New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-08-27
THE TASTE FOE SCIENCE.

In the September number of "The Popular
Science Monthly the editor Of that excellent
periodical comments at length on the fact that
the public seems 10 take more interest In war
and politics than in science. He is puzzled by
the preference. finding ii hard to say why
the newspapers read by millions and a
scientific urnal only by thousands" With n
little further effort we feel sure that he will
be able at least partially to penetrate the mys-
terry.
The instinct OF human nature which impels 4
man TO enter into rivalry with his fellows Is as
fundamental that which sends him in search
OF food or the one which impes him to care
for his offspring The objects for which ne
contends are not always the same as those for
which his savage ancestors fought. His aims
are often higher. and his methods more honor
able. The very struggle for existence. however.
involves q conflict with somebody or something
all the time. When person ceases 20 engage
IN such battles he is no longer a useful men,
Der OF society. Moreover so long as he strives
himself he will feel lively interest In the
outcome Of the contests. military. political so
cial and industrial. In which others participate.
1t should be remembered. too. that the daily
newspaper deals with an enormous variety Of
interests. while the scope Of the scientific peri
odical is much more limited. or those publIca-
tons which serve only a single class OF scien-
tifc men. like the medical. electrical and en-
gneerng journals. each appeals to such small
constituency that one ought not 10 wonder al
their occasional suspension or consolidation
with rivals. \ periodical which aims ut the
popularZaton of science has apparently n
broader claim TO public patronage but il labors
under peculiar disadvantage 1t is not identi-
fed with any particular profession or industry.
1t is a luxury not necessity. 1t stands on
the same plane with the higher grade of month
" , m%s 1za %Soc 70 scientific tor,,r. :. that
its authors do not always write so as 10 be alto
gether ineligible Unfortunately, the abest
investigators, the men who really revoutionize
science, are occasionally unable to express
themselves so that any understand
them who is not specialist In the same line
Of study. The current number OF The Popu-
lar Science Monthly" for instance contains
nine articles. seven of which are not only at
tractive, but are free from this objection. I ne
post Of honor has been given. on the other hand
10 lecture by the Swedish chemist Arrhenius
which Is not easy reading. although his present
prominence justihes the compliment here paid
him. Again. Professor McDOugals paper on
THE Evolution OF the Human Hand calls for
something more than an average familiarity
with zoology. much more striking illustra-
ton OF the point we are now aiming to empha-
in this city last winter. famous physiology
cal chemist Dr. Ehrlich, who has investigated
the phenomenon of immunity against diseases
had been invited from Germany to give series
of lectures at Johns Hopkins University. 1t
was highly commendabe piece OF enterprise
to secure reports of his talk. but we venture to
say that not one physician in ten who examined
those accounts could have told what the man
was driving at!
Again, il is much easier for the majority of
people to grasp the concrete than the abstract
They are much more interested In results-es-
pecially If they can be demonstrated usually
than In principles Hold up before a company
| in dark room tiny tube of radium and
| fuorescent mineral, and the spectators will be-
come enthusiastic in instant. Talk about
! Avogadro's law Of gases or the conservation of
energy, and they become listless. For every
thousand persons who can use telephone there
is about one who knows what you mean by
! Induction" and "the variable resistance of
! the carbon transmitter." The eagerness with
which Tyndall, Huxley and Proctor were read.
and the delight which thousands derive from
amateurish nature study show that the taste for
science is general; but those who minister there
to must refrain from distractions and techni-
calities II they want to do any good.
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