Evening star., 1925-01-04
END WARFARE BETWEEN
RELIGION AND SCIENCE
Placing of DIR. Pupin at Head of Amer
lean Association Marks Beginning
of Better Understanding.

facts" He does not admit that there
Is any conflict between science and
religion, except in the minds OF some
people. Again in his autobiography.
From Immigrant to Inventor" he
told how, as member of a herds
mans squad more than so years ago,
he used to watch the stars and feel
that their light was a language
procla inning the glory of God"
HAS science changed that vision
of the early childhood days?" he
asked. what does that light con-
vey to my mind today? The answer
to this question was born during my
lifetime, and the gradual unfolding
of it's profound meaning gave me the
sweetest thrills of my life.
Fifty years ago, instructed b%
David's Psalms, I found in the light
of the stars heavenly language
which proclaimed the glory of God,
but 1 did now know how that Ian
guage reached me, and 1 hoped that
some day I might find out. The hope
was in my soul when l landed at
Castle Garden (New York;. To-day
science tells me that the stars
themselves bring it to me.
Science and Genesis.
Each burning star is a focus Of
energy, Of life-g giving activity which
it pours out lavishly into every direc-
ton Of the energy-hungry space; ii
pours out the life of its own heart, in
order to beget new life. Oh what q
beautiful vista it opens to our i'm
agination and what new beauties are
disclosed by science in the meaning
of the words in Genesis: He breath
ed into his nostrils the breath Of life,
and man became living soul The
| light of the stars is a part Of the life
| giving breath of God
Il never look now upon the star-lit
! vault of the heavens without feeling
| this divine breath and it's quickeninE
action upon my soul. But here ! must
| stop. / feel the heavy hand Of the
fundamentaliSts pulling me down
and the icy chill of his disapproving
voice reminds me that his theologr
VIII not permit an Interpretation OF
| the words of Genesis which cannot
| be understood by people whose knowI-
| edge of science is about the same as
that of the Assyrians and the ChaI-
| deans of several thousand years ago.
Second Ideal of Science.
| Il have taken some pains here to
| point out some beauties in one par
| ticular department of physical sci
ence. Such beauties abound in every
| department of science. To
| cultivate the beautiful in science is.
according TO my view, the second
ideal of the many loyal workers as
sociated in the National Research
Council Will that kind of science
interfere with the spiritual develop
ment of our national life?"
1t was Benjamin Franklin who first
lnstllled into the then youthful Pupin
the keen interest in physics that was
later to make him one of the worlds
! outstanding figures in that science.
| After completing his studies in the
| little Schoolhouse of his native town.
| ldvor. young Pupin was sent to an
! institution of higher learning at Pan
| chevo. And there he heard of Frank
! Inns discovery with his kite
The strange story thrilled the
| young Pupin, and on his next visit
| home he excitedly told his father the
i secrets of lightning. To his amaze
| ment his father charged him with
| preaching heresy and reminded him
/ that thunder was due to the rum
| bling of St. Elijah's car as. he drove
| across the heavens, charging him
| never again to forget that lesson.
Sailed for America.
From Panchevo young Pupin Jour
! neyed to Prague to continue his
| studies, but there his interests were
| more absorbed with the revolutionary
! spirit that was finding root in that
part of the empire. DR. Pupin now
! freely admits that he studied only
/ enough to keep him from being
/ dropped from his class, and finally
came his opportunity to go to Amer
| ica. 1t was an advertisement for
SteeraSe passage from Hamburg at u
low rate, and, with his mothers con-
sent, departed for the land of prom
! ise
DR.. Pupin's first job in America was
that of chores man on a Delawart.
farm. Later he was a painter ami
paperhanger. But eventually scienca
called him to the high position OF
| professor of electrical mechanics i'm
Columbia University, and in the serv-
ice of science he has won decorations
and degrees from some of the highest
universities in the world