SCIENTIFIC EVENTS FARADAY'S DISCOVERY OF BENZENE1 IN his discourse at the Royal Institution, on Friday, June 12, on Faraday as a chemist, Sir William Pope reminded his hearers that Faraday devoted his life to experimental research in chemistry and physics in the Royal Institution, and, at his death in 1867, he was mourned as one of the greatest natural philosophers of the early part of the nineteenth century. Faraday made his advent as a scientific investigator at a moment when striking advances in chemistry were imminent and were indeed to be foreseen; the work of his immediate predecessors, Lavoisier, Davy, Dalton, Berzelius and Avogadro, had made of chemistry an exact science, and such a genius as Faraday was needed for the development of experimental methods. He worked on a variety of chemical subjects for several years, and on June 16, 1825, laid before the Royal Society the results of his study of the liquid deposited from compressed oil gas, in the course of which he had discovered the compound of carbon and hydrogen now known as benzene. At this centenary of his discovery, we celebrate the anniversary of the initiation of a large branch of organic chemistry which in later years became of great scientific importance and, in addition, became the foundation of the several vast industries. Among these latter are to be numbered not only the manufacture of coal-tar dyes, but also important sections of the pharmaceutical, photographic and petroleum industries. Faraday was the first to make a quantitative study of the chemical changes which result from electrical action, and discovered certain electrochemical laws which are of profound chemical significance. He also carried on numerous investigations on optical glass, steel alloys, the transparency of very thin sheets of gold and the so-called colloidal solutions of metallic gold in water. On June 16, the centenary of Faraday's discovery of benzene was celebrated at a full gathering in the historic lecture-theater of the Royal Institution. His Grace the Duke of Northumberland presided, and in his opening remarks directed the attention of the rising generation to the motives which had inspired Faraday's life, to his profound trust in facts of observation and to his scientific use of the imagination. Although manufacturers have come to recognize the value of such work as Faraday's, in government circles there is still failure to link up scientific methods and discoveries with the public service. His Grace then presented diplomas of honorary membership of the Royal Institution to Professor E. Bertrand 1 From Nature. Prince (Paris), Professor E. Cohen (Utrecht), Ginori-Conti (Italy) (through his representative Dr. G. A. Nasini), Professor J. F. Norris (Boston), and Professor G. Sakurai (through Professor M. Katayama), who were introduced individually by Sir Arthur Keith, secretary of the institution. Appreciations of Faraday's work were delivered by Professor H. E. Armstrong, who dealt mainly with the organicchemical aspect, and Professor Ernst Cohen, who spoke as a physical chemist. Professor Armstrong stated. that the committee organizing the celebration had decided to award at intervals-perhaps sexennially-a. medal for conspicuous achievement having some relation to Faraday's discovery of benzene. The first award would be made to Mr. James Morton, of Grangemouth, for distinguished work in connection with the manufacture and applications of anthracene dyestuffs. FREEDOM OF TEACHING AT a meeting of the Southern California Sigma Xi Association held at the University of Southern California on June 2 the following resolution was unanimously adopted and the secretary of the association directed to transmit copies to the several papers published in Los Angeles and also to the editor of SCIENCE with a request that publication be made in order that the position of the association might become known: Resolved, That the Southern California Association of Sigma Xi view with amazement and concern the propaganda that is going on in