Some rough i d e a about n a t u r a l philosophy is becoming a n increasingly important facet o f a b r o a d liberal education
Public Must Be Literate in C&EN
FEATURE
A» uito\i> course of stuch in basic science and mathematics is an excellent preparation lor participating in industry at any level of activity, including top management. And natural philosophy, or at least some degree of acquaintance with it. is also an important part of a good general preparation for participating in human and civic affairs, whatever o n e s calling mav he. The direction which matters inevitably are taking in this centuiy—and indeed must take—makes some rough idea about natural philosophy an increasingly important facet of a broad liberal education. However, the public attitude toward these matters is not only confused, but may also be in 62
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R I C H A R D C- M C C U R D Y , President, Shell Chemical Corp.
danger of going off in the opposite direction. Liberal education of the general population is so much a part of the fabric of a democracy that tlic latter will not stand a severe strain witriout it. In this sense, liberal education means education of a breadth sufficient to give the citizen some grasp of the over-all human problems of tlic times. These problems have been iiiflVnced by technology, but they arc l^eioniing more and more interwoven witli the doings of science as well. This change is significant. For while w e Appreciate the applications of physical knowledge that comprise technology, w e Have much less feeling for the systematic search for greater knowledge of what
things are and how they essence of natural science.
work—the
Science, Technology Interwoven There was a time when true natural science could be. and largely was, studied as an intellectual pursuit in the same manner as art. philosophy, or other classical subjects. Such studies of natural science usually had no considerable relation to the public interest at the time, nor did they exert a major influence on the affairs of nations. The important things of a physical nature that were taking place in diose times, whether in military affairs or internally, were by and large the doings of the prevailing technology rather
Science
than of science. Thus while the find ings of the natural philosophers might graduait;, seep into technologx . the time lag was long. Kareh was scien tific study deliherately promoted on any sizable scale te achieve some realizable practical result. Discoveries just happened: ma> he somehoch got around to using them, mayhc not. Over the \ears. however, these proc esses gradually speeded up. and around the time of the First World War we entered an ago in which the discoveries of science and their prac tical technological applications more or less became latched together. While we continue to engage in science with intellectual objectives. the prime characteristic of the present age is th.it
we also engage m it with the conscious purpose of using tin- results. And w e do tins on the scale of α ma|oi national cHort. This goes lor basic research as well as investigations in fields where practical applications are nearer by. T h e profound nature and meaning of this change lias escaped many people It is one tiling to make tech nological use of what scientific knowl edge happens to he 1> ing around, quite another ! ι a si/able part of the popu lation tu seek it for the express purpose of using it one day The difference is somewhat like that between drifting and steering a course»—and on a river not devoid of shoals and waterfalls Bro.ulK speaking, much of the ex pansion in oui own country to fill its boundaries and to develop its phv sical resources occurred in the previous era. It was. therefore, to a considerable degiee. an exercise in technology rather •ban in science, (letting it done suc cessfully maint) meant setting up an atmosphere in which technologx would prosper. This we did reasonably well. 1 shall not attempt to cover lully the important elements of such an atmosphere. However, they certainly included a public sense of values in appraising the results of technological works: .1 reasonable knowledge of how and w hv these were» being done; a wide spread appreciation of the opportuni ties afforded enterprising, hard-work ing, and risk-taking people; and the (t > on. WV tclî o u : students a b o u t l a w and c h i c s , literature and music, without e x p e e t i n g t h e m all to he l a v w f i ' . politicians, w r i t e i s . m musicians So it should be w i t h science. In the w o r d s of the recent Rockefeller report o n education: "Just as we must insist that every scientist he broadh e d u c a t e d , so w e m u s t s e e to it that e v e n e d u c a t e d person h e literate in s c i