TEAM WORK IN SCIENCE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 29 October 1924, Page 8

TEAM WORK IN SCIENCE.

/PREPARING FOR FUTURE NEEDS. Almost from the beginning of history a number of common and noble metals have been used in the staple industries of mankind. In industrial application no single metal is now used, in a state of purity, but all are employed as alloys with other metals. No alloy is perfect for its purpose. For new purposes, as, for example, in the construction of aircraft, alloys with new properties are constantly being required. The possible number of alloys, differing in constituents and proportions, is indefinite ; but even if this were reduced to a reasonable figure from existing knowledge, it would remain very large, says a writer in The Times. Ry. this time, if concerted team work had been arranged, we might be in possession, of an elaborate scheme of experimental data concerning the properties of a very large number of admixtures of one particular metal with one or several elements. Industrialists. instead of being content with, alloys known to be imperfect, or of having to initiate special investigations for each new purpose, could turn directly to tabulated information and be able to. set their specialists on the right path. Sir William Pope’s plea is for the use of team work in preparing the ground for future needs. Its adoption would have the subsidiary advantage young workers could be turned to lines of research of certain value, instead of the depressing hit-or-miss gamble for success in a specific object..