September 29, 1922] 



SCIENCE 



357 



AN INSTITUTE FOR ACOUSTIC 

 RESEARCH 



There is much to be said against too elab- 

 orate ail organization of scientific research. 

 We carry our highly prized individualized 

 democracy into our experimental endeavors and 

 shun therein all actual or even apparent con- 

 trol "from 'albove." And this attitude if not 

 carried to an extreme is as it should be. We 

 train our young graduate students, for exam- 

 ple, to observe the dependence of their prob- 

 lems on past performances of others while at 

 the same time we enoourage them to obtain an 

 orientation in the general history of science. 

 It would not do much haiim to go further in 

 the latter direction than we do. But aJbove all 

 we unmistakably teach them also the power of 

 self-reliance and attempt to inculcate in theiii 

 the sense of aggressive initiative in connection 

 with their problems of investigation. The 

 young possessor of the doctorate is distinctly 

 respectful of historical accomplishment and in 

 that light he envisages the present. But from 

 that point on he dares independently to face 

 what lies before. 



That assertiveness, displayed in the mature 

 adventurer after truth as well as in the youth- 

 ful pioneer, does not gainsay the need of 

 cooperation. The problem in science is the 

 same as that in political government: the indi- 

 vidual needs the state, the state needs the union 

 of states, and the union of states needs the world 

 confederacy. So the individual investigator 

 needs the stimulus of his colleagues. This ex- 

 tensive sort of organization we have ailready 

 abundantly recognized in science in the com- 

 bination of our specific scientific associations 

 into state academies, sectional conferences, na- 

 tional bodies, and international councils.' 



The present scope of scientific inquiry is de- 

 veloping to such an extent, however, that this 

 type of extensive coopera!tion and organization 

 is not the only desirable one, for we have 



1 Dr. W. E. Wliitney, director of the Kesearcli 

 Laboratory of the General Electric Company, has 

 a;bly brought out the mternational character of 

 research in a brief article entitled, "Science — A 

 AVorld Partnership," puhlished in the Scientific 

 American, 127, 1922, 100 (August). 



already begun to establish what I should like 

 to call an intensive form of scientific organiza- 

 tion. To draw a comparison this time with 

 industries in the commercial world, it appears 

 that not only are there associations of insurance 

 companies, of automobile manufacturers, of 

 dry goods merchants, and the like, but between 

 these establishments 'there are associations that 

 group together only certain interests, e. g., the 

 employment managers, the credit men, the buy- 

 ers, the salemen, etc. So as our scientific 

 knowledge increases and our scientists of vari- 

 ous persuasions are beginning to explore con- 

 tiguous territorj', we are finding it necessary to 

 obtain an outlet for our common interests. 

 Physicists, chemists, astronomers and mathe- 

 maticians may to-day be at work on a kindi-ed 

 group of subjects, but from widely diffei-ent 

 angles of approach. An intensive cooperation 

 among such workers affords often mutual 

 respect, appreciative understanding of the sev- 

 eral points of view, real fellowship, and above 

 all more authentic results. It is noteworthy in 

 this connection that many hospitals are inviting 

 groups of scientists to cooperate in a similar 

 way on specific problems presented in such 

 institutions. 



There is one field ■s^'liioli to 'the writer's knowl- 

 edge has already made pronounced progress in 

 intensive cooperation. This is the field of 

 optics and visual phenomena. The photo- 

 graphic and illuminating industries and pro- 

 fessions have for some time enlisted the aid of 

 men from several' allied sciences. In one of 

 the largest plants for the manufacture of elec- 

 tric incandescent lamps a physicist, a physiolo- 

 gist, and a psychologist have cooperatively 

 undertaken and completed significant prob- 

 lems. While these problems are rarely con- 

 jointly solved, there is ample opportunity for 

 mutual consultation. Illuminating engineers 

 are consulting some of *e best trained men 

 psychology has to offer; some ai.'e entered as 

 regular members of the staff. One of the 

 largest manufacturing concerns of photo- 

 graphic appliances and supplies employs a 

 group of men representing several sciences 

 including psychology.- 



= Other instances of cooperative research that 



