technical Educa- 
. 
: 
: 
4 
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