SCIENTISTS TRIP.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 366, 7 March 1932, Page 8

SCIENTISTS TRIP.

Professor Somerville Returns. REPRESENTED DOMINION. After representing the New Zealand Institute at several important scientific conferences in England and Scotland, Professor Duncan M. Y. Somerville, Professo/ of Mathematics at the Victoria University College, Wellington, has returned to New Zealand. lie and Mrs Somerville arrived at Lyttelton this morning by the Port Alma. Ills three most important engagements were at the centenary of the British Association and the Faraday and Clerk Maxwell centenaries.

“ The most interesting point was the tremendous development in recent years in physics, astronomy and cosmology,” he stated to-day. “ All the famous men who have written on these subjects were present at the conferences, all of which were held under the auspices of the British association. The meetings, held more for general discussion and the information of the public rather than the actual study of the subjects, were attended by about 5000 on the average, representing practically every country in the world. “The conferences lasted a fortnight and were the most interesting scientific events in which I have ever participated. Jeans and Eddington, the famous physicists, gave their views on cosmology, together with Bishop Barnes. The celebrations concluded at Edinburgh with the Clerk Maxwell centenary'. Clerk Maxwell was the first professor at the Cavendish Laboratory, Lord Rutherford, whom I met several times, being a successor of his.”

Dr Somerville also attended many other scientific gatherings, among them the Royal Astronomical Society and the London Mathematical Society. While in London he was the guest of Dr Comrie, the Superintendent of the Nautical Almanac, who is a New Zealander. He has already sent his report to the New Zealand Institute.