Oct. 1st, 1^87.] 



SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



171 



waste of money in chimerical experiments ; but in these 

 days the farmer himself begs the Weather Bureau, the en- 

 tomologist, the chemical analyst, to aid him at every step. 

 The Tribune remarks that now manufacturers of iron and 

 steel do not dream of achieving great success without the 

 aid of a scientific chemist, and that more steel is made in 

 the United States than in any other country, " because it 

 puts more knowledge into the converters." It adds, more- 

 over, that the United States has led the world in the ap- 

 plications of electricity, and that France, Germany, Great 

 Britain, and Austria have altogether only about as many 

 miles of wire in use as the United States. Allowing for a 

 little exaggeration in these statements, there can be no 

 doubt that science has indeed done great things for America, 

 and that the nation is becoming keenly alive to its impor- 

 tance. Much, however, remains to be done, and it may be 

 that science would secure still larger appreciation and sup- 

 port in all countries if more effort were made to bring 

 scientific principles and the steps of scientific progress to 

 the comprehension of a larger number of the people. 



Technical Education. — We cannot help feeling that 

 some of the advocates of technical instruction are now 

 greatly exaggerating the effect it will produce on our arti- 

 sans as regards their actual work. Without doubt, who- 

 ever learns the principles on which any process of manu- 

 facture is based, is thereby intellectually improved, and is 

 better fitted to deal with its practical development than if 

 he were without such a training. To suppose, however, 

 that such a knowledge of principles can be acquired in 

 adult life by minds previously untrained, is to shut one's 

 eyes to the teaching 01 everyday facts. Moreover the 

 little time at the disposal of working men, for obtaining such 

 knowledge renders it impossible for them to deal thoroughly 

 with any subject. We are entirely in favour of technical 

 instruction of the young, if by this is meant a training to 

 prepare their minds for understanding more of what will 

 come before them as work in after life. Such a training is 

 excellent, but it is expecting too much to suppose that it 

 will have any great effect on the daily work of bread-win- 

 ning. The essential, as far as progress in manufactures, etc., 

 goes, is that masters and managers of works should have a 

 thorough technical training, so as to take every possible 

 advantage of the teaching of science, as bearing on the work 

 they have in hand. This is the crux of the whole question, 

 and it is because our managers have so neglected this part 

 of their training, that the better-trained foreigners have in 

 many instances overtaken them. 



Our experience leads us to think that in most walks in life 

 the average worker, whether intelligent or not, gets through 

 his daily work without caring anything whatever about the 

 science underlying it. Even when the work to be done in- 

 volves a scientific training there is little or no scientific 

 thought, in the full meaning of the term, given to it. At 

 the British Association meeting, Mr, William Mather read a 



thoughtful paper on Manual Training as a main feature in 

 national education, an abstract of which we give elsewhere. 

 He made several very telling statements, but he spoilt a good 

 cause by so exaggerating the probable results of technicdl 

 training as to talk 01 farm labourers being able to do their 

 work better if they learnt the elements of science underlying 

 successful husbandry ! By all means let the farmers and 

 squires learn the science of farming, so as to make the best 

 possible use of the bounties of nature, but let the labourers 

 be content to learn how to perform their work in the most 

 intelligent and skilful manner, without attempting things too 

 high lor them. Let the children of the working classes seek 

 the best instruction they can get, but do not let any one 

 have the false notion that he has mastered the science of his 

 work when, in truth, he has but a parrot-like acquaintance 

 with it. According to Mr. G. H. Lewes' admirable definition, 

 science is the systematic classification of experience, and a 

 thoughtful person must see at once that anything like a rapid 

 or superficial treatment of it is of necessity inadequate. 



Science and Literature.— Speaking at Newcastle on 

 the University Extension Lectures, Mr. John Morley made 

 some excellent remarks on the subject of science and litera- 

 ture. He said he was one of those who believed that the 

 greatest question affecting our national future lay in the 

 extension and improvement of technical instruction. He 

 was far from thinking that this movement would be impeded 

 by the diffusion of science and literature, and he was per- 

 suaded that the general activity of intellect which it was the 

 aim of university teachers to promote was the very best 

 preparation {or making workmen and artisans profit by 

 technical instruction when it is brought within their reach. 

 University education, as he understood it — namely, the com- 

 bination of science and literature — had been of vast service. 

 He had never felt that there was any of that conflict ot 

 which they had read a great deal, between science and 

 literature; so far from being antagonistic they were mutually 

 helpful. He thought it would be a great mistake not to put 

 literature in as prominent a place as science, because litera- 

 ture gave the ideas which guided conduct, raised method, 

 and enriched character; and it was upon conduct, method, 

 and character that the future of the nation would depend. 



Ductility of Platinum. — It has been found that plati- 

 num wire can be drawn so fine as to be invisible to the 

 naked eye, although its presence upon a perfectly white 

 card can be detected by the touch, and can be seen by the 

 aid of a small magnifying glass when the card is held in 

 such a position that the wire casts a shadow. 



King's College. — We understand that the subject for the 

 essay which forms the special portion of the work for the 

 gold medal and prize, founded by Sir William Siemens for 

 the metallurgical students of King's College, London, will this 

 year be " Gaseous Fuels ; their Manufacture, Composition, Pro- 

 perties, and Uses." The essays must be sent in to Professor 

 Huntington before i6th June, 1888. Tlic award will be made 

 on the essays, on the results of the College examination in 

 metallurgy, and on the practical work in the laboratory of the 

 College. 



