138 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XVIII. No. 448. 



remunerative pedagogical position in many 

 branches than is her equally apt brother. 



One result of these sexual characteristics 

 is that women moi-e often cling to the older 

 courses in the humanities, the so-called cul- 

 tural courses. She prefers these studies, 

 not only because there is less opportunity 

 for her in the technical professions, not 

 only because her more usual ambition is to 

 follow that noblest of all vocations, that of 

 the home-maker, but because her tastes and 

 proclivities fit her better for the more 

 esthetic and humanistic studies. 



In the coeducational colleges the women 

 now generally exceed the men in number. 

 This slow relative increase of the men, or 

 in some instances actual decrease, has often 

 been attributed to coeducation, the dislike 

 of young men to mingle with young women 

 in the class-room, to be brought into com- 

 petition with them where they are so often 

 outshone. I doubt this very much. The* 

 milksop who resents the rivalry of women, 

 who thinks himself so far superior to them 

 that he is unwilling to be shown his mis- 

 take, ought to be tied to an apron string 

 and smothered in his callowness. The real 

 reason is that men are in greater numbers 

 seeking that special training which they 

 do not or can not get in the general college 

 course, while women are seeking that spe- 

 cial training which they do get in the 

 humanities. Nor do I think that either 

 are any more swayed by the commercial 

 spirit which so many superficial observers 

 deplore. There are many advantages in 

 coeducation of the sexes, as well as certain 

 disadvantages. The women need that 

 stimulation in self-dependence and orig- 

 inality which the mingling of young men 

 will surely give them, and the men need 

 the greater esthetic cultivation, the broader 

 humanizing outlook, which women fellow 

 students will surely give them. Coeduca- 

 tional colleges will never become women's 

 colleges so long as they offer anything 



which men want, and those courses of 

 study which women prefer wiU always 

 offer that which many, though not all, men 

 will want. 



Whatever may be the tendencies of mod- 

 ern higher education, whatever may be the 

 outcome of the various movements now 

 making, who is there that can repress the 

 feeling of exultation and of congratulation 

 in the great achievements, the lofty aims 

 of our colleges and universities? "V^^lether 

 we are to become a nation of scholars or 

 a nation of specialists, I know not, but that 

 we shall become a greater nation, a wiser 

 nation, a more prosperous nation because 

 of the high school, the college and the uni- 

 versity is certain. 



S. "W. WiLLISTON. 



Univee.sity of Chicago. 



TBE LIMITS OF SCIENCE. 

 In moving a vote of thanks a couple 

 of months since. Lord Kelvin said that 

 science positively affirmed creative power 

 and that modern biologists were coming 

 once more to a firm acceptance of a vital 

 principle. These remarks have given rise 

 to an interesting series of letters to the 

 London Times, which we reproduce: 



AVhen a man of known distinction gives 

 public expression to an opinion it is, of 

 course, received with attention. But its 

 validity will depend, not upon his distinc- 

 tion, but upon the authority which he has 

 achieved in the field to which his opinion 

 relates. 



In the domain of physics, to the explora- 

 tion of which Lord Kelvin has devoted an 

 honored lifetime, he would be a bold man 

 who would cross swords with him. But for 

 dogmatic utterance on biological questions 

 there is no reason to suppose that he is 

 better equipped than any person of average 

 intelligence. 



In a recent speech Lord Kelvin has 



