POPULAR SCIENCE.

Southland Times, Issue 18852, 18 June 1920, Page 4

POPULAR SCIENCE.

One of the means by which a university can enlarge the scope of its important work in a community is by interesting itself in the people outside of its walls. The place of a university in any community cannot, if the university is to bo a living force, be confined to the classes that listen to its professors. There .has been ample acknowledgment of this fact in all parts of the world and Otago University has often given proof of its eagerness to take up these great duties. As part of an extension of this work of spreading light amongst those not fortunate enough to be able to take university courses, popular science lectures have been adopted freely, and this year at the request of the Synod of Otago and Southland, which maintains four professors at Otago University, a great deal more is being done than was the case in former years. The synod making an additional payment to the professors it supports has requested that two of them should deliver ten popular lectures ; n the year and so far these public addresses by Professor Jack and Professor Benham have found a public greedy for information. It was to be expected that the greater part of this additional educational work would be done in Dunedin, within the shadow of the university walls, but Southland is a contributor to the funds that the synod operates on and her claims to a share of these lectures is beyond dispute. We understand that it is the Rev. Hector Maclean that we ha'-e to thank for the decision to give Southlandcrs an opportunity of listening to one of these popular science lectures this evening. lie pressed upon the synod the claims of Southland with such success that to-night Dr Jack, Professor of Physics, is to speak on “Atoms and Their Radiations.” At times wc are inclined to think that Otago is a little careless of Southland’s needs and of matters in which she has a right to consideration, but we may take (he presence of Professor Jack in Invercargill as an evidence of the fact that if our people desire to have the opportunity of broadening their minds and extending their vision, the university is prepared to do what it can to meet the demand. We say this because we understand that the lecture to be given to-night by Dr Jack in Invercargill is somewhat of the nature of a test If the attendance at the lecture is large enough to satisfy the synod that there is a genuine desire in this part of (he country

for science served in jtopular form, the programme of these lectures in 1921 will make more generous provision for Southland. It is to be hoped, therefore, that the results of the lecture to-night are sufficiently promising to enable us to obtain a more liberal share of (he advantages that must accrue from the synod’s activities in this matter. These popular science lectures are valuable to a community not merely because of the information that they impart. These lectures serve to bring the public into clo.-er touch with the work of (he university, giving them a better idea of the immense value of (he higher education and in many cases inspire people to look further from themselves for information. These, things alone are sufficient lo make the visit of Dr -Tuck to Invercargill an event of importance and it is to be hoped that Mr Maclean’s advocacy of the province’s claims will be adequately justified by the size of the attendance to-night.