Science to The Aid of Civilisation

Radio Record, Volume VI, Issue 7, 26 August 1932, Page 3

Science to The Aid of

Civilisation

A talk broadcast from 3YA

By Dr.

H. G.

DENHAM

ANY thousands of years ago maf

existed on this planet as a creature practically indistinguishable from the man of to-day. There is indisputable evidence that modern man is in no way the intellectual superior of his remote predecessor. ‘Thousands of years since, languages were invented which were probably more expressive than any modern tongue. Thus the literature of the Greeks and the Romans depicts human emotions and feelings with an accuracy and a delicacy unrivalled at the present day. And so it is with many other branches of learning and of craftsmanship. ,For’ example, who can compare modern art with those gems of beauty handéd down to us by our ancestors? Can the modern sculptor rival in conception and design his remote ancestor? In only one branch of learning do we find a spectacular development in recent times, and that is in the study of science ‘in its various ramifications. Not that science is a modern discovery-for a knowledge of science dates back to the ancient Greeks and Persians-but it: is only in recent times that intensive experimental work has succeeded in opening up ‘new fields of thought hitherto undreamt of by our predecessors.

Until the invention of the steam engine atid of the internal combustion engine the speed of travel was practically

the same as in the early days of antiquity-the speed ol a beast of burden or of a wind-driven boat. To-day the locomotive, the steamship, the motor-car, the aeroplane have completely revolutionised all methods of transport,

enabling us to arrive at our objective in minutes instead of hours or days.

In prehistoric times the speed of messages was limited by the speed of a horseman. To-day

the electric telegraph and the wireless have an~ nihilated space to such an extent that it 1s possible for a listener in New Zealand to hear a speech delivered in London before those seated at the back of the hall itself. So slowly does sound travel in air compared with the infinite speedy of electricity that some of us recently heard*the referee’s whistle controlling the Test game in Sydney before the spectators in the distant parts of the Oval. The time is not far distant when we shall be able to see in our own homes events happening in the most distant parts of the earth, just as we are now able to hand down to posterity almost living records of

everyday events through the developments of modern photograph and filmcraft. f : ‘ The world of science is a very complex structure, each science dove-tailing the one into the other, each ever ready to lend a helping hand to a sister-science in difficulty. In a few short minutes .one .cannot..explore .such .a -world very.

thoroughly, but we can at least watidet along some of science’s pleasant little byways and villages. For a moment let us halt at the village marked "Methods. of Measurement." Here indeed the study of physics reigns supreme. In every branch of experimental work the investigator looks to the physicist to provide delicate instruments for the measurement and control of temperature, electricity, etc., and nobly has he responded to the call. The extraordinary sensitiveness. of modern methods may be best illustrated by a few simple examples. Thus, if onesixtieth of an ounce of radium be equally divided among every living person, modern electrical methods would enable us to detect whether any particular person had his share upon him, even if he had swallowed it! ae Methods of precision have enabled the scientist to determine with uncanny accuracy the infinite number of particles, or molecules as we call them, present in any given space. Thus, if a tumberfuil of water is poured into the sea, and in the course of time this becomes uniformly distributed throughout every river, lake, sea and ocean, and if a tumberful of water is then dipped out from any such lake or sea, science has taught us that it will be found to contain no fewer than 1000 of the molecules or particles originally present in the tumbler. One more example. If an ordinary

electric light bulb be taken and a tiny hole be made in the side just large enough to let through a million such molecules of air per second, it will take a million years hefore the hiulh is filled with air at atmospheric pressure.

These examples show us the wonderful accuracy with which measurements may now be made, if the

need be there for any purpose whether of science or of industry which after all is only applied science. ,

ND yet, if one examines the scroll of science, one

finds that it is but rarely that the physicist has made an outstanding contribution to the wellbeing of the civilised world. His discovery is generally adapted to the needs of the community by the chemist, the engineer, the industrialist, before its real value becomes apparent. But do not misunderstand me on this point. The physicist is a necessary cog in the wheels of science without whom the scientific machine would soon break down; he forges-the weapon of offence, and there oftentimes his

work ceases. The chemist relies on all sides upon his brother-physicist, much as a doctor relies upon his stethoscope or his hypodermic syringe, useless little things in themselves, but of supreme value in proper hands. With the weapons provided him by the physicist, the chemist and his industrial colleagues proceed to (Continued. on . page 24.)

