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SCIENCE 



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



ment of success to be "a good lecturer who 

 can be heard, has a definite story to tell, 

 and can tell it in plain language." This 

 is also the view of Principal Garnett, who 

 says : ' ' The chief elements of success seem 

 to me to be that the lecturer should be 

 vividly conscious of the closest relation that 

 exists, or that can be established, between 

 his subject and the daily lives of his audi- 

 ence ; and that he should possess an expert 

 knowledge of his subject, a power of lucid 

 exposition, and a pleasant and forcible de- 

 livery. ' ' 



The replies received show that these con- 

 ditions are rare among lecturers ; and fail- 

 ure is often ascribed to the absence of them. 

 A subject and style appropriate to a lec- 

 ture at the Royal Institution are unsuitable 

 for a working-class audience such as that 

 at the Royal Victoria Hall, though this is 

 sometimes forgotten. The librarian and 

 director of the Sunderland Public Libra- 

 ries, Museum, and Art Gallery, remarks : 



The expertness of the lecturer and his constant 

 association with experts often causes him to be 

 ignorant of the ignorance of his audience. On the 

 other hand, he is occasionally patronizing. In fail- 

 ing to approach his subject from their point of 

 view he is occasionally "over their heads," and, 

 despite his specialization, frequently fails where 

 ' ' a man of the people, " or a non-expert, will 

 succeed with less knowledge, but better judgment. 

 There should be the same difference between a 

 "popular lecture" and a scientific discourse, as 

 between an interesting primer and an advanced 

 scientific treatise in literature. The successful 

 "popular" lecturer is, I think, more rare than the 

 advanced or scientific lecturer. Failure may pos- 

 sibly be attributed to the growth of light-entertain- 

 ment halls, or maybe to a wider and more popular 

 treatment of subjects in the press. There is also 

 a greater literature now, and a wider circulation 

 of it through libraries. 



Even in lectures to local scientific socie- 

 ties the subjects are frequently treated in 

 too advanced a manner, and are therefore 

 unintelligible to many of the audience. It 

 is suggested by some correspondents that 



if more attention were given to science in 

 schools there would be a larger attendance 

 at popular lectures; but much depends 

 upon the nature of the science teaching. 

 The principal of the technical school, Bar- 

 row-in-Furness, writes : 



I am afraid that one of the causes lies in the 

 dreary nature of the instruction in "science" 

 given in the day-schools (secondary). No one 

 here who has learned chemistry, for instance, in. a 

 day-school seems to wish to learn more. 



The thirst for amusement and excite- 

 ment, no doubt, accounts largely for want 

 of interest in science by the great major- 

 ity of the public. There are now so many 

 counter-attractions, such as picture palaces, 

 music-halls, and other places of entertain- 

 ment, that the general public is attracted 

 to them rather than to lectures which re- 

 quire mental effort to understand them. 



People want recreation after the day's work, 

 and prefer amusement rather than instruction. 



Experience shows that in an ordinary 

 provincial town there is usually a small 

 minority of intelligent persons who profit 

 considerably from popular or semi-popular 

 science lectures, but that the general com- 

 munity of the district is untouched by 

 them. 



Such attempts as have been made to reach larger 

 audiences, with a low standard of education, by 

 means of ultrapopular lectures have proved fail- 

 ures (Gloucester). 



In this, as in most cases, lectures of the in- 

 structive type are referred to, and not those 

 which aim at the appreciation of science as 

 a living force in social economics or state 

 affairs. Mr. H. J. Lowe, secretary of the 

 Torquay Natural History Society, remarks : 



The only way I can see to helping science into its 

 proper position as an essential in national develop- 

 ment is by the recognition and proclamation by 

 the government and educational authorities of its 

 immeasurable importance in attaining national 

 efficiency. This should be followed by some gen- 

 eral scientific knowledge being required in all pass- 



