SCIENCE AND THE WAR

Southland Times, Issue 24228, 11 September 1940, Page 6

SCIENCE AND THE WAR

Important Part To Play

INSTRUCTIVE ADDRESS BY DR MARSDEN

“From religion and ideals of government comes man’s purpose; from science his power to achieve it,” declared Dr E. Marsden, C.8.E., F.R.A.S., F.R.S.N.Z., Director of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, in an interesting address on “Science in Relation to War” last evening.

Dr Marsden spoke of the application of all branches of science to industry and the war effort, and claimed that there had been more progress in that direction in the last 25 years than in the previous 300 years. He dealt with some of the important scientific applications of the last war, and by the use of lantern slides illustrated the cause and effect of deadly war weapons. The progress made in the various branches of physical science was outlined by Dr Marsden. He referred to the knowledge of electricity, _to the tremendous energy contained in atoms and the transmutation of metals, and said that the scientific world was on the eve of great possibilities.

SYNTHETIC PRODUCTS In chemical science they had synthetic products of all kinds, rubber, urea, carbohydrates, plastic moulded compounds and so on. The last-named had one of its most useful applications to the war effort in the manufacture of aeroplanes, vzhole bodies of the machines being made of those compounds which gave them strength, lightness and durability. In metallurgy also progress had been made with alloyed steels; then, too, there were the alloys of aluminiums which possessed all the lightness of that metal together with the strength of steel. In the science of biology the rapid advances made lately in the study of genetics and nutrition were also pointed out. Dr Marsden used the lantern to show illustrations of devices used in war and methods employed in counteracting their effects. He produced a magnetic needle and showed the principle by which the magnetic mine was operated. The degaussing apparatus, which had saved many ships from the magnetic mines, was also explained. Dr Marsden spoke about the tank, the dive bomber, of flashes and smokeless propellants in gunfire, of torpedoes and the problems of anti-aircraft units in coping with bombing raids. All those things had scientific principles which were not readily understood by the average individual, and indeed, he added, they were insufficiently taught. SCIENTIFIC METHODS

“If the tremendous drive in our industrial war effort to which we have been called by the Minister of Supply is to reach its full effect it must be based on scientific knowledge and guided by scientific methods at all stages, in the planning of policy, in the development and in the control of processes and products,” said Dr Marsden.

He said he did not wish to infer that science alone would win wars. The war would be won by those qualities of morale in adverse circumstances which had been the characteristic of the British people in the past, whether of the troops in action or of the people in their every-day occupations. But morale was helped enormously by faith in up-to-date equipment, and technical application to war and industry were of the highest importance. “The great Body of scientific opinion has come to realize that the continuance of scientific work and investigation is linked up with the continuance of that form of political order or government which we know broadly as democracy,” he concluded. “Only in the remaining democratic countries is that freedom of thought, of investigation and teaching which is the very life-blood of science safe from violation at the behest of political dogma.” The address was given under the auspices of the Southland branch of the Royal Society of New Zealand. Dr R. Burns Watson thanked Dr Marsden or. behalf of the society for his interesting and instructive address.