e n c e . " Of course, one might c o n j u r e u p an ideal picture of a society full o f p e o p l e w h o h a v e acquired real facility in natural s c i e n c e a n d m a t h e m a t i c s a l o n g with other diverse features of a hroad e d u c a t i o n in the arts and h u m a n i t i e s . T h e l o g i c , h e a n t y . and i m a g i n a t i o n of m a t h e m a t i c s ; the intellectual honesty of experimental s c i e n c e : t h e instinctive a v o i d a n c e of jumping to rash conclusions that c o m e s to those w h o try to u n d e r s t a n d nature's d o i n g s : a n d the exp e r i e n c e of w e i g h i n g a n d Analyzing conflicting, confusing, and indirect data in t h e h o p e of at least partially unders t a n d i n g w h a t is really g o i n g on s e e m likely t o e n d o w minds, in t h e main, w i t h q u a l i t i e s that the p n h l i e c o u l d well use—toda\ and in t h e future. It is idle, h o w e v e r , to set this as a practical g o a l . It will not c o m e a h o u t Tor a very l o n g time. What then c a n w e do a h o u t t h e s e problems? Frederick Seitz. chairman of the A m e r i c a n Institute of Ph> s i c s . doubts the v a l u e of any attempt to insist on e x t e n s i v e pnhlie education in t h e q u a n titative d e t a i l s of science a n d c»ngineering. B u t h e believes that a reorientation of t h e popular p u b l i c o p i n i o n s of 64
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scientists is l o n g overdue. Λ\\(.\ that such reorientation will o c c u r only as a result ot attitudes dc\ e l o p e d both in the h o m e and in secondary schools. For those w h o cannot go further in science, he w o u l d "place p i i n i a i \ e m phasis on a c o n t i n u i n g c o u r s e in gen eral science at t h e secondary school l e \ e l . which gives familiarity with the history a n d a c c o m p l i s h m e n t s of s c i e n c e and its relation to the matters of every day life. This should he descriptive and inspirational. placing emphasis u p o n the cultural roots Λ\\Ι\ the» goals of s c i e n c e and t h e countless w a y s in w h i c h it affects our u n d e r s t a n d i n g of the world about us." I agree c o m p l e t e l y w i t h w h a t h e says. And I think it worth s p e c u l a t i n g £>'. IVopk». by and h u g e untlcibtancl s o m e t h i n g about research's relative as a resource-producer—exploration. There are, w i t h a f e w e x c e p t i o n s , good anal o g i e s in principle h e t w e e n research a n d exploration all u p a n d d o w n t h e line. W h e n w e talk about exploring, people d o not conjure u p i m a g e s of mad ex plorers. In fact, they recocni/.e that there» are various ki*uls of explorers, in c l u d i n g s o m e w h o explore for t h e punjoy of discovery, and they admire and perhaps e n v y those w h o can d o this. Their image of t h e w h o l e breed of c o m incrcial explorers is an agreeable one·, right from the s o u r d o u g h through to modern corporation exploration paities. By describing lesearch as a kind o! exploration \vt* might b e a hie t o make an unfamiliar thing h a \ e reality. c\«-n identity it with a good deal of pleasant l e g e n d . T h i s may smack ol l o x \ salts m a n s h i p a n d hidden persuaders. But. first of all. t h e analogx d o e s make* sense, and s e c o n d l y , w e want to sell an idea as effectively a s w e can. and in .1 minimum of time. W e h a v e l i v e d in an extensive period of exploration in this country. (Continued
on patzr ίλι> )
R I C H A R D CLARK M cC U R D Y received a n A.B. in 1931 and an Engineer ing Mines d e g r e e in 193:3, both from Stanford University. He w e n t to work as a roustabout for S h e l l O i l i n 1 9 3 3 , h a d advanced b y F e b r u a r y 1 9 4 5 to a c t i n g division man a g e r of Shell's San J o a q u i n Production D i v i s i o n , h e a d q u a r t e r e d in Bakersfield. Calif. Early i n 1 9 4 7 , McCurdy movei 1 to M a r a c a i b o t o b e c o m e assistant man a g e r , a n d later manager. Western D i v i s i o n , R o y a l D u t c h / S h e l l Group C o m panies in V e n e z u e l a . H e b e c a m e gen eral m a n a g e r o f t h e s e companies, w i t h headquarters i n C a r a c a s , in late 1 9 5 0 . a n d in m i d - 1 9 5 3 b e c a m e president of Shell C h e m i c a l . M c C u r d y is a director of Shell Oil a n d of t h e Shell C o m p a n i e s Founda t i o n , w h i c h is p u t t i n g about $ 7 5 0 . 0 0 0 a year into e d u c a t i o n . H e is a member of the Board o f D i r e c t o r s of t h e Manu facturing Chemists* Association, the S o c i e t y o f C h e m i c a l Industry, the A m e r i c a n Physical Society, and the A m e r i c a n Institute of Mining and Metallurgical E n g i n e e r i n g .