certain parts of the country, having as its object the restriction of the freedom of teaching in science. We would remind the thinking public (1) That our civil, religious, intellectual and economic progress have resulted very largely from this freedom within the schools, colleges and universities of the land. To attempt to take away this constitutional right is to return to the methods of the Middle Ages. (2) We call attention to certain essential characteristics of the method of science: (a) The sincere search for truth without reference to the effect of such truth upon previous opinion or belief. (b) That any statement of the findings of science is in the nature of the case a statement of the balance of evidence and not a dogmatic assertion of finality. Even the "law" of gravity is subject to revision or restatement. (c) That there is and can be no conflict between religion and science: to assert the contrary is to misunderstand the scope of both. (3) We urge all representatives of science in school, college or university to: (a) Inculcate a love for zealous research after (4) That we hereby express our hearty approval of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in its effort to assist in reaching a prompt, clear and just understanding in regard to the rights of teachers of science. THE SOUTHAMPTON MEETING OF THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION THE British Association has issued the preliminary program of its annual meeting which will take place in Southampton from August 26 to September 2, inclusive, under the presidency of Dr. Horace Lamb, lately professor of mathematics in the University of Manchester. Southampton, which the association has not visited since 1882, is a focal point of oversea communications, and with this feature and the railway centenary of the present year in view, the program gives special attention to various aspects of transport. This will form the subject of two days' discussion in the sections of economics and engineering jointly, while Sir Archibald Denny, as president of the engineering section, will give an address on "Fifty years' evolution in naval architecture and marine engineering," and an evening lecture will be given by Mr. R. V. Southwell on "Aeronautical problems of the past and of the future.” Among other addresses, that to the physical section by its president, Dr. G. C. Simpson, director of the Meteorological Office, will deal with "The new idea. in meteorology." The address by Mr. A. R. Hinks, secretary of the Royal Geographical Society, as president of the geographical section, will be concerned with the science and art of map-making, a subject appropriate to the town which is the home of the Ordnance Survey. Professor A. V. Hill will speak in the physiological section on "The physiological basis of athletic records." Mr. Tate Regan, in the chair of the zoology section, will deal with "Organic evolution: facts and theories." Mr. W. W. Vaughan, headmaster of Rugby, will address the educational section on "The warp and the woof in education." Miss Lynda Grier, principal of Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, will take "The meaning of wages" as the subject of her address as president of the section of economics. Other subjects for discussion in the sections are the cost of farming and the marketing of agricultural produce; health in schools; the functional significance of size; the ignition of gases; the botanical geography of tidal lands; variations in gravitational force and direction, and recent investigations in the modern psychological field of vocational guidance. SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS DR. ROBERT G. AITKEN, director of the Lick Observatory, has been elected president of the Pacific. Division of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. AT the commencement of Brown University on June 17, the first award of the Susan Colvin-Rosen CONTENTS AND INDEX NEW SERIES. VOL. LXI.