MICHI
(By Paul Watzel)
)ne of the factors that has been
'emost in the building up of our
mense stock of knowledge is the
rit of research, which in its last
alysis is a desire to discover some-
ng unknown, to determine some-
ag fundamental, and to contribute
nething worth while. The spirit of
earch, applying the en rgies of the
man mind to problems of both the
it and the future, has kept educa-
n from growing stagnant and has
de it a living, vital thing.
fodern progress dates from the
le when men discarded the idea of
ucation being a laborious copying
Latin phrases, and began to catch
spirit of the Greeks, that insatiable
ire to know more of the universe
which they dwelt, that desire to
ow the truth whithersoever it miglt
GAN
I
AIDS IN RESEARCH
The National Research Council is a ing are the anthropological expedition
body of men, foremost in their particu- in the Pacific ocean and the deterina-
lar fields, who direct the energies of tion 'of the nutrition value of foods.
research and make it possible for men Both the expedition and the nutrition
doing work to contribute the most problem are being carried on by in-
possible. It was formed during the stitutions connected with the council
war, largely taking over the work of and aided by it. At the present time
the National Academy of Sciences, the University is not carrying on any
which had gradually grown away from work in co-operaion with the council,
the purpose for which it had been but it is in close connection with it
founded. The government desired to and may at any time work with it.
have a body of men who could carry Means of popularizing the work of
on research work for the benefit of the research are furnished by a bureau of
nation toward the termination of the information, operated on a foundation
war. Because of this the council was from a leading manufacturer. Journa-
formed, and it has existed since its lists, versed in the art of telling simply
formation with the sanction of, but the sometimes complicated problems
apart from, the national government, that present themselves to the research
The council, at the present time, worker, write in co-operation with the
Th oucl a hepeen imbres t ep hconr informed
directs the energies of the men who bureautokeeph g country n orhtdi
wish to do research work. It offers upon what is happening and what is
information on the subject in which being done to advance the progress of
the man is interestpd, advises him what knowledge. This pohcy, so diametric-
has been eone in the fa owd in which hh
not by any means be overlooked is that
of industrial research. The demand
for practical research in industrial
problems has resulted in the instal-
lation of laboratories in many of the
large corporationts, and has caused a
large number of leading universities
the country over to turn their attention
to this seemingly more useful phase of
the work. The results attained have
been worth while, and the possibili-
ties for further work are unlimited.
Every phase of industrial work that
offers a problem to industries is a
matter that is worthy of consideration
in the laboratories of the research
bureaus of the universities. This work
is not carried on for the benefit of any
one particular industry, but for the
general public good. For thisreason
publicity is given to the results of the
experiments. The purpose of such
research is primarily educational and
not industrial.
All these things are done so that
progress may continue in its march, so
that we can make the contributions, to
knowledge commensurate with the con-
tributions made before.
And now, with a store of knowledge hopes to work, and restrains him from
many times that which was possessed duplicating the work of others in that
by our ancestors, there is a force that field. The man carries on his work
impells us on to new things, a spirit under the direction of the council, put-
which calls upon us to\I-sake contri- ting his individuality into his labors,
butions. That force, that spirit, makes but avoiding the possibilty of over-lap-
itself felt through research work. ping the" work which some one else is
Research work does not confine it- doing.
self to any one field. It takes interest This means that when a man works
in every phase of knowledge, from the in a particular field, he has the com-
study of law to the study of mechan- plete co-operation of others who might,
ics. It deals with history, biology, and during the course of time, make minor
politics, contributions. But he also knows that
That tie University, realizes the his work, in turn, might .become sub-
worth of research and is turning its ordinated to the work done by another
attention to the work is shown by the and may be considered as but a minor
establishment of t the Bureau of En- contribution to it. From the stand-
gineering Research and by the adop- point of efficiency the method of the
tion by the Board of Regents of a plan council is good.
whereby research work in 'all fields
may be carried on to greater advant- Yet there arises much discussion as
age. The bureau, now operating, is to whether the council works to the
called upon to conduct numerous in- best advantage. Many claim that the
vestigations, the results of which are old plan of research is the lest, and
made public, to the common good and that the individual should carry on
the advancement of knowledge. The what work he desires, in the manner
plan for the amplification of research he desires and not have to depend upon
work in all departents as yet awaits the council. This opposition is not
a method of financing. organized and has no recognized ex-
Of course, at the present time, there ponent. Needless to say, the old meth-
isa great amount of research work od has worked well, and at the present
being done at the University, but pro- time by far the greater number of our
visions have been made for a more ex- discoveries have been made by men
tensive program. The Regents have working in the solitude of their labora-
approved a plan, drawn -up recently, tories, shut out from the outside world
which will grant a professor leave of and not dependent upon the guiding
absence in order that he may do re- power of any organization. .The men
search work. This work wild be done who argue forthe continuation of these
at the University, and the results of methods claim that the individual,
the experiments which are conducted working with the council, loses the
will be made public. The plan provides strict personality and the desire to
for every facility that a man interested delve deeply into his subject for his
in the work would desire, and it is own satisfaction. They argue that the
believed that within a short time suf- individual isasubjugted and thathe
ficieut funds will have been received becomes a part of the" system, rather
to carry out the program., than being an individuality.
During the past few years, in fact Whichever might be correct, it is not
since the war, there has been a tend- difficult to see that the trend of the
ency in thl country to concentrate the whole work of research lies toward
efforts expended in research and to the centralization in the council. Its
direct them in the channels where they influence in the work is becoming
will be the most useful. There has greater and greater as the time passes.
been a unifying of purpose and a di- Work approved by the National Re-
rection of energies, a conscious effort search Council receives an impetus
made to eliminate waste of faculties because of the fact that the council,
and forces, caused by duplication. In a body of men foremost in their fields,
other words, there has been a centrali- /has investigated, found. it worth
nation of the endeavors of those inter- while, and has the facilities to give
ested in research work, so that the it furtherance in any way possible.
best results may be secured. This Without a doubt, the sanction of the
has been accomplished through the council will come to mean more and
National Research Council with head- more as its work is recognized.
quarters at Washington. Rxamples of what the council is do-
some private industries carry on their
work, has done much to cause the pub-
lic to see the advantages of research,
and take an interest in it.
A phase of research work that can-
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