142 SECTIONAL ADDRESSES 



of curiosity, the exercise of reason and the joy of constructiveness and of 

 wonder. When pursued under the best conditions, it is as free from 

 worldly care and responsibility as was that of the mediaeval monk, and for 

 that very reason it is apt to be incomplete and ill-balanced. Such self- 

 forgetfulness is not true freedom from ego-consciousness, since it is only 

 temporary. It is not altruism. But the blissful dream-life of the 

 laboratory may easily become as entrancing as the paradise of the opium 

 addict. The man of science is happily almost free from the jealousy 

 and exhibitionism which afflict the artist, but his joyous Nirvana may make 

 him oblivious of others, and his interest in things may obscure his interest 

 in persons. As I have said elsewhere, it is probable that Mrs. Faraday 

 spent too many lonely evenings in the garret of the Royal Institution x — 

 and even the university professor, whose human interest should be sus- 

 tained by daily contact with students, may fall a victim to the dope of 

 research. Thus, a certain French professor, when asked how many 

 students he had, replied : ' as few as possible ; I find that they interrupt 

 my work.' 



The function of the engineer is to apply the co-ordinated knowledge 

 of the pure scientist and the experience of the ages to the satisfaction of 

 human desire, and to the increase of the amenities of life. He is the 

 link between human experience and scientific knowledge, and, as such, 

 he cannot perpetually live in a rarefied atmosphere of detachment. 

 He must be in daily contact with humanity and learn to understand 

 human psychology as well as human needs. As a result, he is less 

 specialised, more balanced, more adaptable and understanding than his 

 colleague in pure science. His judgment in human affairs is more 

 developed ; he is a better ' mixer.' A nation of pure investigators would 

 be calm and peaceful, but cold as Scotland Yard. A nation of engineers 

 might be quite a pleasant community. 



Engineering and Civilisation. 



In its purest form, engineering is the greatest instrument of civilisation 

 that the world has ever seen, in the sense that it continually tends to 

 promote a closer contact, a greater intimacy, and therefore a more profound 

 understanding between individuals and nations. Three-fourths of the 

 work of the engineer is devoted to the development of communication. 

 Roads, canals, bridges, railways, harbours, ships, motor-cars, aeroplanes, 

 telegraphs, telephones, television, all these and many more are humanity's 

 hyphens. Their natural effect is to foster friendliness and dissolve 

 differences. Left undisturbed by the politician, the scaremonger, and 

 the patriot, the engineer would demolish the Tower of Babel and render 

 war impossible. Build a channel tunnel ; then Calais and Dover become 

 neighbours and Anglo-French understanding ensues in all senses. Place 

 transmitters in the trenches with receivers and televisors at home ; then 

 war becomes unthinkable. The very first thing that a government does 

 on going to war is to seize and control every means of communication 

 and every engineering device that might otherwise serve to unite the 

 1 Faraday and Some of His Contemporaries (Pitman & Co.), pp. 60, 61. 



