May 18, 1917] 



SCIENCE 



481 



THE TENTH-EXPONENT 



A METHOD of expressing large or small 

 quantities in modern physical and chemical 

 science is to write the number expressing the 

 quantity as a factor of some power of 10. It is 

 proposed to change this notation and write 

 the exponent of 10 at the upper left-hand side 

 of the factor and call this exponent The Tenth- 

 Exponent. The base, 10, is omitted. The fol- 

 lowing numbers will illustrate this notation : 

 1.87221 X 10^ = ''1-872A, number of electrons 



in any atom, A = At. Wt. 

 1.49 X 10"" = "^'1.49 ergs, average kinetic 



energy of the electrons in the H atom at 



0° C. 

 3.4 X 10^° = ^°3.4 cm./sec, mean square of 



the velocity of the electrons in the H atom 



at 0° C. 

 4.0 X 10^' = ^^4.0 cm./sec, mean square of 



the velocity of the electrons in the H atom 



at 3000° 0. 

 V(6.062 X 10^'') = «/'^6.062 cm.,^ the vol- 

 ume required by any atom, 



v='A/D; !)=: density. 



6.062/d X 10" = "6.062/'y number of atoms 

 of any element per cm.^ 



Prank W. Ball 



chemical publications 

 To THE Editor of Science : On page 169 of 

 the current volume of Science (February 16, 

 1917), I note that the table gives in 1914^15, 

 29 publications on chemistry from Columbia 

 University, and 6 under Colimibia University 

 and Eoosevelt Hospital. The work of these 

 six papers was all done in this department, 

 and should therefore have been included in 

 the table. This would change the number on 

 page 170 for Columbia University from 29 to 

 35, and would place this department, as re- 

 gards the number of articles, eighth on the list 

 instead of tenth. It should be noted also that 

 this table refers only to publications in Amer- 

 ican journals. A number of papers were pub- 

 lished in foreign journals from this depart- 

 ment during the same year. 



Alexander Smith 

 Department of Chbmistby, 

 Columbia ITniversitt 



QUOTATIONS 



SCIENTIFIC AND CLASSICAL EDUCATION 



If scientiiic men who have not had the time 

 to follow up this educational controversy 

 closely wish to grasp its essential values, they 

 can not do better than weigh over the implica- 

 tions of this passage that follows, from an 

 article by Lord Bryce in the current Fort- 

 nightly Review: 



I do not contend that the study of the ancients 

 is to be imposed on all, or even on the bulk, of those 

 who remain at school till eighteen, or on most of 

 those who enter a university. It is generally ad- 

 mitted that at the universities the present system 

 can not be maintained. Even of those who enter 

 Oxford or Cambridge, many have not the capacity 

 or the taste to make it worth while for them to 

 devote much time there to Greek and Latin. The 

 real practical problem for all our universities is 

 this : How are we to find means by which the study, 

 while dropped for those who will never make much 

 of it, may be retained, and for ever securely main- 

 tained, for that percentage of our youth, be it 20 or 

 .30 per cent, or be it more, who will draw sufficient 

 mental nourishment and stimulus from the study 

 to make it an effective factor in their intellectual 

 growth and an unceasing spring of enjoyment 

 through the rest of Ufe? This part of our youth 

 has an importance for the nation not to be meas- 

 ured by its numbers. It is on the best minds that 

 the strength of a nation depends, and more than 

 half of these will find their proper province in let- 

 ters and history. It is by the best minds that na- 

 tions win and retain leadership. No pains can be 

 too great that are spent on developing such minds 

 to the finest point of efficiency. 



We shall effect a saving if we drop that study of 

 the ancient languages in the case of those who, 

 after a trial, show no aptitude for them. 



Let the scientific man read that over care- 

 fully, and, if need be, re-read it. Let him note 

 fii'st the invincible conceit of the classical 

 scholar in the superiority of his particular 

 education to any other, and his firm detei*- 

 mination to secure the pich of the available 

 boys and the pich of the administrative posts 

 for the classical training. Science and re- 

 search are to have those rejected as unfit in 

 this sublime progress of the elect. Instead of 

 our boys — I mean the boys destined for real 

 philosophy, living literatures, science, and the 

 study of actual social and political questions 

 — having a straightforward, well-planned 



