SCIENCE IN OUR LIVES - RBC

[Pages:4]HEAD OFFICE, MONTREAL, JANUARY 1949

SCIENCE IN OUR LIVES

W

HATEVERelsewe may say aboutscience, At thebasehe placesmathematicsw,hichselects wemustadmittwothingsi:t hasplayedits forstudyfromtherealworldonlythesimplestand

partin bringingaboutthe comfortable mostgeneralideassuchasthoseof order,numberand

livingconditionosf todaycomparedwitha century size.

or twoago,andit hasatthesametimeaddedto the

complexitioefsliving.

By addingfurtheirdeas,likethoseof mattere,nergy

andelectricitwye,cometo thesciencoef physics.

So muchprogresshasbeenmadein theapplication Byincludintgheideasofdifferenktindsofsubstance

ofscienctehatweareonlysurprisetdhesedaysifwe andof chemicalchangefromonekindto another,we

arenotamazedby somethinngewat closeintervals. arrivaetchemistry.

Thingswhichwouldhave seemednothingshortof miraculousto our grandfatherasre acceptedas a matterof course.We arebeingweaned,veryslowly, fromtheideathataninventora,scientisto,ra professori,sa long-hairgeedntlemaan,littlewildinthe head,whohas crazyideaswhichsometimewsorkout.

By addingthe ideasof a specialkindof matter calledlivinga,ndofa speciaklindofbehavioucralled mental,we cometo biologyand psychology.And, saysProfessorTolman,"by includingin our study moreandmoreof thecomplexitioefstheactualworld aroundus, we couldpasson to socialpsychology,

economicsa,ndthesocialscienceisn general." Advancementhas beenaccomplishedby fits and

starts.Someunknowngeniusof the long-agopast Thisviewbringsouttheimportantmaximthatwe

mixedninepartsof copperwithonepartof tinand shouldnotbe so impressebdytheapparendtiversity

madebronze,therebyliftingall mankindfromthe ofsciencaesbyitsrealunity. stoneto themetalage.

Discoverieisn sciencealmostalwayshavetheir

Archimedesdiscoveredthe screwabout250 B.C., butit wasnotdevelopepdastitsprimitivfeormuntil Leonardoda Vinciwentto workon it in the 15th CenturyA.ndonlytheotherday,GreatBritainC,anada andtheUnitedStatesgottogethefrorthefirsttime

startinpgointin an hypothesissuppliebdy imagination andintellectuaadlventureI.n earlydaysthescientist

roamedno fartherthanhiscitywalls,andeverything beyonda verysmallradiuswas unknown:todaywe havebuilta hugetelescopteo piercetheMilkyWay.

to standardiztehreads,so as to makescrewsinter- Afterimaginationcomestryingthingsout.The

changeable.

mischievoumsonkeypullsthingsapart;the sameurge

inmanleadshimto putthingstogetheirneverdiffer-

It wasnotuntilthe18thCenturythata Swedish ingforms.Muchofhisstrugglseeemstotheoutsider

savant,Linnaeusu,ndertootkhetaskwhich,according to bequitepointlessb,uthe hashiseyeonsomegoal

to theBookof Genesish,adbeenAdam's:tonameall whichmayhaveto be reachedby a roundabourtoad.

theanimalasndplantsL.innaeudsida scientifijcob. Morediscoveriehsavebeenmadeas a resultof per-

What is Science?

sistenctehanbecausoef mentalbrilliance.

The ScientificMethod An interestinpgyramidescriptivoef thesciences

is setupby ProfessoRr.C.Tolman,oftheCalifornia Scientistmsustbe doubtersandscepticsb,ecause

Institutoef Technology.

thosewhoaresatisfiewdiththingsas theyare,and

withtoday'sexplanatioonfsthings,willneverdis- researchasks"Howshouldwe do this?"Thefirstis

coveranythinngew,norwilltheyaddtotheadvance- attemptintgo understanndature,thesecondis atmentofcultureor thelivingstandarodfmankind. temptintgo contronlature.

