Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-04-03
SCIENTIFIC STUDY.
An Interesting Discussion at the Academy
ofNaturaI Science.

oNAA@4' LII ~ Oh VIZ
An Interesting Discussion at the Academy
ofNaturaI Science.
An interesting meeting of the Academy
of Natural Science was held last night.
Prof. Daniels opened with the discussion
of the Importance of scientific education.
He said it was at last recognized
and admitted in the universiti es, colleges
and high schools. In these, institutions
where men are supposed to be prepared
for professional life, there is more or less
show of scientific training. True 1t is,
that too often it is but mere form of
scientific study. The student leaves col
lege with no germ of living interest that
leads him to intimate and loving COM
partnership with nature. This is the fault
of imperfect methods, or of the machine
system of instruction which in
so many schools obscures the intellectual
vision and destroys the power of thinking
rightly in the student.
1t is, however, a vast gain that within
twenty-five years past the curriculum of
studies has been enlarged to take in the
physical sciences. Many more special
schools are established in which a man
may perfect his knowledge of the sciences
as far as schools can carry him. He may
leave these schools as a. bachelor of science
or an engineer, and take rank among edu-
Gated men, although he has never read a
line of Greek or Latin. This point has
been attained after a mighty struggle
in the domains of the higher education.
1t now remains to make similar re-
form in the courses of study in the schools
and to direct the popular education of
both youth and adults into this higher re-
gion of natural knowledge.
We need in this age first of all knowl-
edge Of things. Every substance and OBJ
ject in the world around concerns US. We
need to know their properties, relation
ard uses. 1t is impossible to estimate the
losses we suffer through. ignorance, but
we see and feel them every day. We do
not so acutely feel the inestimable loss of
advantages which the possession OF this
knowledge would give to Us, but it is none
the less real.
DR.. Sweeney said that it was not neces-
sary to have complicated apparatus to
study science. In botany few seeds
planted in window will give great pleas
ure. In Phalen water there are little
shells. If you put itin glass little plants
will grow, and the shells will be seen feed
ing on the plants and making nests and
laying eggs. Now this is a most beautiful
sight, and nature is full of such things on
an excursion, however small, if you have
habits of observation. If you get knowl-
edge this way it will stick by you and
make you happier. You need to learn
things yourself and not to be contented
with other peoples learning. The contrast
this and what you learn yourself is
like the difference between eating a good
dinner at hotel and having the clerk read
the bill of fare. The habits of the animals
and plants form a never ending de-
light.
Over the river the rocks are decaying
and yielding up myriads of shells and cor
ais and the queer points of stone cillies, |
sometimes called shirt buttons.
Then the river is full of beautiful shells |
md we want them collected, CLASH fed !
and arranged.
Skulls and skeletons of animals will be |
most valuable and the collecting will i'm |
prove the children's minds and give them
lew ard larger views of the world they |
i've in. This is teaching how to learn
rom things at first hand, how to think and |
more especially to apply scientific meth
IDS to studies in common things that are
easiest obtained.
DIR. L. ID. Simonton, when he was boy,
le lived in the country. 1t is misfortune
hat ali boys have not. He had to teach
'alves to drink by putting his fingers in
heir mouth. He then learned that the
alf had no teeth in the upper jaw. His
uriosity being excited, he found that tn 9
rown up COWS were similarly destitute of