696 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLIV. No. 1142 



inconclusive. About one third of the cor- 

 respondents report that interest has in- 

 creased, another third that it has decreased, 

 and the remaining third that it has re- 

 mained stationary or no decided change has 

 been noticed. Museums mostly report an 

 increase of interest, and technical institu- 

 tions a decrease. No general conclusion 

 can be derived from the replies from scien- 

 tific societies, in which so much depends 

 upon the energy of the secretary and the 

 constitution of the committee. For ex- 

 ample, the Birmingham and Midland In- 

 stitute Scientific Society reports an in- 

 crease, while the Birmingham Natural His- 

 tory and Philosophical Society records a 

 decrease. 



As regards public interest in science lec- 

 tures Dr. M. E. Sadler remarks : " I should 

 say that it has increased and might be 

 greatly stimulated by further efforts." 

 Other replies to this effect are: " I do not 

 believe that public interest in popular sci- 

 ence lectures has decreased, but it certainly 

 has less opportunities of manifesting it- 

 self " (School of Technology, Manchester). 

 " There has been a marked increase of in- 

 terest within the past five years " (Uni- 

 versity College, Aberystwyth); "In that 

 time the public interest in our lectures has 

 increased considerably " (Kilmarnock) ; 

 " The interest in the Manchester Geograph- 

 ical Society's weekly lectures has greatly 

 increased during the past fifteen years. ' ' 



The chief causes of decrease of interest 

 in many districts are indicated in the fol- 

 lowing replies : ' ' The public interest has 

 doubtless decreased slightly during the past 

 ten years. This is to some extent accounted 

 for by the fact that during recent years 

 scholars from the secondary and other 

 schools in the city have continued their edu- 

 cation at the college and other institutions, 

 attending two and three evenings per week, 

 and therefore do not attend single lectures 



as in former years. The opening of pic- 

 ture-houses has probably also affected the 

 attendance at lectures " (University Col- 

 lege, Nottingham). "Decreased. The lec- 

 tures are no longer novel, there is increas- 

 ing difficulty in obtaining new and good 

 lecturers, and there are many counter-at- 

 tractions, e. g. kinema, other lectures in the 

 same town, etc." (Stockport Science Lec- 

 tures Committee). " Decreased: represen- 

 tatives on public bodies either have not the 

 time (through commercial claims), or the 

 interest, to devote any attention to the mat- 

 ter " (Chelmsford). "I should say de- 

 creased with the quality of the lecture. 

 Good lectures are rare and generally well 

 attended" (Plymouth). 



The whole matter is admirably summed 

 up by Mr. D. B. Morris, Town Clerk, Stirl- 

 ing, as follows: 



Comparing the position of matters now with that 

 of thirty years ago, the popular lecture does not 

 now occupy the place in public esteem which it 

 did. For this there are various causes. With the 

 "better type of young persons, attendance at con- 

 tinuation classes, with their organized schemes of 

 study, takes the place of attendance at popular lec- 

 tures. To the non-studious the picture-house is the 

 habitual place of resort. Many of the films there 

 shown are such as would be exhibited at a popular 

 science lecture. 



As regards older people, some find that life has 

 to be lived more strenuously nowadays, and rest 

 or quiet recreation are sought in the evening rather 

 than anything distinctly intellectual. The great 

 popular interest which used to be taken in natural 

 history arising out of the ' ' evolution ' ' controversy, 

 and inspired also by the writings of Darwin, Wal- 

 lace, Huxley, Lubbock, Kingsley and others, has 

 passed entirely away. Such interest now centers 

 in subjects like wireless telegraphy, aviation, and, 

 at present, all matters connected with the war. 



Serious students will always be found to attend 

 courses where educational value is to be got, but 

 popular lectures will not succeed unless illustrated 

 by kinematograph, lantern, or experiments, or by 

 all three. The element of entertainment must be 

 present, which implies novelty. Arrangements 

 might be made with local picture-houses to have a 

 fortnightly or monthly scientific evening, which 