-JANUARY TO JUNE, 1925 THE NAMES OF CONTRIBUTORS ARE PRINTED IN SMALL CAPITALS Academy of Science, Ga., H. Fox, 48; Ind., J. J. DAVIS, Acetone, detecting of, L. KAHLENBERG, 344 Acid, What is an, A. F. O. GERMANN, 71 Ader, Clement, and the Aeroplane, 533 Agassiz, Louis, and Darwinism, J. S. KINGSLEY, 234 Age and Area" and Extinction, S. J. HOLMES, 77 Agricultural Situation, R. A. PEARSON, 217 Agriculture, in China, 178; Societies at Washington, Meet- Agronomy, Amer. Soc. of, P. E. BROWN, 346 AIKINS, H. A., Confusing Traffic Signals, 442 ALEXANDER, G., Biological History, 285 ALEXANDER, J., Colloids, 184, 312 Algebraic Numbers, H. HANCOCK, 5, 30 Allbutt, Sir Thomas Clifford, F. H. GARRISON, 330 Almshouse Paupers, P. L. CLARK, JR., 284; R. PEARL, 285 Amanita muscaria in Maine, M. M. METCALF, 567 American, Association for the Advancement of Science, A-5, 30, 143, 188; B-144, 188, 425, 452; C-49, 145; D-147, 169, 188, 190; E-148, 191, 238; F-148, 240, 243; G 73, 149, 264; H-150, 293; I-150, 294; K- 150, 561; L-152, 397; M-151, 276, 525; N-97, 155, 318; 0-156, 217, 346; Q-157; Address retiring presi- dent, 1; President U. S., 23; Secretary of State, 24; Permanent Secretary's Report, 121, 187; Officers, 37, 131, 138; Prize, 124, 277; Council Roll, 131; Legislative and Executive Proceedings, 133; Resolutions, 135; Financial Reports, 136; President-elect, 140; Sessions, Sections and Societies, 143; Exhibitions, 159; Organi- zation, Work and Purposes, 163; Membership, 167; Future Meetings, 167; Special Notices, 168; Grants in Aid of Research, 199; Attendance at Council Meetings, S. F. TRELEASE and B. E. LIVINGSTON, 313; Pacific Division, 334; Associated Organizations, 357; Report Committee on Philological Sciences, W. A. OLDFATHER, 397; Summer Session, 562; Executive Committee, 573; Naples Zool. Station, 585; Assoc. University Professors, 158; Medical Colleges, Assoc. of, 201; Museum of Natural History, Third Asiatic Expedition, 279 Amundsen, Roald, Flight to North Pole, 533 Anatomical Spelling Match, H. B. LATIMER, 89 Anatomy, The Opportunity of, F. R. SABIN, 499 Angiosperms, Origin of the, F. H. KNOWLTON, 568 Anthropological, Studies on Yenisei River, A. HRDLIČKA, 261; Assoc., Amer., A. V. KIDDER, 293 Anti-conservation Propaganda, W. G. VAN NAME, 415 Appalachian Forest Research Council, 82 Apparatus, and Methods, 90, 185, 262, 288, 344, 368, 392, 446, 543, 570, 591, 634, 659; Makers and Users, F. K. Archimedes, The Death of, F. CAJORI, 415 Bacteria, Type Cultures of, L. A. ROGERS, 179; Cyto- Bacterial Catalase, J. W. MCLEOD, 630 Banning, P. W., Maker, Man and Matter, D. S. JORDAN, 68 Basin Range Structure, F. L. RANSOME, 659 Bauxite and Siderite, E. N. LOWE, 489 Bayliss, W. M., Physiology, C. D. SNYDER, 416 BAZZONI, C. B., and J. T. LAY, Arc Lines of Helium, 518 Beal, William James, E. A. BESSEY, 559; C. W. ELIO1, 609 Bell Telephone Laboratories, 178 BENEDICT, F. G., Quotation from Hippocrates, 444 Birds, Alien Game, J. GRINNELL, 621 Bliss, G. A., Calculus of Variations, F. D. MURNAGHAN, Blood, The Non-nucleated Cellular Elements of the, V. E. Bloods of Man and the Anthropoid Apes, K. LANDSTEINER Bosmans, H., La "Thiende'' de Simon Stevin, F. CAJORI, Botanical, Soc. of Amer., I. F. LEWIS, 264; D. F. JONES, Botanists, American, Politeness of, D. H. RoSE and E. N. Botany, Teaching, C. W. ELIOT, 609 BOWEN, R. H., Golgi Apparatus in Gland Cells, 545 BRAAK, C., and C. G. ABBOT, Weather Conditions in BRAGG, A. N., and H. HULPIEU, Food Vacuoles in Para- Brandegee, Townshend Stith, W. A. S., 464 BREWSTER, E. T., Another Adult "Howler," 185 British, Assoc., Southampton Meeting, 306; Anthropo- logical Inst., 382; Science Guild, 534 Brooks, Alfred Hulse, G. O. SMITH, 80 BROOKS, S. C., Effect of Light on Lecithin, 214 BROPHY, D. H., Purification of Zirconium, 372 Brothers and Sisters, Number of, C. H. DANFORTH, 17 BROWN, E. W., The Eclipse of January, 1925, 10 Brown, W. H., Botany, R. KIENHOLZ, 567 BROWNE, F. B., The Zoological Record, 234 Brunel, Roger Frederic, J. F. NORRIS, 407 Brussels, Univ. of, Applied Science at, 81 CADY, W. G., Shadow Bands, 312 |