Evening star., 1935-11-03
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

ing machinery to throw
men out of employment, eventually
destroy civilization?
Or must the western world inaugu-
rate Solomon's House. somewhat
after the model of the super brain
trust described by Francis Bacon $50
years ago as governing his fabulous
New Atlantis, to evaluate and co-ordi-
nate the advances of mans mastery
over nature?
From the standpoint of both
physicist and biologist the first ques-
tion is answered in guarded negatives
in the Smithsonian Institutions an
nual report for 1884, which has just
been issued. The case of the former
is presented by Sir James Jeans, one
of the most eminent of living aStron-
omers, while the biological outlook,
with the suggestion of new Solomon's
House. is upheld by Sir Frederick
Gowland Hopkins. president Of the
British Royal Society.
1t must be admitted frankly. Sir
James Jeans states, that science has
opened the door to the production of
more and more devastating weapons.
In the long run they probably have
been balanced by more and more
effective means of defolee, but at any
one time there may be a temporary
disbalance that can be taken ad-
vantage of by ruthless military power.
Physical science itself is neutral. pro-
ducing means of defense and offense
according to the direction its discov-
cries happen to take.
Contribution to Peace.
But for society as a whole, the
astronomer stresses, science appears
to be making a far greater positive
contribution to warless world.
Underlying the numerous overt causes
for the wars of the past, he points
out. the economic or hunger motive
usually can be found. 1t may be
concealed under political or religious
pretexes but, directly or indirectly,
wars have been due primarily to pres
sures of populations. the militant
groups seeing hope for the future
OIlly Will kllC POsoCoOAOAA "a AAAOA
land to produce food fer more people.
1t is precisely here, he says, that
science is moving against war by
enabling every larger population to
live in comfort and contentment on
the same limited area of land" With
this primary incentive removed. he
believes. there is much less likelihood
that the secondary causes of wars
in the past will produce future
| hostilities.
! In such ways. he concludes, I'VE
may hope to restrain the pressure
of population and the urge for ex-
pansion which, to my mind, are tar
more likely to drive the people of a
nation to war than the knowledge
that they-and also the enemies they
will have to f1ght-are armed with the
deadliest weapons which science can
devise"
The second point of attack on
science is the increasing mechaniza-
tion of industry with resulting un-
employment At present, Sir James
Jeans admits, there is lack of
balance that has had devastating
consequences. The great need is
for industry making discoveries" "
There is no way to make them ex-
| cept by ceaseless, unchecked research
| They cannot be foreseen. Nobody
knows IN what field they will appear
No scientist knows. at the time OF
making a discovery. whether it will
throw men out of work or be the
basis Of new industry.
Employment Given Millions.
LET us remember" he says, "Fara-
days electromagnetic induction, Max
wells Hertzian waves, and the Otto
cycle-each of which has provided
employment for millions of men. Let
us remember that the economic value
of the work of one scientist alone,
Edison, has been estimated at SIS, ,000,-
900, 900.
"Unhappily, no amount of planning
can arrange a perfect balance. No
one can control the direction in which
science will advance. The investiga-
tor in pure science only knows that
If all science were throttled down the
community would become crystallized
in its present state with nothing to
do but watch the population increase
and shiver as it waited for the famine,
pestilence or war which must in
evitably come to restore the balance
between food and mouths, land and
population. Is it not better to press
on in our efforts to secure more wealth
and leisure and dignity of life for
our own and future generations, even
though we risk glorious failure, than
to accept inglorious failure by per-
petuating our present conditions?
Shall we resign ourselves without an
effort to the fate that has befallen
the bees and the ants?"
Sir James Jeans deals especially
with the social and philosophical i'm
plications Of the new physics which,
he maintains, has thrown grave doubt
on the forbidding materialism of the
old science which grew up during the
nineteenth century in both Europe and
America. It has restored the concept
of the human mind as, at least, a
moving force in nature.
There can be little doubt. looking
back upon it today, that the science
of the 18th century doomed mankind
to q rather hopeless future. however
it might better his lot for the present.
He was no longer the master Of his
own destiny but the helpless creature
| Of natural laws which were inexorable
and invariable. The new physics has
taken the materiality out of matter.
| Universe Like Prison.
"The old physics" Jeans said,
Showed us a universe which looked
more like prison than a dwelling
place. The new physics shows us a
building which Is certainly more
specious, although its interior doors
-. o;khor oy,on nr 10cked-Ua