Bryn Mawr College - Bryn Mawr Yearbook (Bryn Mawr, PA)

Page 21 text:

Light. This includes the glass and pins experiment, etc. Electricity. This subject is always introduced with the iron filings experiments, but proceeds rapidly to such interesting and useful fields as electric circuits. All of us, as we enter a room at night, press the switch to turn on the electric light bulb. If we analyze exactly what happens (and as Children of a Scientific Age, see paragraph 2, it is inevitable that we should), we find it easy to account fot this remarkable phe- nomenon. A spark jumps and sets the ujires burning. Streams of positive and negative electrons meet. The current breaker is lifted from the uiircs. 5. Chemistry. When we wish information about any specimen ot kind of mat- ter, we consult a chemist. Now chemists have worked out a point of view which en- ables them to attack any problem connected with matter in a systematic manner, and to state the results in a clear and simple way. To learn something of chemistry we must acquire this point of view and mastet the technical language the chemist uses in stating and discussing his results. If a liter of heavy watet wete submitted to anyone pos- sessed of the spirit of the chemist (similar to the spirit of the physicist, and both included under the mote comprehensive term of the scientific spirit, see patagraph 2), an examination would be conducted, and an analysis given, somewhat as follows: HEAVY WATER IS: 1. Poison. 2. Ice. 3. Nitric Acid. 4. Mercury. 5. Water containing chemicals. 6. Distilled water. 7. Water with a concentrated specific gravity. 8. Wa ' er with the oxygen removed. 9- Water with unusual bacterial content. It has been seen best to treat this subject diagraniatically. ' Smith ' s College Chemistry, p. 3. 15

Page 20 text:

the question Why? A consideration of these differences does not concern us here. classification 3. Fields of Scientific Inquiry. Science may be roughly divided into four large fields: Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Geology. We cannot in- clude Astronomy and other sciences in our present discussion, as only the above mentioned four are included under Dalton roof. 4. Physics. Physics has been defined as essentially a system of explanations. The truth of this definition will become increasingly clear as the paragraph advances. The spirit of the physicist is part of the great scientific spirit already referred to in para- graph 2, and is marked by a facility on the part of the physicist in explaining why experiments do not work out in the class room in quite the same way as predicted in the book. The classic example of these class room difficulties is seen in connection with the electric circuit (when all the wires are attached, and still no current seems to flow). It takes all the spirit the physicist has to explain this. Another case where professorial explanation is essential, is where the text book states that so and so will happen if a rod is rubbed with cat ' s fur, and where in the class room, so and so does happen when the rod is rubbed with what is obviously a piece of red flannel. All the ingenuity of the physicist is required to explain this crude substitution. divisions It is obviously quite impossible to consider all the phenomena of nature of physics without attempting a classification of some sort. In fact the chief charac- teristic of the scientific spirit (see paragraph 2), is to classify and reclassify, thus narrowing the field of inquiry from a topic such as The Universe; Its Laws and Nature, down to a topic such as: when you light a gas jet, why is it that the gas in the mains and tank does not take fire? A discussion of these two topics has no place among our present considerations; suffice it to say that the reason the gas in the mains and tank does not take fire is simply because the gas is being pushed out in very small quantities. We will now briefly go into the traditional divisions of physics. Mechanics. This field includes such problems as the man carrying the pails, the elephant getting on the raft, etc. Heat. Under this heading may be included such questions as the amount of hot water necessary to melt a certain amount of snow, the calorimeter, etc. Sound. This topic involves a detailed consideration of the tuning fork, the sound of tolling bells travelling under water, etc. The sluchnt in metaphysics is referred to our volume on Philosophy Proper, and is cautioned against Why Not Try God? AI1 those interested in Astronomy are referred to our volume on Astronomy Proper and cautioned against Stars Fell on Alabama. A First Course in Physics for Colleges, by Milliken, Gale and Edwards, p. 3. The thoughtful student, and in particular the candidate for the Ph.D. degree, will do well to acquire this habit of narrowing the field of scientific inquiry, as soon as possible. 14

Page 22 text:

10. It is a type of water which has recently been shown to travel, and to be absorbed more slowly through the kidneys than regular water. Apparently it is not harmful to the system. 11. A scientist drank some of it and it did not kill him. 12. The molecules are arranged differently in the H. 13. Sulphuric acid. 14. Theoretically it kills you if you drink it, but apparently it doesn ' t. This is a thoughtful analysis of all the possibilities. 6. Geology and Biology. These two sciences, as the most popular of the required sciences, will not be considered in as much detail as chemistry or physics, in that not as many explanatory remarks are necessary in order to familiarize the student with these fields of scientific thought. The only biological topic around which there can be any doubt is the question of chromosomes, as popular science has invaded this field, and circulated a good deal of misleading data. We can dismiss the entire question by stating that chromosomes are low forms of animal life. hills Geology, briefly, is the study of maps and fossils. A further definition need valleys not concern us here. In our limited space we will have to content ourselves with the simple and obvious statement that there are hills and valleys so that the rainfall may be carried to the sea (the rivers in turn forming new valleys by the strength of their currents.) If this is once clearly understood, the entire map burden will be immeasurably lightened. conclusion In this simple text we have attempted to show that science (proper) is characterized by the scientific spirit (see paragraph 2 ) , which means nothing more than looking about and asking Why? We have then briefly at- tempted to outline the great fields of scientific inquiry, and to state a few of the out- standing facts under each of these fields. We direct the attention of the student to the plate at the end of this chapter; it is a fitting conclusion to this work, as it shows what The scientist referred to is under no circumstances to be confused with Maxwell ' s Demon. See The Great Book of the Law of Nature. 16