Bromfield High School - Beacon Yearbook (Harvard, MA)

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Zunromfzzeia Be aiconm SCIENCE IN OUR DAILY LIVING Think of how life would be if there were no such thing as science. Webster says that science is the accumulation and accepted knowledge systematized and formulated with reference to the discovery of general truths or the operation of general laws . The scientist, by using these laws as the basis of his experiments discovers many new and useful items, which are later applied to our daily living in fields of agriculture, industry, medi- cine and our ordinary home life. Many people will disagree when they are told that science contributes more to our every day being than any other thing, but I say that they are wrong. Scientific experimentation in the fields of agriculture is carried on to produce better and fuller fruits and vegetables, better fertilizers, and better insecticides to rid the growing plants and trees of harmful pests. Scientists are continually working and testing to find new and better methods of preservation. In former times all meats and fish were dried or smoked, and fruits and vegetables had to be home canned. Today, foods of all kinds are frozen or vacuum-packed by sanitary, scientific methods, and are trans- ported to the markets by trucks, boats, and planes, all of which result directly from scientific facts and experiments. In industry there is always a quest for new metals or alloys with which to construct new tools and machines or to improve the old ones. The search for these new metals and alloys is carried on in metallurgical laboratories with the aid of scientific data of all types, varying from periodic tables to notes on stress and strain and the reactions of the metals to the weather and extreme temperatures. The machines built with these metals and alloys preserve our food, construct the tractors and tools with which we grow this food, and construct the automobiles we use every day, they even aid in constructing articles from or with which we derive some of our en- tertainment and recreation. Radios, movie projectors and cameras, and television sets, which are constructed by these machines, in themselves are the applications of over a thousand different laws of science. In the field of medicine, many of the new treatments such as the radio- logical treatments and the X-ray treatments for cancer are direct results of experiments in the fields of physics and biology which are component parts of science in themselves. If experiments had not been carried on in these fields of science, we would have a terrifyingly high death rate because of tuberculosis, small pox, typhoid fever, diphtheria, and other diseases which were fatal not so many years ago. Through scientific research it was dis- covered which chemical compounds were the best to meet and combat various affiictions. We have also discovered processes by which to synthe- size adrenalin for chronic ailments, insulin for diabetes, penicillin, strepto- mycine, and auriomycine for pneumonia, and the anti-histamine for hay fever and the common cold. In recent weeks there have been a few out- standing accomplishments: the mechanical heart which by-passes the fiow of blood around the heart instead of through it while doctors are perform- ing delicate operations upon this organ, a new two-way plastic valve to re- place the heart valves damaged by rheumatic fever, and the mechanical kidney to purify the blood while the natural kidney is being operated on. Page Twenty-six

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E UBrom9iel.d. Beaico1-.UZ leadership in the execution of its plans - the provision of safe, efficient, attractive and economical shelter for the innumerable activities of our modern civilization. In the field of architecture, there are three basic lines which a student may follow: General Design, Structural Design, and Building Construction. These three fields differ greatly in many respects. The work which you will do in later life depends upon which one of these lines you advance in. The first field - and probably the most general and wide spread - is the course in General Design. This field covers everything from automotive design to homes and advertisements. In the field of General Design there are a great many lucrative jobs and positions in which there are great chances for advancement. The next line, which is probably the most interesting to the engineer, is the Structural Design which entails a great deal of engineering ability. Structural Design is a more technical side of the architectural field, dealing mostly with detailed plans of large buildings and bridges. This phase considers many of the engineering problems such as weights of material, support, and strength of materials to be used. Building Construction, the last of our three phases, is the part of architecture which we as laymen see as we go along our highways. Build- ing Construction pertains to the actual construction of the structures which the General Designers and Structural Designers have planned. The work of an architect is so varied and interesting that it becomes fascinating. The wide scope of the architect arouses a great interest which drives him forward with speed and determination. ln his work the archi- tect meets all types of people from the millionaire to the common laborer. Because of the many phases in architecture, there are great opportunities for self-expression. This profession, like every other profession, has its disadvantages in that the architect must have close co-operation from the owner, contractor, and worker to do a good complete job. The long expensive years of study and practice are also a great hindrance to the young architect. Another great disadvantage is the necessity of establishing his own practice, for the young architect must have large capital and the social connections neces- sary for securing clients. The architect of today is a very important man in our society. He is one of the keys to our comfort and convenience in the future. He is the planner, designer, and builder of the homes of the present and future. The architect has a great many more materials to use, and he is more skilled in all the methods of building, from the Roman and Greek to the modern. than was his predecessor. Thus with all the knowledge and learning which has been gathered since ancient times, the architect has become a prominent figure in our lives today. Philip E. Messersmith Page Twenty-five

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E HEY-com? i el.cl B eaicoin In our ordinary home life, the accomplishments of science are constant- ly and steadily appearing, the linoleum on the floors, the paint on the house and furnishings 5 the electric stoves, timers and toastersg the pressure cookers, and the fuel we use to heat our homes. All of these things are direct results of science. You can see therefore that no matter which way we turn, we constantly are faced by science and its accomplishments. John E. Murphy WASHINGTON, D. C. After the Revolutionary War, the United States was becoming a vital part of the world. It was growing quickly, but we had no capitol. The government had been seated temporarily in several cities, so in July, 1790, Congress authorized the appointment of a committee of three to choose a site. Washington himself appointed the men and infiuenced the choice greatly. The location chosen was an area of ten square miles on the Potomac River. The original plan for the city was drawn by Pierre L'Enfant, but it was completed by Andrew Ellicott. The first corner stone was laid by George Washington in 1793. When the original city was completed in 1800, it had only 109 brick houses and 263 frame houses. Washington was cheated of the satisfaction of seeing the government established in this new location, for death claimed him in 1799. TheCongress moved in the summer of 1800. When the government was transferred, the area was a wilderness. There was only one hotel, and -only muddy roads and footpaths. The President's house was placed in an open field. There was no business or society. After eight years of occupying the city, there was talk of return- ing the government to Philadelphia. Gouveneur Morris once Wrote, We need nothing here, but h-ouses, men, women, and other little trifies of the kind to make a city perfect. As the country grew, so did the capitol. In time, it was necessary to start thinking about how to govern the city. Finally, a mayor was appointed by the President, and a council was elected by the people. Today Washington is under the jurisdiction of the Congress. There are no rep- resentatives in Congress for Washington, therefore, the residents have no self government. This is taxation without representation. In 1814 the British burned all the buildings in Washington with the exception of the Post Ofiice and the Patent Office Building. While the city was being rebuilt, L'Enfant's original plan which had been missing over a period of years was found. This was the plan used in constructing the city as it is today. Streets, duly numbered and lettered, mark off rectangular blocks mak- ing it very easy for a stranger to travel around Washington. Today Washington is the most beautiful capitol in the world. In the spring, its fragrant cherry blossoms draw multitudes of spectators, while throughout the year, its monuments attract many sightseers. Among the Page Twenty-seven