THE PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS 3 



in a half-light, tentatively grasping what at best are only half- 

 truths. Things that to one generation seemed to be essential 

 parts of a permanent structure are treated by the next as mere 

 scaffolding. The quest of truth goes on endlessly, ardently, fruit- 

 fully. And yet with every gain of knowledge we realise more clearly 

 that we can never really know. To understand, as Einstein lately 

 said, is to draw one incomprehensible out of another incomprehen- 

 sible. From time to time we discover a fresh relation between 

 observed phenomena, but each of the things which are found to be 

 related continues to evade our full comprehension ; and that is 

 apparently the only kind of discovery we can achieve. Our joy in 

 the quest itself never fails ; we are constantly learning that it is 

 better to travel than to arrive. 



The philosophical implications of this altered attitude are many — 

 indeed they concern the deepest springs of thought. What I wish 

 at the moment to point out is that the new spirit strengthens a sense 

 of brotherhood between the scientific adept and the average man, 

 who in his own way is also commonly a seeker after truth. He 

 listens gladly when the specialist drops his toga and admits that 

 in scientific matters the only dogma is that there is no dogma. 

 Obviously too the advance of science makes an increasing claim upon 

 the layman's notice through its technical applications. It invades 

 his home and alters his ways ; it affects almost every feature of the 

 daily round ; it brings him interests, comforts, wealth ; it enor- 

 mously enlarges his powers of work and play. And, further, at a 

 time like the present, when we carry a load of social and political 

 and economic discontents, the ordinary citizen doubtless reflects that 

 if only we could apply the dispassionate temper of science to the 

 difficulties of the hour we might face them with less waste of effort 

 and greater likelihood of settlement. 



These are a few of the reasons why the British Association keeps 

 its hold on the public. It links experts with one another and with 

 laymen, to the benefit of all. Experts gain by indulging in a short 

 interval of comparatively lucid self-expression. They gain also by 

 trying to understand each other, which is by no means so easy as 

 you might suppose. To meet under these happy conditions is a 

 stimulus to everybody. An old worker in science looks gratefully 

 back on his attendances at the British Association not only as de- 

 lightful human events but as red-letter days in his own development, 

 as milestones in the unceasing march of his subject, and as helps in 

 the hard task of keeping himself more or less in step. 



It is recorded that York was chosen for our birthplace because in 

 the Yorkshire Philosophical Society the infant would secure intelli- 

 gent dry-nursing at the hands of a large body of friendly amateurs. 

 In a letter to the Secretary of that Society, Sir David Brewster 