TRIMETHYLAMINE (CH3)3N
DIMETHYLAMINE (CH 3 ),NH
MONOMETHYLAMINE CH3NH, Manufacture of amide and sulfonated amide-type detergents and surfac tants. Synthesis of caffeine, amino· phylline and desoxyephedrine. Manu facture of photographic chemicals, the explosive tetryl.amide-type plas ticizers. ion-exchange resins, corro sion inhibitors and paint removers.
Raw material in manufacture of thi- Preparation of long-chain quaternary ammonium compounds used as sof uram sulfide-type vulcanization ac teners, lubricants and waterproofing celerators and of dimethyldithiocarbamic acids salts used as fungicides. agents for textiles. Used with ben zoyl peroxide to " s e t " methacrylate Neutralizing and solubilizing agent resins Synthesis of cationic surfacein preparation of concentrated solu active agents. tions of 2. 4-0 salts. Manufacture of antimalarials. Write for Latest Technical Data Sheet
CSC CHEMICALS
FOR
INDUSTRY
NITROPARAFFINS
ALCOHOLS Methanol Butanol Ethyl Alcohol
Nitroethane 2-Nitropropane Nitromethane 1-Nitropropane Alkaterges Diamines Aminohydroxy Compounds Nitrohydroxy Compounds Chloronitroparaffins
AMINES AND AMMONIA Ammonia. Anhydrous and Aqua Ammonium Nitrate. Solid and 83% Sol. Methylrmines Benzyltrimethylammonium Chloride Hydroxyethyltr imethylammoniumbicarbonate
ESTERS Amyl Acetate Butyl Acetate Butyl Lactate Butyl Stéarate Dibutyl Phthalate Ethyl Acetate Tributyl Phosphate
COMMERCIAL
PHARMACEUTICALS, BULK Bacitracin Cycloserine Riboflavin. U.S.P. and U.S.P., R.S.
OTHER CHEMICALS Acetone
Formaldehyde Pentaerythritol
SOLVENTS
CORPORATION 2 6 0 M a d i s o n A v e n u e . New York 1 6 , N e w York ATLANTA, GA. · BOSTON. MASS. · CHICAGO. ILL. · CINCINNATI. OHIO · CLEVELAND. OHIO OETROIT. MICH. · HOUSTON. TEXAS · INDIANAPOLIS. ΙΝ0. · KANSAS CITY. M0. · LOS ANGELES. CALIF. · L0UISVÎLLE. KY. · MEMPHIS. TENN. · MILWAUKEE. WISC. · MINNEAPOLIS. MINN. NEWARK. N. J. · NEW ORLEANS. LA. · PHILADELPHIA, PA. · PITTSBURGH. PA. · PORTLAND. ORE. ST. LOUIS. MO. · ST. PAUL. MINN. · SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. · STERLINGT0N. LA. · IN MEXICO: COMSOLMEX. S.A.. MEXICO 7. D.F. · IN CANADA: McARTHUR CHEMICAL CO., MONTREAL. QUE.
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FEATURE
EQUIPMENT M A R T (Continued
0.1 t o 200 S E C O N D S Writ* for literature G. C. W I L S O N & CO. Hnn*ington, W. V*.
TELLS HUMIDITY AT A GLANCE! brtwi'Pn
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