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The Scientist
"The nature of scientific activity is such that the participant in it must be endeavoring to change the status quo. Every new bit of data, every new theory or insight, invalidates to some extent what was known or understood before. Authority is transient, laws are mutable, facts are temporary."
"At the same time there is a sceptical resistance to change in that each bit of data that is offered as a new fact, each hpyothesis that is offered as a new theory, must be capable of and will be subjected to objective verification. Other experimenters must be able to reproduce the data. New theories must not only explain known phenomena, they must predict the yet unknown and they must stand or fall on the physical verification of their predictions.
"And to be wrong in retrospect is no disgrace to the scientist. To question the work of a hero of the past is not disrespectful. It is part of the very nature of scientific activity that new tools make possible more precise experiments, more facts make possible more exact or more embracing theories. The series Copernicus, Galileo, Newton, Einstein is not one of increasing genius nor of increasing truth. Each of these men did the utmost with the knowledge of his time. Each, to quote Newton himself, 'stood on the shoulders of giants.'
"All this means that a scientist is striving to bring about change, that a scientist regards rules or laws as subject to questioning and verification, that a scientist considers authority as temporary. As a consequence, a rigid authoritarian structure is incompatible with the nature of science and scientific method.
"Scientists are still people and people are not always logical. Many scientists can block off their scientific behavior from their social behavior. In general, however, the scientist will function best, both as scientist and as citizen, in an environment in which change is considered good and which easily adapts itself to the changes generated within it. . . .
Another factor increases further the potential destructiveness of science. The application of science, in technology, can, if made too rapidly and without plan, destroy the very essence of a cultural structure. The political and social ferment in Africa is at least partly due to the sudden impact of modern techniques of communication, transportation, and medicine on civilizations hardly removed from the Stone Age.
"When you add to all these general characteristics and effects of science the personal qualities that scientists share with creative artists, tendencies to eccentricity, to non-conformity, to skepticism of authority, even, unfortunately to intellectual arrogance and narrow-minded dogmas of their own, one can understand and even sympathize with those who shrink in fear, horror, or even genteel disdain from the persons as well as the work of scientists. . . .
"I hope that our educational processes can also be flexible enough to tolerate the inquisitive, skeptical, often rebellious student. We still know very little of the nature and origin of scientific and creative ability. We do not know whether such ability can be developed but we do know that it can be aborted or stifled. I hope that I can encourage you to look for it in your students. It is not easy to get along with the innovator. I know that from experience. But as a spokesman for industry I can assure you that we want and we need the individualist, the non-conformist, the rebel with a cause. As a citizen I hope that our social pressures and educational methods will continue to pick out such individuals and make it possible for them to preserve by innovation our freedom and our way of life."
(Excerpted from "The Mind of a Scientist," a talk by Harold Gershinowitz at Stanford University.)
Sound and Fury-
They Hate Us
(Editor's Note: This column is open to contributions from readers of the Daily Kansan who wish to express the opinions on questions they are of interest in, important, said opinions being of such importance that they fall or stand on the worthiness of their content. Thus, the contributions may be considered valuable, said opinions All contributors must observe the rules of good taste, and some material may be cut for reasons of space.)
"While I was in Europe I was asked more questions about the Chessman case than about anything else."
These are the words of an American scholar who recently returned to the United States. We have seen similar sentiments daily, and, in fact, the highest stratum of our government heard and heeded such talk by stepping into the Chessman case to prolong that unfortunate young man's living death.
IN SOUTH AMERICA, the campesino curses the United States for its brutality. The sheoless, emaciated Asiatic screams and shakes his fist in front of the American embassy.
All because of a convicted kidnaper.
All because of a convicted kidnaser?
Does the Mexican field worker, the Chinese farmer, the African herder know anything of the Chessman case? Not at all. All he
This tide of imprecations comes from people who know death as a member of the family. The sight and smell of it is always with them. Half their babies die before they have learned to crawl. Women are worn-out at 21, and men break themselves at daily toil for a few pennies.
knows is that it is happening in the United States. What "it" is, he hardly knows.
The imprecations we receive daily are almost all based on hate. These people hate us, hate us bitterly. They will attack us when ever anyone tells them we have done something wrong. They don't care what that "something" may be. It is enough for them to know that the United States is involved.
THE CASE AGAINST capita punishment is strong enough with out relying on these shoutin hordes.
In fact, and here this lecture comes to its end, we deceive ourselves when we listen to the foreigner's criticism of the United States unless we realize its origin.
These are the people who call us unfeeling killers.
Does the hate stem from envy, resentment at our prosperity, effective propaganda from anti-US sources? I have no idea. Perhaps someone else would care to add to this.
Engine School Receives Grant For Expansion
Thursday. April 28,1960 University Daily Kansan
An appropriation of $450,000 by the Kansas Legislature provided the first stepping stone toward the expansion of undergraduate engineering education at KU.
-A.B.C.
Keith Lawton, administrative assistant to the Chancellor, said that the cost of the new engineering building was estimated at $1,900,-000. The $450,000, intended as a partial appropriation, was appropriated by the Kansas Legislature with the implication that the balance would come later.
"Plans for the building have been approved and are now in the working-drawing stage," said Mr. Lawton.
"We expect the plans to be completed by late fall."
When asked what the chances were of having the legislature appropriate the balance of the funds, Mr. Lawton said:
Plans Are Approved
There is no point in forecasting the future. We are hopeful that KU's request for the balance of necessary funds will be granted by the 1961 Legislature.
