The Holly chieftain., 1924-03-27
BY JOHN DICKINSON SHERMAN

VI general idea as to what science
has done for and to the world in
your dag. If you young
reader, the world will be vastly
changed before yOs :ake your departure If YOU
are discriminating reader and do some of your
own thinking. you doubtless have your own ideas
as to whether our Twentieth century civilization
Is too complex to be altogether sane and safe
And all Of us can indulge in interesting specula-
tions us to what science Will do to US in the next
half-certury
Marconi, whose fame rests on solid achieve
n.ent cannot be called visionary. Yet he said re-
Gently;
Science will transform the world within fifty
years Life on this planet will be changed that
recognizing 1t. Until the end Of time, invention
and discovery will shower benefits upon the human
race at a constantly increasing speed see n Ger
tain danger to the world in this great progress
The conditions of life will be made 80 easy that
II people are not careful they will deteriorate.
And as this is being written Marconi comes to
the front with the announcement that he has final
ly succeeded in Harvesting the waves set in motion
by radio energy That is, the inventor of wireless
communication concentrate and direct these
electrical waves much light Is controlled and
directed in searchlight He can send these cleo
trica waves in n straight line from one station to
another This discovery Is likely to revolutionize
wireless. And he says:
Thfs discovery may increase the horrors Of
modeSn warfare. There fearful possibilities, II
excessively high power put behind Of
the radio beams and directed at powder maga
zinA
Marconi's two notes of alarm bring us logically
to the second question: Is science to prove mans
salvation or Is 1t Frankenstein2
Just what is a Frankensten? The word has
come to mean n man-made monster that turns
upon Its creator and rends him. "Frankenstein"
Is the title Of a romance published in 1918, by
Mary Wostonecraft Shelley the second wife of
sha fha 10
named for the hero Of the tale, who created
monster. The story is related by young student.
who creates a monstrous being from materials
gathered from the grave and the dIssecting ROOM
When the creature Is complete, with bones
muscles and skin it acquires life. Thereupon it
commits atrocious crimes. 1t murders II friend of
the student and strangles his bride. The monster
finally comes to un end in the north seas.
John Galsworthy, noted British of letters
voiced the fears of millions when he addressed q
pamphlet to scientists, calling them to save
the human race from the threat of destruction by
the new chemical and physical warfare. His Idea
Is that science has become monster which
threatens to devour u.s." Scientists Of the world
are stirred up over the accusation. Opinions
as wide apart the poles. Sir Richard Gregory
predicts the destruction Of mankind from un-
checked development of scientific warfare. DR..
Ralph H. Mckee Of Columbia university, says thnt
chemistry will shorten future wars and make them
more humane.
On only one point do the scientists agree: Gals
Northy's plan is impracticable because Of the i'm
possibility of controlling nations persons bent
on making posons for purposes. Says Sir
William II. Bragg an N-rny expert:
Galsworthy's scheme is perfectly Impossible.
You always will have bad trying the
latest discoveries of science for purposes sub
versive to the good of mankind The only result
of Gasworthy's scheme would be that good
scientists would be prevented from
tnuing their Investigations and making dis
coveries. while bad would keep working
Just as before
An even worse feature of the situation lies in
the fact that these deadly Inventions have usually
come about In the course of researches by scien-
lists working for the good of mankind. Poison
gases. for example, are the by-products of
searches into industrial chemistry. The deadlIest
thing earth, the poison of the botullnus bacil-
lus was discovered by biologist working to save
lives
SO 1t requires great Imagination to picture
the super-hgure of the next World war as a man
ideal plague parasite for the wlpng out of civilian
populations.
The total destruction of life Is held by Sir Rich
ard Gregory to be possibility of the future
through the development of means OF tapping
atomic energy and its application to war He
says:
We are on the threshold of developments by
which forces and unlocked for powers viii be