488 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. LIV. No. 1403 



meeting was " Organization for Eesearcli," in 

 which he developed the idea of scientific re- 

 search as a public service, not only in time 

 of war but in time of peace as well, using the 

 University of Wisconsin as an example of a 

 state university functioning as a great public 

 service institution through research work for 

 the public good. He further showed how the 

 modern state university is distinguished from 

 the academy, the earlier type of educational 

 institution, from the college, the modern in- 

 stitution which has replaced the academy in 

 the matter of instruction, and from the mod- 

 ern endowed university, by the enlarged pro- 

 gram of research for the public good which 

 distinguishes the state university. Dr. Jones 

 suggested as a means of fulfilling this public 

 trust at state institutions the organization of 

 " research committees " and " faculty subject 

 groups " which are formed without regard 

 to collegiate divisions. These are definite 

 means of promulgating throughout the insti- 

 tution the relative importance of research as 

 compared with other lines of activity and of 

 emphasizing research as a much needed form 

 of public service. 



At the meeting it was voted by the mem- 

 bers to petition the national council for a 

 charter to form a local branch to be known as 

 the Pennsylvania State College Branch of the 

 American Association for the Advancement 

 of Science. The purpose of the organization 

 is to promote and stimulate research in the 

 institution. 



SIGMA XI LECTURES AT YALE 

 UNIVERSITY 



At a meeting on November 8 of the Tale 

 Chapter of the Society of Sigma Xi, which 

 was addressed by President James E. Angell 

 of the University, announcement was made 

 of a series of lectures to be given under the 

 auspices of the Yale Chapter on the general 

 topic of " The evolution of man." The lec- 

 turers. a!nd their subjects are considered of 

 such general interest that it has been decided 

 to hold the series this year in Lampson Ly- 

 ceum, and to invite the public to attend the 

 lectures without charge. 



The first lecture of the series will be given 

 on the evening of December 2, on " The anti- 

 quity of man," by Professor Eichard S. Lull 

 of the university faculty. The following are 

 the subjects of the succeeding four lectures, 

 which will continue through the month of 

 March : 



The natural history of man — Professor H. B. 



Ferris. 

 The evolution of the nervous system of man — Pro- 

 fessor G. H. Parker. 

 Societal evolution — Professor A. G. Keller. 

 The direction of evolution — ^Professor Edwin G. 

 Conklin. 



It is expected that the 1921-23 lectures un- 

 der the auspices of the Society of Sigma Xi 

 will, as in the past, be published by the Tale 

 University Press. 



SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS 



As a memorial to the late Edward C. Pick- 

 ering, for forty-two years director of the 

 Harvard College Observatory, it is proposed 

 to erect near Cambridge an astronomical ob- 

 servatory, whose work will be largely con- 

 cerned with the study of variable stars. 



Dr. Harvey Cushing, of Harvard Univer- 

 sity and the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, 

 was elected president of the American College 

 of Surgeons at its recent meeting in Phila- 

 delphia. 



The Franklin Institute of Pennsylvania has 

 awarded its Howard IST. Potts gold medal to 

 Dr. E. V. McCollum, professor of chemical 

 hygiene in the School of Hygiene and Public 

 Health of the Johns Hopkins University. The 

 medal is awarded " for distinguished work in 

 science or the mechanic arts," and was pre- 

 sented by the institute in recognition of a 

 lecture on " Nutrition and physical efficiency," 

 delivered before its members in 1920. 



Sir J. J. Thomson succeeds Sir Eichard 

 Glazebrook as president of the Institute of 

 Physics, London. 



The Eoyal Society of Edinburgh has elected 

 as president Professor P. O. Bower. The vice- 

 presidents are Sir G. A. Berry, Professor W. 

 Peddle, Sir J. A. Ewing, Professor J. W. 



