326 Scientific Intelligence. 



11. Der energetische Imperativ ; by Wilhelm Ostwald. 

 Pp. 544. Leipzig, 1912 (Akademische Verlagsgesellschaft m. b. 

 H.). — Taken broadly, this volume is a philosophical treatment of 

 all human affairs from the standpoint of energetics. The text is 

 subdivided into five parts entitled respectively : (1 ) " Philosophic ", 

 (2) "Organisation und Internationalismus ", (3) " Pazifismus ", 

 (4) " Unterrichtswesen ", and (5) " Biographie ". The author 

 first proves that the second law of energetics is the ultimate and 

 most general foundation of all phenomena of the will. This leads 

 both to the recognition of the law of the dissipation of energy 

 as the basis of all processes w T hich Schopenhauer represents as 

 manifestations of the primal will, and to an extension of the prin- 

 ciple of economy of Mach. Ostwald then announces his discovery 

 of a comprehensive generalization which "consists in the general 

 application of the second law of energetics to the totality of events 

 and in particular to the totality of human actions ". From this 

 follows the " Energetical Imperative " which the author formu- 

 lates in the following maxim : "Don't squander energy, utilize it ". 

 (" Vergeude keine Energie, verwerte sie ".) It is now doubtless 

 clear how the last four subdivisions of the text afford fertile fields 

 for the application of the preceding general principles. 



The subject-matter is presented in a most interesting manner, 

 and much food for thought may be found even in the sections 

 which deal with such special problems as : universal language, 

 universal monetary standard, pedantry of syllabication, the read- 

 ing of numbers, improvement of the calendar, etc. It may be 

 remarked, in conclusion, that the volume does not contain a pre- 

 face, h. s. u. 



12. Abstract- Bulletin of the Physical Laboratory of the 

 National Electric Lamp Association. Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. viii, 12*7. 

 Chicago, 1913 (Univ. of Chicago Press). — This laboratory was 

 organized in Cleveland, Ohio, in the autumn of 1908 for the 

 development of those branches of science with which the art of 

 lighting is closely associated. Under the able guidance of the 

 Director, Edward P. Hyde, sections in physics, physiology and. 

 psychology have been established. The first number of the bulletin 

 contains abstracts of 28 different papers representing the original 

 work of the laboratory from its inception to the summer of 1912. 

 Since these abstracts have been carefully prepared by the authors 

 of the original papers and since great care has been taken in the 

 preparation of the diagrams and plates, the volume will be very 

 acceptable to all who are interested in the special subjects pre- 

 sented. " Subsequent numbers of the Abstract- Bulletin will be 

 issued as the further accumulation of published investigations may 

 warrant." The work of this laboratory promises to be very fer- 

 tile because the members of the staff are well-known investi- 

 gators, some of whom have been connected with the National 

 Bureau of Standards, in Washington. For example, the papers 

 of Herbert E. Ives have already attracted the attention which 

 their high quality justly deserves. h. s. u. 



