MESSAGE TO YOUTH

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 June 1936, Page 12

MESSAGE TO YOUTH

PROFESSOR PAVLOV’S PLEA. Professor Ivan Petrovitch Pavlov,who died recently was the most famous of modern Russian scientists. He was such a distinguished man that at the time of the revolution, although he was strongly anti-Bolshevist, Lenin did all in his power to make things easy for him to remain when he cpntcmpla’ted leaving Russia. The SJovlet Government paid him £3,000 a year, and on his eightieth birthday made him a gift of £lO,OOO with which to re-equip his laboratories. In a note written a few days before his death Pavlov left the following message to the academic youth of Russia:—“What shall I wish for the young students of my country? First of all, sequence, consequence, and again consequence. In gaining knowledge you must accustom yourself to the strictest sequence. You must be familiar with the very ground work of science before you try to climb the heights. Never start on the ‘next’ before - you have mastered the ‘previous.’ Do not try to conceal the shortcomings of your knowledge by guesses, and hypotheses. Accustom yourself to the ►roughest and simplest scientific tools. Perfect as the wings of a bird may be, it will never enable the bird to fly, if unsupported by the air. Facts are the air of science. Without them the man. of science can never rise. Without .them your theories are vain surmises. But while you are- studying, observing, experimenting, do not remain content with the surface of things. Do not become a mere recorder of facts, but try to penetrate to the mystery of their origin. Seek obstinately for thr laws that govern tlrem. And then — modesty. Never think you know all though Qtliers may flatter you, retain -uir courage to say, ‘I afn Ignorant.’ Never bd proud, And lastly, science must be your passion. Remember that science claims a man's whole life. Had he two lives they would not suffice. Science demands .an undivided allegiance from its followers. Ii» your work and in youi- research there must always be passion.”