SCIENCE IN THE PROGRAMMES

New Zealand Listener, Volume 16, Issue 412, 16 May 1947, Page 7

SCIENCE IN THE PROGRAMMES

Important BBC Series Coming

ETHER with the arts, science has always figured . largely in winter course and other talks from the main National stations. Auckland opened its 1947 season with a group called Four Aspects ot the Film, which could be classed under the heading of social science. and these are to be followed by talks on soil erosion as it affects botany, efforestation, the soil itself, and the engineering problems which arise from erosion. ‘Station 2YA started its winter syllabus with discussions by members of the Wellington branch of the New Zealand Libraries’ Association; but later there will be a series of talks on engineering, showing the, place occupied by the engineer in society. Dunedin started its series with Recent Scientific Developments, dealing ‘ with minerals, preventive medicine, fibres, rubbers and plastics, and the processing and storage of foodstuffs. In the second course philosophy will replace science, and in the third, those everuseful topics of conversation, Climate and The Weather, will be discussed scientifically. In additfon to all these, applied science will be found in the A.C.E, talks on diets and general health.

Later in this year the main National stations will present Science Survey, a BBC feature edited by E. N. da C. Andrade, Professor of Physics in the University of London, containing talks by leading men of science about their work, or about topics they fee! will interest listeners. During the war cientists emerged from the "backroom," and they continue to play, a prominent part in post-war plans and enterprises. This series of half-hour programmes has been planned to meet the public’s desire to be brought into direct and personal touch, with leading scientists. Atomic Energy Series : The BBC some time ago committed itself to another bold enterprise-a series of talks on the highest possible level of knowledge and authority, devoted to the subject of atomic energy. The BBC decided not to give merely a dramatic story about atomic bombing, but to offer frank talks by leading authorities in Britain on the = facts, theories ‘and problems of atomic energy. They make up an all-star team, and if they cannot teach us something about atomic energy, then nobody can. The general title of the series, which will be heard from NZBS stations later this year, is Atomié Energy: the Present

and the Future, and here are the subtitles and the names of the ‘speakers: "Discovery and Development" (Professor J. D. Cockroft and Professor M. Li E. Oliphant); "Military Performance" (Group Captain C. L. Cheshire,’ Dr. J. Bronowski and Sir George Thomson); "Strategic Significance" (Professor Cyril Falls); "Peaceful Uses" (Professor P. M. S. Blackett and Sir Henry Dale); "International Control" (Sir George Thomson); "The Outlook for Mankind" (Bertrand Russell), and "Our National Interest" ASir John Anderson). These are talks of which-J. B. Priestley has said: "There is not a man or woman in this country (Britain) who is in a position to declare with truth: ‘These talks on atomic energy are of no importance to me.’ It does not matter a rap what your work or your. interest or your hobbies or outlook may be, whether you are looking for sheep in the Grampians, rehearsing Dvyorak’s ‘cello concerto in Kensington, getting your trousseau together in Truro, making notes for a sermon in East Anglia, running a golf club in West Kent, or a repertory theatre in Lancashire,’ you cannot by any amount of wriggling, squirming or running, put yourself outside the sphere of these talks."