SCIENCE AND THE PUBLIC

Hokitika Guardian, 23 January 1929, Page 7

SCIENCE AND THE PUBLIC

NEED 10 K IN DU STB lAL .SUPPORT.

PROFICSS()■«. PER.CT VA.IVS VI KWS,

CHRISTCHURCH, Jan. 21

Professor F. Percival, who succeeds i’mfi'ssor dins. Chilton in the Chair of I’ioiogy ill Canterbury College, arrived in Christchurch yesterday morning. During the day he was interviewed hv a representative oif the “Press.” The Professor is a young man almost boyishly youthful and athlolie in appearance. The interview leit no doubt of his keenness and enthusiasm lor his work—a man full oil’ iaith in the value of science to civilisation and ol devotion to the pursuit ol knowledge.

Professor Perciva! explained that he was primarily a zoologist, hut had also been trained as an agriculturist. In his work so far ho had heen specially concerned with the biology of running water and of streams frequented by trout. His work had been mainly an examination of tile food ol trout and the basis of the food material of these organisms. lie was Imping to carry out research in the same field of science in New Zealand. He explained that his work would differ from that of the agricultural colleges in that it lay primarily in the region of pure biology. The agricultural biologist was concerned with a technical branch of science—it was really only a side-line.

So far ns previous knowledge of New Zealand conditions was concerned. Professor Percival said that ol course he knew the iundamentals ol New Zealand fauna, but lie bad yet to make a detailed study. Tie hoped while he was in New Zealand to make an examination of forms cut life in running water ruul oi various groups of insects. There was much to he done. In a new country the number of workers was always small, and the area large in contrast to, say, •bugland or Germany, where biological studies had existed for centuries, and where it was very difficult in some groups to find new species. New Zealand should give him a great opportunity.

TENDENCIES IN BIOLOGY

The main development in biology at present, said Professor Percival, was a development in the direction of physiology and the study of function. Up till recently the main study had been that »f form. The Darwinian theory of evolution had stimulated search for differences of organisms; it had led to a keen search for new forms. Then a small group of vOlivers began to consider more carefully the tremendous group of investigations dealing with various processes in plants and animals. Professor Percival said that he had studied at Leeds under Professor W. Garstang, ALA., D.Sc., an authority on fish problems of British waters, and under Professor It. Seaton, B.Sc., one of the leading agriculturists •ol Leeds. Professor Percival lectured at Leeds for almost ten years in zoology, beginning in 1919

THE FUNCTION OF SCIENCE. During the time lie was at Leeds there had been a continuous increase in the number of students taking zoology and botany, partly because it was getting more and more recognised that these subjects wore playing a greater part in what he called the civilising process. By this lie indicated not only their significance from the point of view of dealing with disease, but their significance to philosophy and thought generally. Afore and more it was being realised by modern industrialists as well ns scientists, that science was essential for the development of industry, and that as ft P|*«hale to a technical training a teaming in pure science was the host tiling possible. “Briefly, it pays.” said the Professor, tersely. “The development of modern industry depends on Die development of pure science—m <'fleet, science just works for a salary, which is paid'by the people.” A purely scientific worker might be following a line with no economic value, but one could not say that it would never have an economic value. ] n Britain and U.S.A. tins was re cognised, and considerable contriliutimis were made by far-seeing business men for the development of research i„ n„varsities and independent institutions. An essential part of the development of scientific work was to lie found in well-equipped libraries.

IN NEW ZEALAND. There were several economic aspects of biology to he seen ill New Zealand. One was the study of harmful fungi and insects. U was necessary ilor the further successful prosecution of these studies that support be given by the public. The University of Leeds was at present in the process of collecting half a million*pounds for extensions. A far-seeing boiiol actor had given £IOO.OOO for the rebuilding and further extension of the library. Big industrial concerns had made iniportan l contributions to the development, of various technical branches. We knew, he said, that New Zealand had a small population, hut its dovelnomcnt Inn been largely assisted by discoverin'iuad<‘ by scientific workers and its fur flier advance was hound to he based on similar developments, so that if wn necessary for the public to keep an eye on these institutions, ami to see Dial they did not perish. It was very mmon fo have the question put : \\hni was the value of pure science? “It can only bo said,” insisted the Proles-

sor, “that without the activities of the scientists in the last hundred years the civilised world would not be anything like what it is to-day. ' can only repeat what has been said hundreds of times: Just take the case of preventive medicine—the general improvement in public health has been due to the efforts of scientific workers, and that can lie said of a good many oilier aspects of life,” he added. MONEY NEEDED. The conduct of the war with all its frightfhlncss was due to the harnessing of the scientific forces; and the conduct of peace, he added, would he advanced by i.lio extension of seientifb effort. Civilisation was based on scientific development, but it was necessary to get money to equip laboratories and buy apparatus. People should know timt science paid finally in hard cashHi is has got to lie driven home. Tim public did not realise what it owed to Faraday, for instance, in the inven|ion of the dynamo, which was, in tlm first place, a pure experiment. It was absolutely essential that all capable brains should he trained, and thi' universities were* the final trainin' 1 grounds for the best brains. Many millions of pounds had been tied down by men like Carnegie and Rockfeller for the development of science. The Professor said that he had landed in Wellington on Thursday morning. and had hardly had much time to form many impressions oj New Zealand. The country looked attractive, he thought. Its reputation as a country was very high in England; it 1people had always been spoken well 01. and up to the present he could only endorse what had been said of it.