December 10, 1915] 



SCIENCE 



821 



amount of patient labor by a multitude of 

 observers during the past century. Other ex- 

 amples could easily be cited in various fields. 

 The plodders as well as the geniuses should 

 receive their due share of credit for the prog- 

 ress of science. 



The production of research work of merit is 

 thus within the capabilities of every one 

 worthy of membership in a imiversity faculty. 

 Doubtless some who are talented predomi- 

 nantly as teachers should devote themselves 

 chiefly to this field, and others are especially 

 fitted for administrative work; but it is desir- 

 able that every one should participate to at 

 least a slight extent in research work. As a 

 matter of fact, we may go still further in 

 urging that the spirit of scientific research 

 should pervade all education, from the kinder- 

 garten to the university. Mankind in general 

 is still far from appreciating the fact that the 

 method of science is not a mysterious gift of 

 genius, but a practical tool in the discovery of 

 facts and in their application to the problems 

 of everyday life. As Professor Eemsen so 

 aptly expressed it in his address at the dedica- 

 tion of the chemistry building of the Univer- 

 sity of Minnesota last year, the scientific 

 method is essentially this : " First study the 

 facts ; then draw your conclusions from them." 



From this point of view, all our problems 

 thus become research problems ; and education 

 is able to teach us how to solve them efficiently 

 in proportion to the extent to which training 

 is provided in the methods of original inves- 

 tigation. Thus all education should provide 

 training in scientific research, differing in 

 degree rather than in principle as we pass from 

 elementary to higher education. President 

 HiU (in a recent commencement address at 

 the University of Minnesota) has well said 

 that " The teacher should arouse the spirit of 

 discovery as the first step in the process of 

 learning." A more general recognition of the 

 significance of scientific research for educa- 

 tion, a correction of the prevalent error that 

 research is a matter concerning only a chosen 

 few, would remove an obstacle which prevents 

 a more generous support of higher scientific 

 investigation. 



While all instruction should be permeated 

 with the research spirit, a conscious effort 

 should be made, especially in the tmiversity, 

 to single out as early as possible those students 

 showing unusual talent for original work, and 

 to give them particular aid and encouragement. 

 We must constantly emphasize the necessity 

 for recognition of unusual talent, since other- 

 wise our entire time and energy will tend to 

 be exhausted in caring for the larger number 

 representing mediocrity. This subject is well 

 discussed in a recent report of the subcom- 

 mittee on the selection and training of stu- 

 dents for research (Committee of One Hun- 

 dred of the American Association for the Ad- 

 vancement of Science), published in Science, 

 September 17, 1915. 



It is, however, not my present purpose to 

 consider the message of science for education 

 in general, but rather to discuss the specific 

 obstacles met by university workers in the 

 field of original investigation. Since we can 

 not change our heredity, possibilities for im- 

 provement must be found in the environment. 

 What factors in our environment affect ova 

 scientific productivity ? 



We might classify the environmental factors 

 aiJecting our research work in two groups : 

 mental and physical. In the first rank, I 

 would place the factors determining our mental 

 attitude toward research. I suspect that in- 

 vestigation lags more frequently from lack of 

 sustained interest than from any other cause. 

 It is doubtless true that one is usually most 

 interested in what one can do especially well. 

 And research ability, as we have already noted, 

 is largely a hereditary matter. E'evertheless, 

 our mental atti"^de is unquestionably infiu- 

 enced in large measure by the opinion of our 

 colleagues. Appreciation by one's fellows is 

 a most powerful stimulus. Thus a general 

 recognition of good research work will greatly 

 encourage the worker to persist in spite of all 

 obstacles. If Sigma Xi can succeed in estab- 

 lishing a more enthusiastic esprit de corps 

 among investigators, it will greatly help the 

 cause of scientific research. 



The physical factors affecting research work 

 are also of importance. The obstacles under 



