SCIENCE 



Friday, December 10, 1920 



CONTENTS 

 The Daily Influences of Astronomy: Directok 

 W. "W. Campbell 543 



Plan of the Bicentenary Expedition to the 

 North of Greenland: Latjge Koch 552 



Scientific Events: — 



University of Toronto Conference on Be- 

 cent Advances in Physics; Meeting of the 

 American Ornithological Union; The Bula- 

 wayo Meeting of the South African Asso- 

 oiatioTi 554 



Scientific Notes and News 556 



University and Educational News 558 



Discussion and Correspondence : — 

 Positive Bay Analysis of Magnesium: Dr. A. 

 J. Dempster. On Becording Apparatus for 

 Meteorological Besearch with Bodkets: Dr. 

 E. H. GODDARD. The History of the Science 

 Section and the Progress of Science: Dr. 

 Fredekick E. Brasch 559 



Special Articles: — 



Optimum Nutrient Solutions for Plants: Dr. 



D. E. HOAGLAND 562 



The American Chemical Society: Dr. Charles 

 L. Parsons 564 



MSS. intended for publication and books, etc.. intended for 

 review should be sent to The Editor of Science, Garrison-on* 

 Hudson, N. Y. 



THE DAILY INFLUENCES OF 

 ASTRONOMYi 



In the great struggle through which the 

 principal nations have passed, men and women 

 at home labored intensively to maintain their 

 ideals; countless millions of men fought val- 

 iently and many millions died for the ideals 

 of their nations. Quick results, short cuts to 

 the end in view, the achieving of victory re- 

 gardless of costs, were the order of the day. 

 Suddenly the problems of war gave way to the 

 problems of pyeace. The intensive methods of 

 war carried over to an unfortunate degree 

 into the days of peace. Human energy, 

 mobilized in behalf of the nation, applied im- 

 selfishly for the good of every person in the 

 nation, for the well-being of all the nations, 

 was diverted in regrettable measure to pro- 

 moting selfish interests. The moral exalta- 

 tion of the war period was replaced in too 

 many cases by the selfishness of individuals 

 and organizations; by profiteering — a new 

 word, coined to describe widespread condi- 

 tions. The struggle in Russia, as the extreme 

 case, is direct action for the sudden attain- 

 ment of certain results, without due consider- 

 ation for the rights of others. In all coun- 

 tries there are those who, seeing conditions 

 not to their liking, in commerce, in educa- 

 tion, in religion, in many phases of daily life, 

 would cut and slash their way through the 

 good, in order to uproot what, in their sight, 

 is bad. This spirit exists in America, and 

 throughout the world, in various degrees. 

 Disturbances in the body politic may ensue 

 for years or a generation by virtue of these 

 attempted short cuts to results, but radical 

 transformations in the social structure of the 

 great modem nations, to endure, must find 



1 Address on the occasion of the dedication of 

 the Warner and Swasey Observatory, Case School 

 of Applied Science, Cleveland, on October 12, 1920. 



