The Washington herald., 1922-01-12
SCIENTISTS IN
GOVERNMENT AS
SEEN BY one
Write Science in Clear
English, Urges DIR.
Brooks.
THURSDAY. JANUARY Il. Isza.

brOOkS.
THURSDAY, JANUARY n, fszz-
Chenfesl society OF wsshinEten.
Cosmos. Club. tonight. Q o'clock.
Researches on the Electrodepo-
sition Of Metals with Reference
TO the Eiectrotyping and Electro
plating Industries." presidential
address by william Blum. OF the
Bureau of Standards.
George wsshiaster Unfver-fty Ex-
gineering Society. 2o23 @ street.
tonight, o'clock. DR.. Tobias
Dantzig. research engineer. win
speak on Design OF Anti-friction
Bearings"
Anerfesn Institute OF Architects.
Washington Chapter. Cosmos
Club, tonight. o'clock. Dinner.
followed by business meeting and
election Of officers for 1922.
Analyses OF the Federal scientist.
his work and ideals. and the great
scientific organization that has been
built by the Federal government.
were contained in the address Of Or.
Alfred II. Brooks. Of the Geological
Survey. as retiring president OF the
Washington Academy Of Sciences.
From a description OF the feelings
OF a scientist who has had an item
in his expense account dissllowed.
to study OF the method OF evolu-
tion OF the Federal service, q wide
range was covered.
A few paragraphs OF the address
are as follows:
There is danger at the present
rate Of accumulation that the SCI
enlist may never overtake the con-
tinual inpouring OF facts whenevep
a research promises to bear the fr1I;
Of theory, a possible source OF new
information may be revealed. and
thus Interpretation again be deferred.
Nowhere Is this more evident than
in the Federal service. now perhaps
the largest storehouse OF scientific
facts in the world. including many
that are only shopworn. There is a
tendency in the service TO a neglect
Of Interpretation. Many Federal in
vestigators could well cease for a
time being collectors Of facts and de-
vote themselves exclusively 10 an un-
derstsnding Of those already on file.
Most Federal investigators devote
their entire time TO science and find
their social life among their profes-
sional colleagues. It is science
morning. noon. and night. with but
few other intellectual interests. In
/ contrast to this. the university
/ scientist divides his time between
\ teaching and research. and the vast
majority of his colleagues are from
I other intellectual pursuits. The
university Investigator. living in an
atmosphere OF wide intellectual in
tcrests, is usually more scholarly
than his colleagues OF the Federal
service. On the other hand. the uni
versity scientist has no rivals
among his immediate associates.
1 and his results do not always run
the gauntlet Of stern criticism. as
do those OF the Federal service.
II Washington were larger and
with more diversifed interests. like
/ European capitals, IL would include
a large number OF amateur scien-
/ lists, or the non-professionsl inves-
tigators who are not to be con-
founded with the dilettanteS. The
amateur brings into science an en-
thusiasm for his subject which
sometimes becomes dormant m the
professional. II is unfortunate that
- &C. oN
ton. for he could do much TO vivifv
science, which may become too much
: a matter of the days work TO the
Federal investigator.
Political and scientific Washing
ton are almost as far apart as the
poles. The one is in constant fluN:
the other. permanent. One has its
strongest ties elsewhere: the other
is locally deeply rooted. One is
typically assertive; the other de-
Lucrative.
II is often forgotten that the
scientist should disseminate as well
as increase human knowledge. ana.
measured by results this duty has
been much neglected in this coun-
try. There is today relatively less
popular knowledge and interest in
the methods and achievements OF
science than there was a generation
ago. Even among the well-cdu-
Gated there are many TO whom re-
search is a kind Of hocus-pocuS. re-
sultinC in brilliant discovery. 4
scientific genius retires 20 his lab
oratory with pad and pencil and
emerGes twenty-fours hours later
hungry hut triumphant. Much PC
riodic literature in theory devoted
TO disseminating science among the
people is given over TO description
of inventions. chiefly of the simplest
type, and without discussion Of the
principles involved.
4 The lack OF popular knowledge
OF science is directly due to its
form OF presentation. II has been
found easier to multiply specialized
technical vocabulsries than 20 pre-
sent results in clear English We
have followed too blindly the Ger
man scientists who. with all their
thoroughness. seldom elucidate
principles either clearly or Gle
santly. Though the German has
invented that wonderful word al
gemeinwissenschaftl ndlich.
few have had occasion 20 use IT,
The German has the advantage Of a
language that may be written in an
accepted form and yet be compare
lively incomprehensible, and this
without even recourse TO a specially
Invented jargon.
Perhaps the greatest need Of the