Mr. Lawton went on to say that the new engineering building is designed to take the pressure off Marvin Hall and to relieve the difficult situation now existing.
Near Allen Field House
The site of the proposed structure, which will cover 91.000 square feet, will be the tract of land bordered by 15th Street and Naismith Road directly opposite the Allen Field House.
The new building will contain one large classroom to accommodate 100 students, a classroom to accommodate 40 students, and three small classrooms.
The new building will house the department of engineering mechanics, aeronautical engineering, civil engineering, and a major part of electrical engineering.
Not Enough Space
D. D. Haines, associate professor of civil engineering, said that he doesn't feel that the proposed building is sufficient.
"There is an insufficient number of classrooms because we didn't have enough funds to build with. I would have liked to have the funds to build another floor on the east wing," he said.
The building will be constructed so that two more stories may be added to the east wing for easy expansion in the future, Prof. Haines said.
After the departments have moved from Marvin Hall into the new building, Marvin Hall will be used by the department of engineering drawing and by the department of architecture. The engineering library also will be expanded at that time
The new building is being designed by John E. Brink, state architect, and Brinkman and Hagan, associate architects.
Geologists Eye Colorado
Students who have 15 hours of geology and $140 can go camping for five weeks, from June 13 to July 16, at Canon City, Colorado. If the students complete the camping program satisfactorily they will be given five hours of academic credit.
Would you like to go summer camping and get five hours of academic credit?
The work program consists of a number of short (2-3 days) problems with a critique following each. The problems are concerned with general geologic mapping with an emphasis on structure.
The 39th annual trip of 40 students, two professors and two assistants, will camp in modern permanent quarters maintained the year around on a farm located 12 miles from Canon City.
Lewis F. Dellwig, associate professor and assistant chairman of the geology department and W. Kenneth Hamblin, assistant professor of geology, will sponsor the trip. The two assistants have not yet been appointed.
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Lewellyn Looks at
We've got proof this week. Put a price on it and it's the greatest thing in the world. Hula hoops gave pretty strong confirmation to this fact, but the cap's on now. Enjoying the country's latest in pay-as-you-play sports on the cover this week are six wildly gyrating, happy teenies on trampolines.
The story is mostly pictures, but then how better describe the amateur antics of the masses. The going price is 40c for half an hour of jumping and all the sprains, bruises and broken bones you can collect. If you can't wait to find one, try Oklahoma City or let the Kirkwood kids lead you to their leapers. Sadly enough, that's as close as they've come to our hallowed halls.
The business of democracy becomes more expensive each week. The Korean riots left most of us with only a vague feeling of connection, because we remembered the fighting there that was a "police action." The eye-witness account of the riots is almost beyond belief. Even the pictures seem incredible. If you were in that crowd on the Chancellor's lawn a few weeks ago, superimpose what happened in Korea on a beginning as innocuous as that here at KU and you may comprehend some of the brutality of the act committed.
Men of Templin, gather round! You've been beaten at your own game — almost. The University of California has new dorms too. But they're not limiting their activities to the campus-wide activities our KU dorm dwellers have indulged in. Granted they have it a little better there, since the men's dorm faces the women's dorm, but you have to admit they've capitalized on it. What's the game? Chess. How? Take a look. The story begins on page 49. Who knows, you might work something out along the same line with the M-D group.
And while we think of you, if you are familiar with Belafonte's album made at the Met, you might be interested in his latest political insert in his rendition of "Matilda." Page 43 is the place.
Bailey people, gather 'round. Short on statistics and long on the individual problem, "Dropout
Tragedies" marks the first in a series of two articles on the problem of high school dropouts. It's a long, rough and lonely road ahead of the young person today who cannot meet the requirement, "h. s. grad." Yet 900,000 students will leave high school this year before completion.
Even if you feel you'll get enough of this in the coming years, you cannot ignore the compelling quote-heads. These are today's high school students and this is what they're saying. In an excellent close-up of personalities and problems, the article goes beyond the numbers — even beyond the attitude expressed in the heads and takes a look at what leads to the high school dropout. Next week, Part II: A Program That Rescues Dropouts. A must for future educators or just plain parents.
Remember when we had strippers in court battles? This week we've got e'm (rather her) circa 1920. In a rare piece of historical prose that might at points be more aptly titled hysterical prose, Rowland Barber tells of "The Sudden Raid. That Ruined Real Bushesque." If you keep engraved on your mind the picture of Mademoiselle Fifi on page 123 (and believe me, it makes a deep impression) as you read of her expose, you can't help but laugh.
And what do we have in the color department this week? Horses. Page 74 marks the beginning of 10 pages capturing the dash and daring of an English Steeplechase. The misty fog of the Mother Country lends an air of softness to the gruelling gallop.
Ushered in with a full page, full color shot of an ancient French general whose posture and expression would indicate the presence of a bayonet at his lower extremities, is French Premier de Gaulle. His recent visit to the U. S. is heralded with a somber picture of two old generals who now lead their nations. The story of a rising France is told in symbolic pictures and italicized poetry, which is always good when you're playing with symbols and such.
If you desire distinction, girls, be the first to walk down the Hill this spring in the latest in light footwear. You'll find them on the double-page on spread on 14 and 15.
Back to Mille. Fifi. It's hardly sex, but it's good for a laugh.