June 5, 1913. 



NATURE 



jo/ 



thus obtained exceeds by 0-33" the value generally 

 adopted for eclipses, while the moon's semi-diameter 

 is a very little less than the mean of the two values 

 adopted in the calculations of the Connaissance da. 

 Temps. The discussion also shows that the first 

 exterior contact was in the mean observed six seconds 

 too late, and the last three seconds too early, while 

 the observations of the interior contacts were not 

 affected by any such systematic error. 



Details of the calculations will be published later 

 in a memoir. 



The Spectrum of Nova Geminorum No. 2. — The 

 spectrum of Nova Geminorum No. 2 is the subject of 

 a long communication by Prof. F. Kiistner in Astro- 

 nomische Nachrichten, No. 4654. Some time ago 

 Dr. Giebeler, his assistant, published the results of a 

 series of measures he made (Astronomische Nachrich- 

 ten, No. 4582) of the fine sharp absorption lines in 

 the nova spectrum, concluding that they gave an 

 indication of the presence of radio-active elements. 

 This paper contains an investigation by Prof. Kiistner 

 of the same and other negatives taken at Bonn of 

 the nova, and the measures he secured and those of 

 Dr. Giebeler are given together. The subject is dis- 

 cussed in considerable detail, and we can only here 

 direct attention to the conclusions to which he has 

 arrived with regard to the origins of 241 lines which 

 are contained in his list. Thus he concludes that 

 there is good evidence for the presence of uranium, 

 titanium, and blue argon — that radium, manganese, 

 and zirconium may be present, but that there is no 

 evidence of the emanation, iron or vanadium. As 

 regards calcium, helium, and magnesium he finds that 

 certainly absorption lines observed corresponded to 

 calcium H and K, probably also g, fairly certain 

 He 447166, and questionable Mg 44S134. It may 

 be added that the wave-lengths of the enhanced lines 

 of Lockyer were included in the investigation, and 

 that little evidence was found for lines to be assigned 

 to their origin; thus he rules out the presence of 

 enhanced iron, titanium, and manganese. This paper 

 should be read in connection with that recently pub- 

 lished in the Monthly Notices of the R.A.S. by Prof. 

 Newall and Mr. Stratton, who corroborate in the 

 main the enhanced-line spectrum of the nova as first 

 put forward by Sir Norman Lockyer in the case of 

 Nova Persei. 



SCIENCE, POLITICS, AND PROGRESS. 



w 



V JE gave last week an account of the annual meet- 

 ing of the British Science Guild and a summary 

 of the report adopted at the meeting. We are glad 

 to be able to supplement that article with abridged 

 reports of the speech delivered by Lord Sydenham 

 in proposing "that the best thanks of the British 

 Science Guild be tendered to Viscount Haldane for 

 his services as president since its foundation, and that 

 Sir William Mather be elected to succeed him," and 

 the reply made by Sir William Mather. 



Bv the retirement of Lord Haldane, remarked Lord 

 Sydenham, the guild was about to sustain a very 

 severe loss, for in Lord Haldane they found a gnat 

 leader and an inspiring power which had been of the 

 utmost value in promoting the progress of the guild. 

 It might be that there was a certain incompatibility 

 between science and politics which the guild must 

 strive in time to remove ; or possibly science had not 

 vet been brought to bear upon the delicate process 

 of Cabinet making as it certainly should be. At least 

 the spei tai le of a Minister of the Crown who was 

 a whole-hearted believer in the benefits of science 

 and who could proclaim those benefits with knowledge 

 and experience was a rare, if not a unique, pheno- 

 NO. 2275, VOL. 91] 



rnenon in this country. In Lord Haldane tin \ had 

 had an educationist who had long- ago realised" what 

 technical education had done for other countries, ami 

 realised the deficiencies of the British Empire and had 

 striven to remove them. And now the pleasant duty- 

 had been imposed upon him of proposing the election 

 of his old friend Sir William Mather as their second 

 president. The career of Sir William had been spent 

 in the successful application of science to industry, and 

 not only to processes and machines, but to men. It was 

 in Sir William's great firm that the standard of forty- 

 eight hours a week labour had long been adopted, 

 and it was not an accident that for fiftv years no strike 

 had occurred in his business. As a member of Par- 

 liament, he was a persistent and consistent advocate 

 of technical education. The guild has before it im- 

 portant national work. He (the speaker) felt con- 

 fident that in Sir William they would have a most 

 worthy successor to Lord Haldane. 



Sir William Mather said he felt the deepest grati- 

 tude to the members of the guild for having so 

 cordially elected him as their new president, but when 

 he was first appealed to by Sir Norman Lockyer to 

 take office he had some reluctance in assenting. He, 

 however, had a great interest in the movement, for 

 the British Science Guild claimed to teach the vital 

 importance of using scientific methods in the common 

 things of life. Those of them who were engaged in 

 applying the fruits of scientific research and discovery 

 furnished by the brilliant students of natural si ien< 1 

 realised the immeasurable debt the country owed to 

 those who, in the long and patient work of laboratory 

 experiment and the solitude of study, revealed the 

 secrets of nature, and declared the scientific laws by 

 which they might be adapted to the uses of man. 

 The producers and manufacturers of the things that 

 were used and consumed by the human race, and 

 were necessary to its higher progress and 

 happiness, had neither the time nor the requisite 

 training to seek in the hidden treasure-house of nature 

 for the sources of higher development. This was tin 

 work of the scientific explorer, and the guild em- 

 braced men who felt it to be a patriotic duty to 

 encourage both the scientific explorer and the prac- 

 tical expert in the promotion of national prosperity 

 and continual progress. They were beginning to 

 realise in the twentieth century that there were latent 

 forces in human beings as well as in nature that need 

 to be exploited whereby their national welfare might 

 be enhanced. The evils they deplored, the misery 

 and suffering they saw among their fellow-creatures, 

 were all preventable, and education in this matter 

 became the most important thing in the world. 



The British Science Guild had made education one of 

 the chief objects of its study in relation to the train- 

 ing of children in their earliest years before the 

 rational facultv became active, and this propaganda 

 would be continued, for by this means only could the 

 nation rise to higher achievements in removing the 

 causes of povertv, misery, and disease, which affected 

 the national progress, notwithstanding the wealth, 

 power, and industrial prosperity which scientific dis- 

 coveries had yielded to those who had been able to 

 use them. It was not incompatiblr with individual 

 ambition in the acquisition of wealth and power tin I 

 the chief aim of the nation should be to encourage and 

 supoort other means of adding to the contentment ami 

 welfare of the whole people/ One of the_most retro- 

 gressive conditions of present-day life in England was 

 the recurring and increasing outbursts of passionate 

 discontent amongst the working classes resulting in 

 incalculable economic loss from strikes and lock-outs, 

 and the deplorable absence of good feeling, sym- 

 pathetic interest, and even patriotic effoit between 



