June 3, 1904.] 



SCIENCE. 



849 



their entire time to original investigations. 

 As is frankly conceded in England and 

 other countries which are the industrial 

 rivals of Germany, the marlied enlargement 

 of her manufacturing industries in the past 

 decade is directly due, as may be said for 

 the sake of emphasis, to her including 

 brains among the raw materials used. 



Research in pure physics, as is well 

 known, has led to the mobilization and 

 training of industrial armies, which have 

 biiilt railroads, telegraph and telephone 

 lines, laid ocean cables, and erected wire- 

 less telegraphy stations, and in numerous 

 other ways aided transportation and inter- 

 communication, and enhanced the comforts 

 and conveniences of every-day life. 



The direct economic value of research 

 work in geology is shown by the fact that 

 nearly every civilized country, and many 

 states and provinces within the limits of 

 larger political organizations, carry on geo- 

 logical surveys. The principal object of 

 such surveys is to furnish assistance in the 

 discovery of materials of economic impor- 

 tance such as building stone, coal, petro- 

 leum, iron, etc., but while this is largely 

 routine work and the application of knowl- 

 edge already acqiiired, research work is 

 necessary at almost every step. To dis- 

 cover mineral substances of commercial 

 value the far-reaching laws governing the 

 many ways in which such substances have 

 been concentrated, recrystallized, etc., so as 

 to be available for man's use, have to be 

 investigated. In recognition of the fact 

 that the geologist has but entered on the 

 exploration of the treasures of the earth, 

 every national and state geological sui-vey 

 favors research work in a high degree. 



A moment's thought will suffice to show 

 that the few instances just mentioned in 

 which research is fostered, do not stand 

 alone. In medicine, hygiene, engineering, 

 economics and many other broad fields of 

 activity the direct utility of seeking for 



more knowledge is apparent and widely 

 recognized. 



These brief statements in reference to the 

 growing recognition of the value of scien- 

 tific discoveries have been selected from a 

 great number that might be presented, with 

 the hope of making it clear that there is a 

 demand for research men. Men are wanted 

 who can not only conduct industries on 

 long established methods, but who have the 

 ability to originate new methods and dis- 

 cover and apply new principles, particu- 

 larly in the way of doing cheaper and 

 better that which is now being done and 

 of utilizing that which is now being wasted. 



Never before in the histoiy of the world 

 has the demand for intellectual leaders of 

 industry been greater than at present. The 

 direct material benefits to be derived from 

 the application of the forces of nature to 

 human ends are now more widely appre- 

 ciated than ever before. With this appre- 

 ciation go a demand for fresh explorations 

 and a thirst for the results of research 

 that are most stimulating and encouraging. 

 To persons engaged in the business of edu- 

 cation, these considerations must awaken 

 the enquiry : How is this great and growing 

 demand to be met? 



Preparation for Research Worfc.— To a 

 large extent, the men who have enlarged 

 human knowledge have been men of genius 

 — with a mental grasp stronger than their 

 fellows. Thousands of people saw apples 

 fall to the ground before Newton formu- 

 lated the law of gravity, but lacked the 

 ability to deduct the cause from the effect. 

 So in all branches of learning some one 

 man, more gifted than his contemporaries, 

 has led the way into the unknown. Al- 

 though genius is all important, even the 

 man of genius must have training for his 

 work, in order to make the best use of his 

 exceptional endowments. Just what train- 

 ing is necessary is a difficult question to 

 decide, especially for one who is not a 



