Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1919-04-11
Dubious Benefits OF Science.

are really the best interests of the human
race In the main. apparently not. thinks
Prof T. W. Patrick. Of Iowa University.
who writes in The Scientific Monthly"
New York. on The Next Step in Applied
Science" This next step. he tells us, should
be away from the beaten path, for it is
very doubtful whether this road has been
leading US Alright. urinventions and dis
coveries have made the world easier to
live in, but mere ease Of living is scarcely
beneficial. They have multiplied labor
saving devices. when labor is necessary to
our well-being. They have given US lei
sure-and to what end have we employed
it 7 They have shielded US from disease,
instead Of increasing our racial powers of
resistance. If we are to continue strong
and able, we must be built up, he thinks,
and not merely aided and protected. To
quote and condense
"0ur first thought is that applied science
has been not only a stupendous success.
but perhaps the browning achievement of
the human mind. The story Of its triumphs
is known by heart to every schoolgirl. APP
piled science has made the world over.
making it a decent and healthful place to
live in. We may not, indeed. question the
potential value of applied science. nor even
its actual value in countless directions.
What we may questionis whether there has
been a mistaken conception of the general
end to which science should be applied in
respect to real social welfare. To what
extent has science. as it has actually been
applied, contributed to human good 7
First, applied science has surrounded
us with comforts. convenences. and luxu-
ries of every kind. But just what will be
the effect upon the race of men. disci-
plined through hundred thousand years
Of hardship, of this sudden introduction to
comfortY This question puts the whole
subject of applied science in new light.
Perhaps we have been applying science to
the wrong ends. Possibly science should
never have been applied to making man
comfortable. but TO making him perfect. 1t
may be that there is great danger in
comfort The biologist holds 1t in grave
suspicion. Degeneracy is its sequel.
"'Oh, well, it is replied. there are no
signs of physical degeneration yet. Look
at our armies. Finer physical specimens
never marched out to meet an enemy.
This is true. and we may add-braver ones
never went to war. and they were 100 per
cent. efficient. Yes, but they we're picked
men, the very flower of vast nation. They
were from the upper tenth physically. They
were the young males. They were the 65
per cent. Of the young males not rejected
by the examining boards The germ-plasT
Of the best of our race could not suffer de-
terioration in the short time Of the COM
fort regime. But upon biological grounds
we must believe that the disastrous con-
sequences Of such a regime upon societ,
as a whole may be serious in the highes
degree.
Another Of the most brilliant triumphi
of applied science is seen in our countless
and wonderful labor-saving devices. JUS
why has it been assumed that labor-sav
ing devices are human blessing Work
and indeed physical work. is a blessing
not curse. During the past history o
man. which we may reckon in hundreds O.
thousands of years. Nature has said t.
him, You must worker die.
rs it not conceivable that applied science
might be used not only to reduce the hour'
of labor of those who are now crushed
with excessive labor, but to devise meant
of preventing the disastrous biological
consequences which must follow the cessa
ton from healthful labor among a con
siderable portion of society,"
"And then there are the time-saving de
vices. 1t is no doubt because of the tenn
per of the day that so few of us have eve
questioned their intrinsic value. But will
all these time-saving devices il is not quite
apparent that we have any more tint
than formerly. Sometimes it seems as i
we have less"
In fact. all our plans for improved con-
ditions take for granted. Professor Patrick
goes on to say. that leisure will be an un
mixed good. On the contrary, leisure in itsel
may be dangerous. There have been epochs
when men. released from labor by wealth
or otherwise. have turned their thoughts
to art, poetry, music, and the drama. But
is 1t quite certain that we are now living
at time when mankind can be trusted
with liesurei He goes on:
ITO all such arguments as the above II
will be replied that modern science hal
nevertheless made the world decent nc
comfortable place to live in and that there
has never been so much happiness in the
world as at present. But, for the last -four
years Europe has not been decent no
comfortable place to live in, nor has there
been general happiness. atho German,
excelled in its development of science and
in the application Of science to the me
chanic arts A good civilization must in
sure some degree of stability.
III. as many believe. one Of the promi-
nent causes OF the war was the urgent
need which Germany felt for commercial
and industrial expansion we seem in this
very fact TO have an indictment Of the
mechanical and industrial arts. when
viewed in the light of the leading motive
in the social order Nowhere else in the
world had science been applied so extern
sively and successfully to the satisfaction
Of human wants as in that country. Yet
these wants were not satisfied and Ger
many had to fall back on the aee-old
method OF the exploitation of other ma
tons. But we are evidently coming to
the time when this method will not work.
Perhaps it may be long time before II
will again be tried. Each nation must