Scienciesprimarilaymatterofgettinagtfactsand Technologistasndengineerstakethe productsof

tryingtoexplaitnhem.Thescientismtustbeunbiased scientifitchinkingandturnthemintothewagesof

in collectinhgisfactsandweighingtheevidence. workmenandthestores-full-of-gofoodrscustomers.

When he comes upon unexpectedphenomenahis It likelyrequireda greatermentaleffortandmore

firstresponsiesdoubt.Darwin'wsritingasrea model determinatiobny thetechnologisEtdisonto produce

of refusalto go beyondthedirectevidencea,ndhe thefirstelectrilcampthanit didforthescientist

givesitsfullweightoeverypossiblheypothesis. Faradayto writehisExperimentRaelsearcheisn Elec-

tricity. Gravitatiwoansjustan hypothesiusntilit hadbeen

tested,thenitbecamea theoryA.pplyintghistheory, SirRobertWatson-Wattt,hephysicistwhosename

andobservintghebehaviouorfotherplanetsL,everrier is linkedwiththedevelopmenotf radar,s,ammedup

andAdamsdiscoveread planet(Neptune)theycould thedistinctionneatly:"Thedifferencbeetweenthe

notsee.

physicisatndtheengineeris thatthephysicisits

Onemustbe gratefulto CarlL. Becker,authorof interesteidntheforcesofnaturebuttheengineeirs TheHeavenlCyityoJtheEighteenth-CenPthuirlyosophers,primariliynteresteidn theneedsof man."

forthehappywayin whichhe describetshisscientific Scienceand Society penetratioonf theUnknown:"Newtondid notdoubt

thattheheavensdeclarethegloryof God;buthe was Thereis nothingnewin thebasicsocialproblem

concernetdofindout,by lookingthrougha telescope posedbyscientifdiicscoverieTsh.everyfirstflintaxe

and doinga sumin mathematicsp,reciselyhowthey couldbeusedforthepurposeof killingmen,as well

managedit."

as forprocurinfgood.

The experimentis anothermethodof science. Whena discoveriysmade,suchas thatof thestone

GalileodidnotrestcontentwithwhatAristotlhead axeor oftheelectront,hediscoverecrannotpossibly

saidaboutfallinbgodiesn,ordidheaccepthereason- foreseetheusestowhichit maybeputby succeeding

ablesuppositiotnhata ten-pounwdeightwouldfall generationIsn.short,sciencceannotbeheldaccount-

to thegroundmorequicklythana one-pounwdeight: ableforsocialjudgmentsI.t canshowus thebetter

he letthemfallfromtheleaningtowerof Pisaand waysofproducintghingsb,utitcan'tseethatwedon't

showedthatthingsnaturallfyallwiththesamespeed, usethesethingsto blowourselvesup or otherwise

notproportionteod theirweight.

destrocyivilization.

Thesevirtuesofthemethodof sciences:cepticism Theonlyefficienptrotections,aysDr.duNoiSyin

untiltheproofisshown;collectionfallthefacts; HumanDestiny,liesin a greaterand highermoral

classificatifonr;minagnhypothesainsdtestinigt,not development.

onlywithinitselfbutagainsottherhypothesetsh:ese

virtuesmightwellbe carriedoverintosocialand Forthefirsttimeinhistormyanisafraiodfwhathe

politicallifewithbenefito individualasndtothe hasdonewithhisintelligenceH.e is askingthese

country.

questions:Wheredoes this tremendousprogress

tend?Whatis itsgoal?Whatis itsprobableffect

Kinds o[ Research

uponthefutureof the humanrace?

Thereare,roughlyt,hreedivisionisnscientifirce- ThesearequestionasskedregardinsgciencebySir search:pureresearch,wherethepossibilitieosf AlfredEwingmorethantenyearsbeforetheatomic practicaalpplicatioanreremote;fundamentalpplied bombburstoverHiroshima.How muchmoredo they researchi,n whicha generaluseis in mind,butno needto beansweredtoday! definitaepplicatioann;dimmediatreesearchw,herein theworkis undertaketno solvea definiteproblem. Scienceand Industry

