Decembek 25, 1914] 



SCIENCE 



915 



have also been invited to describe their 

 latest advances. The speaker at a "Friday- 

 Evening Discourse" is faced by the leaders 

 of English thought and action in many 

 fields. Privileged to select from the large 

 collection of historic instruments accumu- 

 lated during a century, and even to illus- 

 trate his points with the apparatus of Fara- 

 day himself, he feels an inspiration that 

 no other platform affords. In such an 

 atmosphere he learns to appreciate the dig- 

 nity of popular science at its best, and to 

 perceive how the busiest and most success- 

 ful of present-day physicists can find time 

 to deliver elaborate courses of Christmas 

 lectures to a juvenile audience. These lec- 

 tures, instituted by Faraday, are now in 

 their eighty-seventh season. Under such 

 topics as "The Chemistry of Flame" they 

 have afforded him and his followers an op- 

 portunity to show how simply and beauti- 

 fully the principles of science can be made 

 to appeal even to young children.^ The 

 art of the popular lecture should be devel- 

 oped in the United States by the National 

 Academy. Under its auspices, and with 

 the example of the Royal Institution be- 

 hind him, the lecturer need not fear for 

 his dignity. The Academy would soon find 

 its reward in the increasing appreciation 

 of its work and purposes, the spread of 

 scientific knowledge, and ultimately in 

 larger endowments for research. 



As a first step in this direction, the chil- 

 dren of the late William EUery Hale have 

 established a course of lectures in memory 

 of their father. Their object in doing so 

 is twofold. In the first place, it is hoped 

 that the lectures may add to the attractive- 

 ness of the Academy meetings, both to the 

 members and the public. Again, it is be- 



8 The last course of Christmas Juvenile Lec- 

 tures, oa "Alchemy," "Atoms," "Light," 

 "Clouds," "Meteorites" and "Frozen Worlds," 

 was given by Sir James Dewar. 



lieved that by a suitable choice of lecturers 

 and topics, the inter-relationship of the 

 various fields of research represented in 

 the Academy, and the light thrown by the 

 methods of investigation or of interpreta- 

 tion employed in one field upon those of 

 another, may be illustrated in an effective 

 way. Moreover, the lectures will afford an 

 opportunity of testing whether the Academy 

 may not further assist in increasing public 

 appreciation of the cultural and the indus- 

 trial value of science. 



SCIENCE IN EDUCATION 



In the Academy of Plato and the Alex- 

 andrian Museum the functions of an acad- 

 emy and a university were united, and the 

 work of instruction went hand in hand with 

 the development of new knowledge. The 

 growth of the modern university has now 

 removed from national academies their 

 former work of teaching a body of students, 

 but their opportunity to exert a favorable 

 influence on the educational methods of 

 the nation remains. The Institute of 

 France, as planned by Talleyrand and Con- 

 dorcet," was to control public instruction 

 and offer courses to advanced students. 

 This was not carried out, but an instance 

 of the same sort is afforded by the Acad- 

 emy of Mimich, which has charge of the 

 public instruction of Bavaria. 



There is no apparent reason why our own 

 National Academy should have a formal 

 connection with educational institutions. 

 But in harmony with its purpose to advance 

 knowledge in the United States, it should 

 contribute toward the development of the 

 science of education and take advantage of 

 the possibility of increasing public appre- 

 ciation of the educational value of science. 



In a presidential address which excited 



9 See Hippeau, ' ' L 'instruction pubUque e» 

 France pendant la rSvolution, " Vol. 1, pp. 115, 

 228. 



