Mat 16, 1913] 



SCIENCE 



741 



through research is like the material which a 

 plant takes up into itself in the process of 

 growth; it becomes a part of one's essential 

 being. Thus the work of research furnishes a 

 means of self-development which is to be had 

 in no other way. From this point of view to 

 do such work will be a special privilege to 

 one in proportion as he considers his individ- 

 ual development a matter of importance. 



There is also a further advantage. When 

 one has learned what it is to see a thing in the 

 flood of light which research throws upon it, 

 all knowledge begins to take a new appear- 

 ance. The light of research reaches beyond 

 the field in which it was kindled and illumi- 

 nates the neighboring territory, and finally 

 one's whole body of exact information. It 

 puts one in a new world even while he is amid 

 his old surroundings. 



Let us next inquire, What is the meaning 

 of research to the university? The way in 

 which the reputation of the university, and 

 consequently its power of service, depend on 

 the character and amount of research done by 

 its staff and graduate body is sufficiently ob- 

 jective to be in no danger of escaping your at- 

 tention; and therefore I shall pass over this 

 matter without further remark. But there is 

 another thing more intimate, more subjective 

 in its nature and more important in its influ- 

 ence, which, by its very closeness to your ex- 

 perience, may fail of appropriate recognition 

 on your part. I refer to the atmosphere, in 

 the academic community, which in large meas- 

 ure is created by your presence and work. 

 This has a pervasive influence of a peculiar 

 kind, and every environment which feels it is 

 vitally affected by it. Every department of 

 the institution is indebted to it for new tone 

 and fresh vigor. A breath of life is infused 

 into the undergraduate work and an inspira- 

 tion otherwise unknown is felt. An institu- 

 tion in which pure research is regularly done 

 has an atmosphere of its own which provides 

 a training, even for the undergraduate who 

 is not doing research, which can be secured in 

 no other way. Through its students it con- 

 tributes to the community at large a vital in- 

 fluence of far-reaching power. 



It is obvious that a power of this kind may 

 be utilized with different degrees of effective- 

 ness. I believe that it often lies in part dor- 

 mant, through the failure of graduate stu- 

 dents to develop an appropriate esprit de 

 corps. The great value to each individual of 

 the spirit which pervades the undergraduate 

 body is well known to all of you. A similar 

 advantage may well accrue from the esprit 

 de corps of an organized body of graduate stu- 

 dents; and such a club as the present one is 

 effective in contributing to this end. The 

 wide divergence of interests in the various de- 

 partments makes it harder to find common 

 grounds of association than in the under- 

 graduate work; but the advantages to be ob- 

 tained are well worth an effort. 



Again, let us ask. What is the meaning of 

 research to the larger community of which the 

 university forms a part? What immediate 

 practical ends are attained? What more 

 ideal and far-reaching results are accom- 

 plished ? 



It is one of the paradoxes of human prog- 

 ress that certain practical ends are best 

 served by work which is laid out indepen- 

 dently of practical considerations. It is only 

 when one develops truth for the sake of truth 

 itself that one takes sufficient time to forge 

 all the links in the complete chain of theory. 

 If the attainment of a practical end is the 

 purpose in view minor matters which appear 

 irrelevant will be entirely ignored, for the 

 sake of economy of time. But if one is inter- 

 ested primarily in the development of science, 

 no considerations, however unimportant they 

 appear, are left out of account. One's esthetic 

 sense can be properly gratified only by an all- 

 comprehensive investigation of his subject. 

 Consequently the man of research looks at his 

 subject from all points of view and develops 

 a complete theory simply for the sake of his 

 delight in its beauty. When he has finished, 

 it is often found that his discoveries are un- 

 expectedly of great practical importance, 

 sometimes directly and sometimes indirectly. 

 Human progress owes a boundless debt to such 

 agency. 



Every science affords examples of the prac- 



