The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-09-14
VALUE OF ASTRONOMY.


 VALUE OF ASTRONOMY, Dr. Woodward Thinks it the Most
 Useful of Sciences.
 pr. Woodward, president of the Car negle Institution, declares that astron- omy Is the most important, the most practical and the most useful of all the sciences.
 "Galilee, Newton and La Pace did more to advance the human race than perhaps al other men put together" said Professor Woodward the other day Their services to mankind have been the most practical and the most important of all, chiefly because they have set mep to thinklnk straight. Generally our thinking Is crooked. As tronomy has put order Into the solar system; it has very largely eliminated superstition from the influences which control the word. If 1t were not for astronomy wej would still be consulting. midwives. Astronomy has practically banished superstition and fear in the human race All trade and commerce depends upon information furnished us by the development of astronomy. Navigation is absolutely dependent upon 1t.
 There were plenty of ships before astronomy was discovered I suggest ed.
 But they did not cross the Atlantic in five days replied Professor Wood- ward. The development of machinery came with and has been dependent upon the advancement of astronomical science, It was the astronomer Huy- gems who invented the clock, and, without clocks, navigation in the pres ent sense would be 1 impossible. As tronomy has furnished the foundation for nearly all the. physical sciences. Electricity and magnetism owe their development to the knowledge and ma chlhery provided for them by astro- nomicRl Investigations It may be truthfully said that all modern science is based upon astronomy. The same methods of observation, measurement and calcuation used in astronomy have been incorporated into all other sci- ences, and just in proportion as these other sciences have been able to imi- tate and follow astronomy have they been useful to the human race. What is the object of science?' I asked.
 "The goal of all science is the capac- | ity for prediction To anticipate the future is the most important object of all human energy and intelligence, and nothing can be doe 1 that direction breaches that goal 1t approaches per- lection, and astronomy is essentially a science of prediction. It can predict an eclipse a thousand years in ad- vance, 1t can calculate the exact mo- ment of the turn of the tide twice each | day for century. It can locate the position of the moon at any hour of any night for generation upon genera | ton yet unborn. It was ot long ago that the entire world was frightened at the appearance of comet. Astrono- my has shown that the universe is full of comets and that they are as harm less as they are beautiful There need not be the slightest degree of appre- hension on account of their appear ance.
 | ,'The most important service of as- tfenomy to nankind,' continued Pro- fensor Woodward, "has been to con vince people of the continuity of the phenomena of nature. If we did not believe in the performance of the phe Inomena of nature we would be just as badly off and as helpless as the barba- rlans of central Africa in dealing with epidemics, storms and other great physical calanlitles, Let me cite a noteworthy case. A few years ago there was a great drouth in Missouri, The people had their own way of deal ing with 1t, Instead of digging wells or driving their cattle to places where water was plenty they appointed day of prayer, This was done all over the world, however. The Misso1irians have no monopoly of that method of avert. ing calamlties. The Moqui Indians have done the same for ages. But it is not the scientific way. Science keeps records, anticipates drouths and pro vides for them, and the public is be- coming more dependent upon 1t fol guidance and relief When serious ep- idemics like cholera or yellow fever break out We do not depend on super natural influences any longer, We look for approximate causes and re- move them. Astronomy has taught us how to do that. The striking phenom- ena of the heavens have been visible to everybody since the shepherds noted them on the plains of Shlhar, and they proceed in an orderly fashion. Having been once taught the fact of the con tinuity of nature, we are beginning to apply the same laws to everyday phe- nomena more intimately related to us. We are beginning to apply them to ourselves,
 Astronomy has taught us that we are a part of and not apart from the rest of the universe; that the humblest creature is involved in all the move ments of the spheres and plays an i'm portant role in the programme of the universe. Anthropology, the investiga- tion of mankind, is problem of tran scendent interest because the very in struments of investigation are also the livery objects of research. The highest study of mankind is man We learned only recently how to do it, and we oo- tained our methods from the astrono- | nners "-Cthica yo Tecord Herald