SCIENCE 



Friday, May 13, 1910 



CONTENTS 

 The Americcm Association for the Advance- 

 ment of Science: — 

 The Work of the Higher Ediication Asso- 

 oiation: Db. Clabence F. Bibdseye 721 



What Speoialization has done for Physics 

 Teaching: Pbofessoe John F. Woodhuli, 729 



Four Instruments of Confusion in Teaching 

 Physics: Dr. H. L. Teeet 731 



TJie Resignation of President Needham 734 



Scientific Notes and News 735 



University and Educational News 738 



Discussion and Correspondence : — 



The Study of Rocks inthout the Use of the 

 Microscope: Peofessor Austin F. Rogers 739 



Sdentifie Books: — 



De Vries's Mutation Theory: Pbofessoe C. 

 Stuaet Gagee. Field's Story of the Sub- 

 marine: Fhofessor C. H. Peabody 740 



Scientific Journals and Articles 744 



Special Articles: — 



The Critical Spark Length: Professor 

 Francis E. Nipheb. The San Luis Valley, 

 Colorado: 0. E. Siebenthal 744 



The American Phytopathological Society: Db. 

 C. L. Sheae 746 



Societies and Academies: — 



The Philosophical Society of Washington: 

 R. L. Fabis. The Geological Society of 

 Washington : Edson S. Bastin 757 



MSS. intended for publication and books, etc., Intended for 

 review should be sent to the Editor of Science, Garrison-on- 

 Hudson, N. Y. 



THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE 



ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE 



THE WORE OF THE HIOHER EDUCATION 



ASSOCIATION '■ 



The Higher Education Association was 

 formed in May, 1909, under a charter 

 which will be referred to later. It was not 

 formed to increase college endowment or 

 teaching facilities, but rather to bring 

 about, if possible, changes in the methods 

 and results of the various departments of 

 the college, to organize and conduct a cam- 

 paign to obtain better educational results 

 from the splendid equipment of men, ma- 

 terial and money with which the American 

 people have endowed the American col- 

 leges. 



To understand the association's pur- 

 poses it is necessary to know its point of 

 view. In what I shall say at this time I 

 shall speak almost exclusively of the col- 

 lege as an institution and not of the teach- 

 ing force as individuals; of the official col- 

 lege and its lack of methods, or its false 

 and archaic methods; of its catalogue or 

 diploma values as distinguished from its 

 educational values; of the cast-iron armor 

 of formalism with which the institution as 

 such benumbs or kills the life-giving edu- 

 cational efforts of the teaching force. 

 However harshly I may speak of the insti- 

 tutional methods and ideals, I have the 

 greatest possible sympathy with the men 

 and women who are fettered by these meth- 

 ods, and who are often condemned to make 

 bricks without straw. 



To make myself clear I must point out 

 as briefly as possible how and why the 



' Read before Section L, Boston, December, 1909. 