ThomasH. Huxleystoodstaunchlyon the ground Scienciesthefoundationfourwealthb,uttherise

thatthegreatstepsintheworld'psrogreshsavebeen of new businesseson thatfoundationcreatesnew

made and willbe made by men who seekknowledge problemsO.n theonehandthereis increasinngeed

simplybecausetheycraveforit.Newtoncrownedthe foran understandinogf industryby thecommunity,

longlaboursof theastronomerasndthephysicistbsy andon theotherhandtheneedon industry'psartto

drawingtheirdiscoverietsogetherand addingthe developits understandinogf the communityand of

catalystwhichdissolvetdhemintoonevastsystem, employees.

buthisprinciplehselpedno manto eitherwealthor

comfortA.ndPlatoremarkeidn hisRepublic":Science Therevolutionaardyvancesof scienceandtechno-

is pursuedforthesakeof knowledgeof whateter- log)'inthepastfewyearshaveresulteidnincreasing

naUyexists,andnot whatcomesfor a momentinto productiwointhlesslabourT.hefactthatanindustrial

existencaendthenperishes."

workerin Canadaispaidseveratlimesasmuchin real

wagesas his predecessorreceivedfor muchlonger

Fundamentarlesearchasks"Whatis this,howdoes hoursofworka generatioonr twoagois a condition

it work,and why doesit workthatway?"Applied whichrestsuponscientifdiicscoveries.

Theincreasien outputperman-houhrasbeengoing Scientificdiscoveriehsavestimulatedeconomic

onataboutherateof1.7percenta yearforindustry expansionc,reatednewtradesandprofessionsa,nd

as a whole,it wasreportedby ProfessorSumnerH. enabledmen and womento find occupationswhich

Slichtero,fHarvardUniversityi,ntheAnnalsofthe suittheircapacitieasndprovidtehemwithinteresting

AmericanAcademyof PoliticaalndSocialSciencea,n meansof self-expression.

issueentitleSdocialImplicatioon/s ModernScience. This,he said,meansdoublingoutputperman-hour SocialScience

abouteveryfortyyears.

Up toa littlewhileagomankindhadbeenprincip-

allyoccupiedwithlearnintgo controlhissurroundThe wholeeconomyhas beenaffectedby science. ings;nowhe needsto learntomanagehimself.

Considears instancetsheincreasendumberof materialsandprocessest;heincreasegdeographicmaolbility of labourandcapital;theincreaserdateof change, leadingto quickerdepreciatioandobsolescencoef capitagloods;theincreasien thesupplyof investment opportunitieosf,fsetto someextentby thereduction intheinclinatitoonsave.

The developmentof physicalscienceleavesthe humanpartof theworldof manuntouched-- a part whichwas alreadyold beforeDarwinor Faradayor Rutherfordexisted.Thishumanpartof creation cannotbe reducedto a slide-rulsetudyofreactions. Everyhumanbeingcarrieswithinhimthe resultsof thesocialinfluencetshathavebeenworkingon him

sincebirth,andon thewholehumanracesinceits

Thesearenotsurfacechanges.Theygoto thevery beginning.

foundatioonf humannature.Sciencehastransplanted civilizatitoonwildernesseas,innortherQnuebecand ThisfactmakessocialsciencemostdifficultC.onOntario,withresultincghangesin people'swaysof siderthepersonaplrejudicest,heclassandnational livingS.ciencheasenablesdomenationtsoshifttheir interestst,hevaryingreligioutsraining,and the productivpeattern,throwingthemintocompetition differenetducationalndethicalachievemenotfsmen withold-establisehceodnomieisnothernationsI.thas andwomen.Personalinterestasrehardto reconcile broughtnecessitieasndluxuriewsithinthereachof withthelargerinterestosfthecommunitayndofthe morepeople,changintgheaspirationasndoutlookof world.

wholecountries.

