The Necessity for the Amateur Spirit in Scientific Work. 79 



This is the first use of new roads — to aid the road-makers 

 themselves, whether amateur or professional. But the amateur 

 must see to it that he take his full share in the work, lest the 

 professional road-maker come to regard him as an idle path- 

 stroller on pleasure bent, who can be ordered to ' keep off the 

 o;-rass. ' There is always a danger that the free waste lands of 

 to-day may become the preserved park lands of to-morrow ! 



It is not, however, to be implied that we expect everyone 

 who finds interest in science to undertake forthwith the work 

 of investigation — indeed, this is not even desirable unless the 

 same hands that gather the raw material are capable also of 

 weaving it into the fabric. The active amateur workers will 

 always be few compared with the number of those who are 

 sufficiently interested to watch with appreciation what is being 

 done, though, as I have previously suggested, with an increase 

 in the number of the sympathetic watchers there will assuredlv 

 be a proportionate increase of serious workers. It is upon 

 these workers, backed as they should be by the intelligent 

 support of the community, that the great responsibilities of 

 the future to which I have alluded will mainly rest. 



It may seem perhaps that for me to dwell thus upon the 

 value of the amateur worker in science is superfluous — the 

 mere labouring of an argument that is already granted. But it 

 is useful sometimes to review matters ot this kind under the 

 light of changing circumstances, and I must let this be my 

 excuse. 



There is another aspect of scientific research, independent 

 altogether of the matters we have been discussing, with which 

 I should have liked to deal, but can only just touch upon now. 

 It is with regard to the reaction of this kind of work upon the 

 worker. 



There is one thing sure, that whoever enters seriously upon 

 the study of any subject in the scientific spirit, and pursues it 

 far enough to grasp the essence of the scientific method, whether 

 he succeed in adding to the sum of knowledge or not, will be 

 intellectually the better for the discipline. The illusions and 

 shadowy uncertainties that perplex the mind in our daily life 

 are generally based on defective observation, or lack of observa- 

 tion ; and any training of the mental faculties that helps to bring 

 the idea into closer accord with its object — that, in common 

 phrase, aids us ' to look facts square in the face ' — is indeed 

 valuable for this reason alone. The man of business uncon- 

 sciously acquires this faculty by contact with affairs, and his 



1906 March i. 



