The Grey River Argus THURSDAY, May 20, 1943. SCIENTIFIC PROGRESS.

Grey River Argus, 20 May 1943, Page 4

The Grey River Argus THURSDAY, May 20, 1943. SCIENTIFIC PROGRESS.

AVitli increasing frequency reports arc being received from all parts of the world of new and important discoveries and developments in all branches of science and engineering. They have been brought about by the demands of war, but a great many of them give promise of great usefulness to the human race in times of peace. Some may even be factors in promoting better relations between the peoples of the world, and, though used now to further the ends of war, may prove instrumental in preventing it. This is, of course, particularly’’ true of the enormous advances that have been made in transport mid communications. Even now the great Allied air base in Labrador is b'cing constructed with a view to its use after the Avar for a proposed air route that will follow’ the long-sought “north-west passage.’’ At Hie same time engineers arc planning huge seadromes in the Atlantic to facilitate air traffic, which it seems likely, will be used for the transport of cargo as well as passengers. Research into possible further uses of radio is being given the highest importance everywhere, and there is no question that after the war it will link up countries to as great an extent as individuals are linked up by the telephone to-day. The extensive use made of broadcasting at present to inform (or misinform) the peoples of other countries is an indication of what could be done m better times to counter nationalism of the ignorant and prejudiced kind. It is true that after the; last war high hopes of this nature ivere entertained, only to be dashed down again. The fact is, however, that world communications had not (hen been developed to a stage where they made any appreciable difference to the mass of people. Travel between one country and another was still a luxury; most people had neither the money nor the time to afford for it. Broadcasting was beginning to be a means of fostering international viewpoints, but only by the time international relations had become so bad that it was too late for it to be likely to be put to any purpose other than that of pure propaganda, which listeners soon began to hear with scepticism and mistrust. If a longer view of history is taken it will clearly be seen that improved communications have been a factor for unity and peace. By this means small warring states have been brought together, and a wider system of la\\’ and order made possible. It is doubtful if such a vast area, as the United States peopled by so many nationalities and containing so many conflicting interests could have become the great and unilied nation that it is, were it not for the railroad, the motor car, and thetelephone. It is not too much to hope that ultimately the aeroplane and the wireless may' help the world, towards such unification, however long it may take. Progress along these lines is being implemented, moreover 1 , by discoveries of many kinds which make human life more pleasant

and Jess hazardous than it is at present. These cover a wide Held —the possible synthetic production of a rare and powerful ’ vitamin, the finding in an Egyptian tomb of a powder which enables wheat to lie preserved indefinitely, the ' production of a substance which drives sharks i away from men in shark-infested waters. All of those have been reported only in the last day or J two. Admittedly the problem •of social organisation, the solution of which science can help but uot compel, remains one that still seems an enigma to all but a few dogmatists. There are many views on the matter, but it may be safely said that it would be dosiral.de to abolish hunger and want and long hours of bodily I and mental toil that go beyond 1 the point where they further a -man’s well-being and ability; and | to prevent greed and desire for I poweij -from overreaching themselves so that they bring these things about. But here again wartime conditions have had some -good effect in that they have turned attention to the, need for the betterment of the general conditions of the people, and have probably done much within the nations directly affected by the i struggle to break down barriers built up by differences of wealth or interest. This is said to be so in England; whether it is so thioughout Europe would be ‘difficult to say. But there is every sign of widespread interest throughout the Allied countries in plans for bettering economic conditions so as to improve the, lot of Hie individual and facilitate more harmonious international relations.