June 8, 1906.] 



SCIENCE. 



877 



predominant to a degree quite unknown in the 

 German university and the body of investiga- 

 tors in them in any one field is too small to 

 create that which is the most stimulating 

 thing in all research — an atmosphere of in- 

 vestigation. 



I venture to say that there is not a single 

 American investigator who has occupied one 

 of the tables of the Smithsonian Institution 

 at Naples (in that wonderful research labora- 

 tory of the Biological Station) who will not 

 bear me out when I state that the stimulus 

 of research of that institution comes from the 

 contact that is there encouraged between the 

 investigators of all Europe. 



Any institution composed only of a number 

 of men with fixed salaries will gradually be- 

 come conservative and cease to be productive 

 of great results. It is the young men with 

 the spur of ambition and necessity that create 

 new thing's in science. 



Why not recognize this great factor and do 

 for science what West Point has done for the 

 army? Let the Smithsonian Institution start 

 the movement and get together from the vari- 

 ous states a hundred picked men who do not 

 want to be taught but each one of whom has 

 an idea of his own that he is anxious to work 

 out in an atmosphere that is stimulating to 

 research, and where he can be in close touch 

 with other minds that are interested in sim- 

 ilar lines of work or at least are broad enough 

 to grasp the importance of the problem that 

 he is absorbed in. 



Spend all the money necessary in the selec- 

 tion of these men. Organize the machinery 

 by which this selection is done and, if it is 

 advisable, apportion them out among the dif- 

 ferent states and make the senators respon- 

 sible for those from their states. Have each 

 applicant present a definite problem "to be 

 solved and in addition, by references and ex- 

 amination, if necessary, show his fitness to 

 hold a table in the institution. In addition, 

 appoint a committee that shall make a study 

 of each applicant proposed for admission and 

 let their decision as to the man's fitness for 

 the place be final. Give this committee every 

 facility to study the problem of selecting men 



who have the sacred fixe of the investigator in 

 them. 



Have each table fully equipped with all the 

 necessary apparatus and give to each state 

 investigator a sum of money each year that 

 he can live on comfortably. 



Fix the terms of occupancy of the tables at 

 two years, but give to the board of directors 

 the right to retain for two years longer such 

 men as in their estimation have shown marked 

 ability or whose researches are of sufficient 

 promise though not completed to warrant a 

 longer stay. 



Get men of prominence in the various lines 

 of research as permanent investigators, with 

 the understanding that they are not to be 

 teachers but will be given the means with 

 which to carry on their investigations, at the 

 same time imposing on them the work of keep- 

 ing up the spirit of the institution, and assist- 

 ing in the details of its administration by 

 means of board meetings just as colleges are 



Divorce from the Smithsonian Institution the 

 museum idea. Create a separate office to have 

 charge of the collections and the expositions 

 of applied science and put in this office a man 

 whose tastes are those of an administrator. 



Once separate, the Smithsonian Institution 

 proper should become the great national insti- 

 tute of research and to be at its head should 

 be a compliment not only to scientific accom- 

 plishment but to one's devotion to the great 

 spirit of discovery. 



The man for the head of an institution of 

 research such as I have described would be 

 one preeminent in his line of work but in 

 addition, like the great Ostwald, of Leipzig, 

 a believer in the great value of free laboratory 

 discussion. David Faiechild. 



U. S. Depaetment or Agkiculttjre. 



SPECIAL ARTICLES. 



A MACHINE FOR COMPOUNDING SINE CURVES.' 



The instrument about to be described was 

 designed primarily for use in a class in alter- 

 nating currents. It has proved itself well 



' Presented before the American Physical So- 

 ciety, February 24, 1906. 



