Physicist’s Impression Of U.S. Science Learning

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28552, 3 April 1958, Page 7

Physicist’s Impression Of U.S. Science Learning

Roman Catholic schools in the United States were being regarded as model schools in the “sputnik age,” Dr. C. D. Ellyett,' senior physics lecturer at Canterbury University, told a meeting of the Canterbury branch of the Royal Society of flew Zealand last evening. Dr Ellyett was speaking about a recent visit to North America and on impressions he had gained of American education during the “soul-searching” after the launching of the Soviet earth satellite last October.

Dr. Ellyett spoke of a visit he made to the multi-million dollar Ann Arbor School in Michigan with its counsellors’ rooms for “girl-friend, domestic and can’t-get-on-with-the-teacher troubles,” its gymnasia, planetarium, indoor swimming pool, one of two auditoria the size of the Civic Theatre, a workshop for motor-car mechanics and “a complete flat to teach girls how to live- in a complete flat.”

When he had asked to see the physics room he was shown a place and told that there was one year’s physics study provided.

“That is the reason the Roman Catholic schools are so popular —children are being educated so much better,” he said. “They have discipline, homework and control. Although State schools are free, 12 per cent, of children are being educated at Catholic schools which have to be paid for.” Dr Ellyett said he had been to the University of Colorado where it was impossible for a student to get a degree unless he could swim. ‘‘Things are out of proportion,” he said. The Russians

Dr Ellyett said he had been to a scientific conference attended by Russians, “none of whom could speak English but the leader.” It had been very noticeable that the Russians had attended all sessions and noted busily, ‘‘so unless they were doing homework, they knew English.”

Dr Ellyett said he personally believed the Russians knew all the scientific work that was going on in English-speaking countries. The Russians were in some respects ahead, and in some respects behind in research and results.

It was pertinent to note that the Russians had 2000 translators working on English-written scientific papers all of which were available to Russian research workers three weeks after being received for interpretation. In the United States and Canada ‘‘the odd journal and odd paper” was translated and there was practically no clear picture of what the Russians were doing although all the papers were available for translation.

“Do not get the wrong idea about my political affiliations—l am just pointing out things that became apparent in the United States while I was there.’’ Dr Ellyett said. The Russian satellite had shown the vaunted Distant Early Warning (Dew line) radar system

across North America to be “obsolescent.” When the satellite had passed over, the radar dishes could not be moved fast enough to catch it and it was obvious that extensive modifications would be required to make it of any use. No Information On the other hand, the Russians had said that signals from the satellite had contained no other information than identification. Yet when photographs of the American radio reception had been developed it was seen that the lines between “the beeps” were “a continuous wiggly wave with information on it.” Forty miles of photograph had been taped and was awaiting analysis. Dr. Ellyett said he had spent three months and a half doing research at the American National Bureau of Standards in Colorado. There were 700 radio research workers there and last year 168 of these had gone on overseas trips. A world trip aroused no comment; a trip to Washington was no more than “commuting.” “This bureau is now the top centre for research in our half of the world and has superseded the English,” Dr. Ellyett said “One million dollars is the standard unit for a project. It is staggering by our standards.” Also staggering was an anecdote related by Dr Ellyett about the University of Pittsburgh. The Chicago University had gone to Pittsburgh and raised money and this spurred the Pittsburgh institution to set up a commercial group to raise funds for it. There was a commission of 200.000 dollars in one million dollars and now the University of Pittsburgh had more money than it knows what to do with.

“And that is saying something for a university,” he said.