Science to the Aid of Civilisation .

(Continued from page 3.).

thrash reluctant industry into a state of greater vitality and productivity, ‘The next village:on our journey is marked "Biological Discoveries," a village which has increased, greatly since the beginning of the century. . Here one sees at work those engaged in ‘the study of life in all its many phases. One of the: most modern buildings in ‘this village is labelled "Biological Control of Disease and of Plant Life." Here methods are evolved for. curbing the activities of plant and animal diseases by the discovery of parasites, ‘which prey upon and thus keep in eheck such diseases and pests as rey. pear, woolly aphis, blowflies, ete, Wo more spectacular achievement in this direction has ever been seen than the checking of the prickly pear in Australia by means of the cochineal, red spider and. other insects, In 1920 a part-of Australia greater in area than the whole of: Great Britain was covered with dense’ impenetrable jungle of prickly © pear, and the pest was increasing at the rate of a million acres per year. Scientists searched throughout the world wherever the prickly pear existed to find out what insects were holding the pear in check. Specimens of these insects were then taken to Australia, and after careful testing.on other plants to make sure they were not likely to attack other vegetation they were set free. The results. have already exceeded the most sanguine expectations, and prickly pear Jand in Australia is once again being brought into cultivation. Similar méthods have been successfully used by the Cawthron Institute, Nelson, to eradicate that orchard pest, woolly aphis, while an‘ attack on similar lines is bejng made upon gorse, ragwort, bidipidi, blowfly and: blackberry. Medico-Biological Research, ‘VILLAGE in our scientific world closely connected with the village of Biology is that labelled "Medicobiological Research." Here it is that such diseases as'yellow fever have been investigated, where Ross was able to trace the infection to the bite of a particular kind of mosquito, so that the problem resolved itself into "no mosquito, no fever." Here, -too, those notable advances in the study of bacteria which have been of such importance to mankind have been made,

The first house to be built in this village bears the name of Pasteur, honoured throughout the ages. -His scientific investigations on yeast, prompted by a brewing difficulty, led him to the discovery of the causes leading to fermentation; the existence and behaviour of bacteria, to the pasteurisation process, to the cure of anthrax and hydrophobia. By his discoveries he has transformed not only the brewing, yeast, dairy and cheese industries, but has led to the rise of many similar processes which have made possible the production of lacquer solvents, used now in such enormous quantities for the motor-car. In fact, we may truthfully say, "No Pasteur, no duco finish to the family car." Another branch of work deals with plant-breeding. Here, for example, a cross between a high yielding Wnglish wheat and the frost-resisting wheat of S. Sweden has been made, leading to a new race of wheat which has increased the wheat production of Sweden by 50 per cent. without another, new acre being sown. Similar work on these lines has for some time been going on at Lincoln College in the endeavour to combine the high. yield and wind-resisting qualities of our local Tuscan wheat with the exceptional baking qualities of Canadian wheat, so also to obtain improved varieties of clover, cocksfoot and ryegrass. Plant-breeders have also managed to breed a type of tobacco plant which is, free of nicotine, but which retains those desirable flavours and aromas so dear to the heart, or rather the palate, of the smoker. Again, the lupin hag certain possibilities as a fodder plant on light sandy soils, but the presence of bitter poisonous substances in stalk and leaves has limited its use to greenmanuring, but the recent isolation of a few non-poisonous plants has opened up new possibilities. A few such plants have been isolated from over a million and a half plants tested, and these have bred true, giving non-poisonous progeny. It is expected that in a very few years large -crops of edible lupin will be grown on light sandy soils, making &@ most valuable green fodder. Chemical Discoveries. QUE journey now brings us to a rather large village almost worthy of the name of city, labelled "Chemical Discoveries." One of the most notable contributions in this respect deals with the modern exploitation of the tree, both in its growing state and in its fossilised form, known as coal. Trees are now.fashioned by the hand of the chemist, and there emerges artificial silk, dyed in every imaginable shade of colour by the aid of coal-tar dyes. So great has this industry become, that ‘in one year Hngland alone produced over 400,000,000lb weight of artificial silk. most of which found its way into ladies’ dresses, And so the sons of Adam have returned to.the forest for the adornment of their women-folk, the

