Science Remaking The World (Paperback)

SCIENCE REMAKING THE WORLD OTIS W Ph. D Dirt c tor of the Lincoln School of Teacher College and Professor if Education Columbia University EDWIN E. SLOSSON Ph. D., Editor Science Servicf SCIENCE REMAKING THE WORLD GARDEN CITY PUBLISHING CO., INC GARDEN CITY, NEW YORK WHI. I. IN THK Brown Hros. UNITKD STATES PREFACE DURING the summer of 1922, nineteen men cooper ated in presenting a course of lectures in Teachers Col lege, Columbia University. The purpose of the course was primarily to provide interesting and engaging in formation about the achievements of modern science. It attempted to give students of all subjects an under standing of certain types of achievements of modern science, to suggest the meaning of science in various aspects of modern life and thought to indicate the place of science in modern, social, and industrial rela tions. Before half of the lectures had been presented, hundreds of listeners had requested me, as organizer of the course, to assemble and publish part of the lectures and if possible, to find means for wide distribution of the resulting volume. In my desire that the volume, when published, might benefit from the unusual style and scientific clarity of Dr. E. E. Slosson, his assis tance was successfully importuned in the venture. Then, a gracious and generous though anonymous benefactor agreed to finance the placement of a limited number of copies of the proposed volume in libraries of educational institutions. Finally, the publishers cooperated by pro viding at bare cost of production the first lot of copies for general distribution, depending upon later sales for their profits from the publication. The authors and the vi PREFACE editors have contributedtheir services without personal remuneration, and have done this as a welcome privilege in helping to extend the achievements and underlying truths of this most conspicuous field of modern thought. Not all the lectures which were given in the course are available also changes which are advisable for publica tion have been made and Dr. Kellogg and Dr. Williams have kindly added chapters upon topics of wide interest and importance. Why give such a course of lectures, and why publish such a volume Because the citizen of our day uses modern science at each turn of his days work. If he is a thinking citizen, he is ambitious to benefit by what he understands as scientific procedure in using facts, principles, and occurrences. A manufacturer wants his operators to possess whatever knowledge of ma terials and processes science has produced for the improvement of quality and quantity of output. A lawyer or preacher desires factual illustrative material from the working world of science with which to make his case clear and convincing. If this citizen is a teacher of any subject or grade he deals with the biggest science need of all, for those whom he teaches belong to an age which science has made unlike any of its predecesssors. To men in industry, commerce, and the professions, it is of increasing importance that progressive workers shall have knowledge not only of accomplishments of science, but of the methods by which discoveries are made. Some thirty years ago Louis Pasteur said IB our century scitnce is the soul of the prosperity of nations and the living source of all progress. Undoubtedly, the tiring daily PREFACE vii discussions of politics that seem to be our guide are empty appearances. What really leads us forward are a few scientific discoveries and their applications. And the following is quoted from a recent statement by President James R. Angell Nothing can be more certain than that the character and rapidity of our national development in all matters which relate to industry, agriculture, public health and the preservation of the physical framework of our civilization will be dependent upon the quantity and quality of sound research which is carried on...