248 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLVI. No. 1185 



whole gamut of problems from administra- 

 tion to agriculture, from medicine to manu- 

 facture. For it is only through the solu- 

 tion of individual problems that general 

 principles can be arrived at and the sum 

 total of useful organized knowledge in- 

 creased. 



It is essential that the wide field to be 

 covered he kept in mind, extending over 

 not only physics, chemistry, engineering 

 and all their branches, but all the biological 

 and mental sciences as well. In the last 

 analysis an increase in knowledge in the 

 field of the iiological sciences means more 

 and better food, improved racial stock and 

 improved public health as well as increased 

 material welfare in all having to do with 

 plants and animals. Increased knowledge 

 of the fundamental principles of the mental 

 sciences means increased efficiency in ad- 

 ministration, legislation, education, opera- 

 tion and research. I do not mean mere 

 book learning in psychology, but such a 

 command of the fundamental principles as 

 will assist in the solution of all practical 

 problems. Increased knowledge of chem- 

 istry means increased ability to utilize raw 

 materials and an improvement in general 

 health and living conditions. One may 

 almost say that the generalized problem of 

 chemistry is to convert the less expensive 

 raw materials such as cellulose, petroleum, 

 glucose, various minerals and oils, starch, 

 nitrogen of the air and the like into food, 

 clothing, tools for our use and means for 

 national defense. An application of the 

 fundamental principles of physics in the 

 way of various engineering problems leads 

 to a fuller utilization of resources, new 

 products useful to man, makes inventions 

 possible and effective and adds to the gen- 

 eral increase in operating efficiency in 

 every way. 



The utilization of organized knowledge 

 in national welfare comes ahout both 



through knowledge itself and the incentive 

 to apply that knowledge. Both ability and 

 incentive are essential to utilization. So 

 far as knowledge went, we might have 

 made dyes and optical glass many years 

 ago in this country, but since they could be 

 bought so cheaply there was no incentive 

 to develop the manufacture of such articles. 

 These are eases of ability without incentive. 

 On the other hand, there has long been an 

 incentive for the fixation of nitrogen and 

 for various mechanical devices, but these 

 have not been forthcoming for lack of suffi- 

 cient knowledge. 



The incentive to do our best, to live up 

 to our possibilities as a nation or as indi- 

 viduals may be classed as either psychic or 

 commercial. In the last analysis, the tend- 

 ency towards doing our best is hardly more 

 than a rudimentary instinct. The com- 

 mercial incentive is a matter of either 

 supplying our direct needs or supplying 

 some one else's needs for a consideration. 

 The psychic incentives to put forth our best 

 efforts may he classed under the heads of 

 emulation, contact, contract and struggle 

 for existence. A great many students 

 enter research because their favorite pro- 

 fessors have made reputations in research 

 or because their friends and colleagues are 

 doing such work. Incentive by contact 

 covers the psychology of getting started at 

 the line of work you wish to become inter- 

 ested in. It is well known that the work 

 itself produces a reaction on one's mind 

 which makes it much easier to continue the 

 "work. Exactly, this form of stimulus is 

 experienced in writing a scientific paper, 

 for example. Incentive hy contract to put 

 forth our best efforts comes from putting 

 ourselves under obligation to produce cer- 

 tain results. The substance of this lecture 

 has been in my mind for many years, but 

 it would never have been prepared but for 

 my having undertaken to talk on this sub- 