fig-leaf finding. its modern counterpart in the spruce tree. 2 Most of the dazzling colours -which appeal so strongly to the feminine eye are made from materials extracted from ordinary tar, whilst other.. substances obtained from-tar, such as carbolic acid, are convérted into sheepdips, disinfectants, resins, and hard waxes, such as bakelite. "What the chemist. will d6°in afew years’ time

cannot be foretold, but new fabrics will assuredly come. Synthetic wool and clothing made from it have already been reported, enough to make the woolliest of sheep tremble for the fate of its offspring. Fossilised wood or coal is also receiving a good deal of attention from a devoted band of chemists. The growing use of powered coal, especially when mixed with oil, offers great possibilities for a more economical conversion of coal into steam power, but a more significant development is in the production of petrol from coal. A commercial process has been working for. about twenty years which enables the rather rancid fish and whale oils to be changed into solid elible fats suitable for making margarine. This is done by blowing the gas hydrogen through the fish-oil in the presence of finely-divided ‘nickel. The same process is made use of in soap manufacturing, so that comparatively worthless vegetable and fish oils after such treatment are now used in the manufacture of high-quality soaps. Recent work has shown that coal, when treated with hydrogen under pressure in the presence of certain accelerators is largely changed into petrol. Most of this work in England has been done at the huge I.0.I, factory near Newcastle, and so great has been the success attending: the- efforts of -these: men

-_ that it is now possible to obtain over 160 gallons of first-grade petrol from a ton of coal (over 60 per cent. conversion by weight) at’a cost of 7d per gallon. ’ Of course this cannot yet compete. with the natural petrol, which can be Janded in England at about 4d ‘per gallon, but a few more improvemerits in: the process will see synthetic petrol ‘on the Hnglish market produced’ on terms strictly competitive with the: natural product. ' . Such an event is, of course, highly desirable, as.it would put the British coal industry once again on its feet, enabling it to’ enter once again into competition with oil fuel. One other huge chemical industry deserves mention-the manufacture of fertiliser from the air. It is now many years since we were told that: the day was fast coming when.the arable lands of the world would fail to produée sufficient food for the teeming population of the earth. Although many may not now be receiving their full quota of food; this "is due to the temporary failure of the world’s methods of distribution rather than of production, and there seems no doubt that the ‘critical period of world starvation has been passed, The production of stich ‘fertilisers as:ammonium sulphate’ in, hundreds of thousands of tons fron the air by the aid of electricity at a ‘relatively small cost has laid to rest, probably for. all time, the bogey of worldstarvation. . Scientific and mechanical inventions and discoveries have often. brought ‘in their wake grave dislocation of labour, but science can scarcely be blamed. for that. The statesman and the politician should be able to follow the trend of world affairs and apply. the necessary utilised in the fullest degree for the benefit of mankind. After all an invention is what we make. of it.The scientist has given us the: wireless, but it would be palpably unjust ‘to saddle him with the ‘blame for all the stuff sent over it. . For more than a century chlorine served a useful purpose as a disinfectant anda bleaching agent before its diabolical use-as & poison: gas in the Great War! ©: Finally, let me conclude With a- few. words left us by that great scientific benefactor, Pasteur: "Two opposing laws seem to me now in conflict. The one, a law of blood and death, opening out each day new methods of destruction, forces nations. to be always ready for the battle; the other, a law of peace, work and health, whose’ only aim is to deliver man from the calamities which beset him. The one seeks violent conquests, the other the relief of mankind; The one places a’ single life above all victories, the other sacrifices hundreds of thousands of lives for the ambition of a single individual. Which of these two laws will prevail God only knows. But of this we wmay be sure, that Science, in obeying; fhe law of humanity, will always labort to enlarge the frontiers of life. I believe that Science and peace must triumph over ignorance and war, that nations will unite not to destroy but to instruct one another, and that the future will belong to those who have done most for suffering mankind."