The record-union., 1898-03-05
INDEED. 1T IS.
Sensationalism, Not Science.

Scientific discoveries have
often been so wonderful in character
that it ought not to excite surprise to
find intelligent people ready to accept
without question announcements of in
ventions and discoveries of the most
improbable and absurd character. Along
this line the evil influence of a sensa-
tional press is enormous. 1t was bad
enough ten years ago, but it has been
greatly mangnified by the recent, and,
ON the whole, unfortunate cheapening
of processes of illustration, to the Sc
ductions of which nearly every newspa-
per in thesland has yielded.
To this has been added the newspa-
per syndicate" by which men who
know really nothing of science are en-
ployed TO furnish sensational articles
on scientific discovery. illustrated by
sensational pictures, all of which is the
more injurious because often founded
upon a slender, microscopic tissue of
fact. Unfortunately, some men who
may be said to inhabit the fringe of
genuine scientific activity lend them
selves to this sort of thing and are
made much Of accordingly
Whole pages of this modern journal
ism are filled with accounts of discov-
cries that are going to be made, for
writers Of this class are shrewd in TAX
ing advantage of the fact that human
interest and human memory are now
practically restricted to about twenty
four hours in time. The publication of
a broadside describing an alleged i'm
provenent OF the telescope or micro
scope, in which there is absolutely
nothing new that is true or true that is
new, adorned with a series of cuts
largely imaginary and many of which
have no relation to the subject mat
ter, has served the purpose intended
when its author has received his pay
from the syndicate" and when the
syndicate has scored a triumph in what
in these days is called enterprise"
Even the most conservative among
men of science are made to appear as
willing purveyors. of sensationalism by
what ought 10 be looked upon as an
unwarranted and illegitimate use of the
results of carefully conducted investi-
cations. often before such results have
received final construction and ap
proval al their own hands.
If all impressions made by this false
popularization of science We're to disap-
pear in twenty-four hours, the evil
would be greatly lessened; but, unfor-
tunately, there are many very intelli-
gent and thoughtful people, who ought
to constitute the best support Of scien-
tific work, upon whom they are more
lasting To such the line separating
the genuine accomplishments of hon
est scholarship from the output Of sem
sationalism, which ought to be clear
and sharp, is becoming very nebulous,
and there is imminent danger of a re-
volt against the whole thing.
The extent to which credulity has
been carried was beautifully iliustrat-
ed not long ago when widely known
scientific man amused himself and
many friends by caricaturing, in the
columns of one of our standard scien-
tific journals. some of the phases of
modern psyche physics. SO perfectly
did the burlesque reflect the form and
substance of some recent contributions
to that science that it was immediate
ly accepted as serious by the large ma
jority of readers. rs.-Professor T. C. Men
denhall, in Science.