Welsh Journals

Schools and Colleges throughout the country. That, however, is not the kind of provision I have in mind, and I am quite sure it does not meet the particular need I visualize. The cour- ses of study at the evening Technical Colleges are, of course, required, and they are of great importance to the nation, but they are, to a large degree vocational, and, therefore, somewhat rigid, long, and tedious. They are not designed for the purpose of stimulating philosophical thought, or arousing and satisfying the spirit of wonder which lies within us all. In consequence of this, the majority of working-men find them too great a strain on their time, as well as on their energy (after their day's work is finished), even if they can overcome their natural dislike to attend classes that are primarily designed and intended for much younger people. Many work- men would be glad to learn something about the various aspects of science, if they were presented in the right way. It is amazing to think of the general disregard of the wondrous beauties of nature, and of our willingness to remain ignor- ant of the meaning of the many mysterious changes which are always happening before our eyes. We are so familiar with the outward signs of many of them that few of us stop to enquire what is at the back of them all, or how and why they are produced. Little dreaming that, if we did, and our curiosity were satisfied, we would find a much greater capacity for the real enjoy- ments of life which are so much simpler than those many of us now strive for. It is, I think, almost criminal to allow this apathy towards, and ignorance of, our surroundings to grow, and exclude so many from participating in the great joy which is brought about by developing scien- tific imagination. A general knowledge of some of the wonders of science cannot heln but create in the minds of all a much greater and a more reverent interest in life, and faith in a power which is above all material things. It would, further, bring about a greater appreciation of the services which science can still render mankind, and thus tend to increase the rate of human progress. Future progress will be governed to a very great extent by the faith the general pub- lic, as distinct from a small section of it, has in scientific work. I do not wish to stress the material advantages that would accrue as a result of the inclusion of science in a scheme of Adult Education, but rather to emphasize its educational value. No system of education can afford to neglect science -to do so is to be ignorant of its influence, to overlook the lessons it can teach. indeed to pin one's faith in the past and distrust the future. Take, for example, the universe and its many wonders. How many think about these, lea<=t [Contributions in prose or poetry are invited from readers. These should be addressed to the Editor, WELSH OUTLOOK, Newtown, and in every instance accompanied by a stamped addressed envelope]. of all know anything concerning them? Then again, how many realise that something of the same kind of wonderful systems as are in the heavens are reproduced on an ultra-microscopic scale in the atoms of the various elements we handle every day; that the very properties of these elements are determined by the inner structure of their atoms or the number of satellites they have around their nuclei or centres, and that all the elements we know can be arranged in a series of family groups, much in the same way as a genealogical tree. Thus serving to show that evolutionary forces have been at work even in the world of inanimate things. Again, how many think of what is really happening when we cause an electric current to flow through metallic wires as we ring an elec- tric bell? Do we realise that the facility with which the current passes is a function of the inner structure of the atoms of the metal in question, and that these relationships can be shown to vary in accordance with the position of the metal in the family groups of the elements? All these questions, and many other branches of the physical sciences can be presented in such a way as to create an absorbing interest in the mind of the average man. If such subjects as those which have been mentioned above can be made attractive, it goes without saying that many aspects of chemistry, geology, and biology can be treated in the same way. One of the easiest and, in many respects, most satisfactory means of approaching subjects of this kind is by reference to, and study of, the lives of some of the men who have made such remarkable contributions to scientific progress during the last century or so. In this way, the student can be led to appreciate the nobility of character many of them possessed, and the un- grudging sacrifices they often made in their efforts to increase the stock of knowledge. If properly presented, the lives and work of such men as Davey, Faraday, Kelvin, Pasteur, and Lister, to mention only a few, can be used for the purpose of making almost anyone realise something of the hopes and disappointments, as well as the joys they experienced in the dis- coveries they made. We can, in this way, be brought more thoroughly to understand the marked influence many of these advances have had upon our lives in decreasing the suffering and increasing the material comforts and pleasures of mankind. The effect of this should be to increase our sense of gratitude to those who have lived before us, and to stimulate a keen desire to make some contribution ourselves to the general up-lifting of our fellow men.