SCIENCE DISTRUSTED

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 74, 28 March 1934, Page 18

SCIENCE DISTRUSTED

ATTITUDE OF THE PUBLIC

The plea was often made on behalf oi the scientific community foi a laigei shaic 111 the conduct of public affans, said Majoi T. A Treeth, gen oral managci ot leseaich for Impenal Chemical Industries,'in a lecture. But why should science always be classified in ' Great Britain as something apart from ordinary, life, and why should scientists and Science bo to some" extent mistrusted by tho general public. The attitudo of tho public always seemed to him to be a mixture of reveiencc and irritation, with, perhaps, a ceitani dash of contempt. Here, tho lecturer suggested,' was a fixed- habit of mind that hindered .progress. Mak ing a protest against this cunous ath tudc towards science, the lecturer said that in London one could meet*, many people who could talk with considerable knowledge about aiehaeology, who could discuss Jung and Freud in a manner showing them to be abreast of current psychological theory, and who had read Eddington, Jeans, and even Einstein,, though perhaps without understanding much of what these scientists wrote. But let tho conversation turn to a 1 datively simple mattei like con verting heat into work, or to anything concerning a quantity or an intensity [factor liko amperes or volts, the same people would say the subject was scientific or technical and should, therefore, be kept for a special race of people but not discussed in civilised society. "There has been a great deal of talk about the necessity for politicians cither to receive a scientific .training or to have some appreciation., of science," proceeded Major Freoth.' -'M would like to suggest that if one, could make elementary science a little moro fashionable, and if; only the clever people I have referred to : would turn their attention for a while to ; simplicities such as : force,'; poSyor, ana,:wbrk r arid then apply; the:.principles:involved to the ordinary questions; which como before them, we should have inadc a great step forward. lam suggesting that the majority ,of intelligent people are Beared of science without any reason at all, and if we could only find some way of .making-them- : th}nk-:a;iittl6 it >vould^beltothe national good."