Butthe difficultdyoesnotexcuseus fromtrying,

andunlesswe do trywithsomesuccessthefutureof

Inagricultursec,iencheasbeenequallryevolution-thehumanracemaybe blackindeed.

ary.Refrigeratiofno,rexampleh,as transformetdhe wastelandof Caribbeacnountrieisntobananaplan- Educationin Science

tationsI.rrigatiaonndscientifciuclturheaveconverted Nothingcando moreto removeprejudice,create

desertsintotruckgardensM.echanizatiaonndscien- commoninterests,and informmankindagainstthe

tificfarmpracticehsaveenlargetdheeconomicland dangersof socialanarchyt,hancaneducationT.here

unitforcrops,andat thesametimeencouragetdhe isenoughexhortatiognoingonin theworld,butnot

migratioonf peoplefromfarmto city.

enoughexplanationand expoundingto makea real

understandingof scienceone of the commonposSo closelydoestechnologtyreadupontheheelsof sessionosf mankind.

sciencethat the implementor machinepurchased todaymayhaveto be scrappefdouror fiveyearshence, an expensewhichmustbe takenintoaccountwhen makingproductiopnlansand decidingprofitlevels, shareholdersd'ividendsa,ndthelengthto whichto carryexpansioonf factories.

Scienceanditsworkscanbe givenin popularform withoutlosinganynecessaryaccuracy.In fact,by

sheddinsgomeof itstechnicalitainedsabstractioints cangainby becominmgorecloselyrelatedto ordinary life.

Science and Employment

J. D. Bernal,who wroteThe SocialFunctionoJ Science,seesa doublebenefithrougheducatioonf

Contraryto the teachingsof somelaboursects, ordinarpyeoplelikeourselvetso:themandtoscience.

sciencehasnotcauseda largeamountoftechnologicalSciencecanonlydeveloapdequatelhye,says,if itis

unemploymenta,ndtheproblemscreatedby displace- supportedby informedpublicopinion,andwe will

menthavebeenfew.

findin suchinformatioonuronlysafeguaradgainst

mysticalenthusiasmasnd anti-rationatlendencies

whichmaketheirappearanceveryoncein a while LordStampsummedit up inthisway:"Atanygiven throughtyrantsd,emagogueasndrevolutionaries. momenttheimpactof scienceis alwayscausingsome unemploymenbtu,tatthatsametimetheconstructive Theeducationwhichwillmakepeopleunderstand

additionalemploymenftollowinguponpastexpired theneedsandnatureofsciencemuststartin school. impactsis beingenjoyed."He wenton to pointout Itis notpreparatiofnora professionlailfe,butan thatthereareotherfeaturewshichavea greateerffect elementin thetrainingof theordinarycitizen.It on employment:changesof fashion,exhaustionof shouldteachthechildsomethinagbouttheuniverse

resourcesc,hangingtariffsp,sychologicbaolomsand in whichhelives,makehimacquaintewdiththeresults depressionsT.hese,and politicalfactorssuchas of scientifdiicscoveriynthingsaroundhim,and,most threatsof war,expandandcontractemploymentin importantt,eachhimto thinklogicallayndto weigh

particulpalraceasndlinesof activity.

evidence.

Knowledgeshouldbe impartedin everymanufacturingplant,so as to makeworkersacquaintewdith

the principlesbehindthe taskstheyperformand therebeynhancteheirinteresitn theirjobs.

recentmeetingof theAmericanAssociatiofnorthe AdvancemeonftSciencei,tis builtup bythecombined effortsof conscientiousalnydobjectivelwyorking investigatotrhseworldover.

It waseasyto coastalongintheworldofa century Itisnotsurprisintgh,ereforet,ofindthatscience ago in whicheverythingtouchingthe commonman has a leadingplacein the programmeof UNESCO. wasso usual,so cut-and-driewdi,thouthintof the Thisplancallsforrehabilitatioofnscienceducation mysteriousuniversewhichis now explodedintoa in devastatecdountriesi,nternationaelxchangeand millionquestionmarksby physics,chemistryand conferenceosf scientistasndtechnologistasn,dprobiology.Lifein thosetimeswason a slowvelocity motionof researchprogrammesof international

basis,whenit wasthoughtdangeroutso havetrains concern'.As a beginning,UNESCOwillco-ordinate

travelfasterthanhorsesbecaustehespeedwouldhave theresearchby specialistfsrommanynationson the a badeffecton thehumanbody.Today,everythinigs resourceasndconditionosflife.

highvelocity,andwe maybe temptedto go so fast thatwe haveno timeto tellpeopleat benchesthe socialbenefitosf thejobstheyaredoing.

The developmentof economicnationalismhas obstructetdheapplicatioonf scienceto humanwelfare.Sciencehasshownus howto producetwoblades

Canada and Science

of grasswhereonlyonegrewbefore,butnationalism,

Canada'rsisefromscientifyiocuthtomaturitiysone flyinginthefaceofman'sincreasinignterdependence, of thesignificanfteaturesaboutherdevelopment. preventsthebestusebeingmadeoftheextrablade.

Dr.C. J. Mackenziep,residenotf theNationalRe-

If statesmanshicpan bringto thecommonmanall

searchCouncilandheadoftheAtomicEnergyControl thebenefitosfferebdysciencei,tcangivehimnewand

Board,saidlastyearthatCanada"isinthefrontline now unknownpowersof personalsatisfactionp,o-

ofthescientifwiocrldforthefirstimeinanysizeable liticalefficiencayndsocialserviceA.nexaggerated

way."

Darwinisimntroducesstrugglfeorsurvivailntoevery

ExpendituroefstheCounciiln thefiscalyear194748 were$7 milliont,entimesgreatetrhanjustbefore thewar,andthissumdoesnotinclude$6 millionfor the ChalkRiverplantwherescientistasre helping

phaseof nationaland internationallife,whereas science,when closelylinkedwith democracyw,ill

showthefargreaterbenefittso be attainetdhrough co-operation.

shapetomorrow'sadvances.Testsare beingmade

Therearelargetasksleftforattentiond,espitaell

there,in the heavywaterradioactivpeile,which ourprogress.Besidesthe conquestof space,much

cannotbe duplicateadnywherein theworld.

talkedabout oday,andof diseaset,hereisthecrucial

matterof livingtogether. Amongthe"practicalt"hingsdevelopeodutof the

workof theNationaRlesearcChouncilare:a depend- How far we haveadvancedin somewaysis shown

ablemethodofde-icinagirplanperopellorbsyelectric by the actionof a delegateto the UnitedNations heating;aradarinstrumentwhichshowsthe airman meetingat LakeSuccesslastyearwhocabledto his hisdistancecontinuouslfyromtheground;a quick governmenftorpermissiotno bringup thequestion

methodof producinganti-typhusserum;a methodof of ownershiopf themoon.Andyetthepeopleof the producingmagnesiumfromdolomite(introducing earthcannotsettletheirownnationalboundaries, newindustryto Canada);constructioonf a "flying andthe ambitionof a singletyrannousgovernment wing"typeof aircraftin mouldedplywood,proven keepsthreecontinentisnturmoil. satisfactoirnytests;an emergencayrrangemefnotrre-

frigeratintgheholdsofcargoships;developmenotf Thisbringsus backto thesocialsciencesW.hile

rot-proofingf,lame-proofinagn,d water-repellancyscientistcsontinuteheirsearchforknowledgien the

treatmentfsorfabricsa;nd,ofcourse,contributionsnaturalsciencesw,e ordinarpyeoplemuststopview-

in radar,RDXexplosivesa,tomicenergyand other ingtheirachievementmserelyin primitivewonder.

scientifipcrojectcsonnectewdithwar.

Whattheydo bringsus thepossibilitoyf a newkind

oflife,ifwe havethesensetodeveloptheethical,

Justlastfallitwasannouncetdhata missineglement spiritualp,oliticaalndsocialenvironmenitnwhich

intheperioditcablehadbeenexplainetdhroughthe thatnewlifecandevelop. workof theDivisioonf AtomicEnergyoftheNational

ResearchCouncilof Canadaand two Universityof Sciencehas placedus on an eminencefromwhich

Californinaucleacrhemists.

we canseeveryfar,thoughwe donotknowwhatlies

ScienceInternationally

belowthe horizon.But the mostchallenginpgroblem ofallis rightat ourfeet:howto behaveourselves

Sciencehas neverbeenaccustomedto confining sociallsyothatsciencemaydo whatsciencceandoto

itselfwithinnationabloundariesA.s emphasizeadta makelifehappiere,asiera,ndmoresatisfying.

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