06 - English Men of Science- Their Nature and Nurture by Sir Francis Galton

Dive into the findings of Galtons intriguing survey that sought to uncover the distinctions and similarities among the eminent men of his era. This podcast features a wealth of biographical details, biometric data, and thought-provoking quotations from these distinguished individuals. Summarized by Niobium.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapter three, Parge two of English Men of Science by
Francis Galton. This is a LibriVox recording or LibriVox recordings
in the public domain. For more information not a volunteer,
please visit LibriVox dot org, recorded by Leon Harvey. Origin
and Taste for Science, Part two, Analysis of replies. Having

(00:23):
given the replies in gross, now becomes our business to
sort their contents under different heads. It would be useless
and even embarrassing to make lengthy extracts from them. Short
abstracts will therefore be given, which the reader may verify
whenever he pleases, by the help of the reference number
printed in parenthesis, which is in the same both here
and in the original. A innate tastes instances of a

(00:47):
strong taste for scientific being decidedly innate. I have not
included among these the whole of the cases to which
an A is being affixed. Physics and mathematics twelve cases
out of twenty replies. One My tastes are entirely in
eight They date from childhood. Two as far back as
I can remember, I love nature and desire to learn
her secrets. Three always attracted by men of ability. Four

(01:12):
from an early age I was addicted to mechanical pursuits
into chemistry. Five, naturally fond of mechanics and physical science. Six.
My tastes were partially natural, partially encode. Seven I remember incidance,
which proved and innate tastes before I could write. Eight.
I had an innate wish for miscellaneous information eleven, primarily

(01:34):
derived both by inheritance and education from my father. Sixteen.
I always regarded mathematics as the method of obtaining both
the most useful and the most harmonious, et cetera. Seventeen.
My taste for mathematics appears in eight. As a boy,
I delighted in sums. Eighteen an early taste for arithmetic,
and in particular for long division sums. Chemistry five cases

(01:58):
out of eleven, one thorough eight two perhaps poorly in eate. Three.
I was always observing and inquiring. Four. They date from
a very early period, and there was little to produce
them in my early surroundings. Five. From an early age,
I had an innate taste for all branches of science
geology at least seven out of eight cases, one decidedly

(02:20):
in eight. Two. A natural taste for observing and generalizing developed.
Three A natural taste. My interest in science began very early.
Four I believe, I may say in eight, but to
a very considerable extent. Five I was always fond of
natural history. Six as well as I can recollect they
were in eight. Seven. I believe the desire for information

(02:43):
and habits of observation to be in great measure in
eight zoology eighteen cases out of twenty four. One yes
inherited from my father's family. Two certainly in eight three
love of observation and natural history in eight four pmology
in eight. Five I believe inherited my general taste for
scientific pursuits six thoroughly. In eight bones and shells were

(03:08):
attractive to me before I could consider them with any
apparent propit seven innate love of nature and observation of
natural phenomena. Eight, I should say in eight I caught
at all scraps of lessons for self improvement. Nine I
cannot recollect the time when I was not fond of
animals and of knowing all I could learn about them.

(03:29):
Eleven love of birds in their study. I feeled that
I must have had a taste for science independently of
external circumstances. Twelve My taste for science was entirely in
eight thirteen. As a boy, I had a passion for
mechanical contrivances. My scientific tastes are altogether in eight fourteen.
I was always fond of construction. My turn for scientific

(03:51):
inquiry led me in early life to systematize the knowledge
of others. Fifteen largely inherited from my father. Seventeen they
appeared to have been inherited eighteen nearly in an equal degree,
the mixed result of a natural bias in education. Nineteen
I should have been an observer of animal life, under
whatever conditions I might have lived. Twenty. I believe my

(04:14):
interest in zoology to have been innate botany eight cases
out of ten. One my scientific tastes were inborn. Two,
as far as the word applies in any case, I
should say decidedly innate. Three always fond of plants. Four
was always fond of objective and experimental knowledge. Five as

(04:36):
a youth, though followed of my own free will chemistry
and other sciences. Six A taste for natural science, especially botany,
seems to have been innate. Seven scientific tastes, apparently in
eight eight A natural inclination medical science. Only two cases
out of seven one innate in a great degree. Two.

(04:57):
I conclude the tastes were innate, as they show themselves
the moment the opportunity for developing them occurred. Statistics three
cases out of six. One certainly my scientific tastes appear
to me to have been so to say, innate, Three innate.
I think four much inclined to think there was an
innate tendency. Mechanical science at least two cases out of

(05:20):
five one. If any taste be in eight mine, were
they date from beyond my recollection? Two decidedly innate instances
of tastes being decidedly not innate. Physics are mathematics One
case out of twenty fifteen, I am not aware of
any innate taste for science. Chemistry one case out of

(05:42):
eleven ten I did nothing serious until estimate twenty three
by pursuit of chemistry is entirely due to circumstances occurring
after manhood. Zoology three cases out of twenty four sixteen
I doubt much their innate character. Twenty two I do
not consider them innate, but induced, twenty four not at

(06:04):
all innate, botany one case out of ten ten not innate.
Medical four cases out of seven three not at all
specially in eight four. I cannot perceive that they were.
In eight six, I cannot say that I had naturally
a turn for any pursuit in particular seven accidentally directed

(06:26):
to medicine statistics one at most at is six two.
My interest in science was due to my having been
officially employed in a statistical inquiry. Is with much hesitation
that I consent to enter this as a case of
not innate. A table is displayed on the page summary

(06:47):
of results as to innate tastes. There are four columns
with total cases decightly innate, decightly not innate, and doubtful.
A total down the bottom on the far left reads
as Physics and Mathematics, Chemistry, Mineralogy, Geology, boology, with subsections
of zoology, botany, medical science, geography not discuss separately, Statistical

(07:08):
science and mechanical science, Physics and mathematics. Turtle cases twenty
decidedly innate, twelve decidedly not ininate, one doubtful seven Chemistry
and Mineralogy turtle cases eleven decidedly innate, five decidedly not innate,
one doubtful five Geology turtle cases eight decidedly in eight

(07:33):
seven decidedly nottinate zero doubtful one. Boology zoology turtle cases
twenty four decidedly innate, seventeen decidedly not innate three doubtful four.
Botany turtle cases ten decidedly innate, eight decidedly not innate,

(07:55):
one doubtful one. Medical science turtle cases seven decidedly innate,
two decidedly not inn eight four doubtful one. Geography not
discuss separately. Turtle cases zero decidedly innate, zero decidedly not innate,

(08:16):
zero doubtful zero. Statistical science turtle cases six decidedly innate,
three decidedly not innate, one doubtful two. Mechanical science total
cases five decidedly in eight, two decidedly not innate, zero

(08:37):
doubt four three turtle cases total ninety one decidedly innate
total fifty six decidedly not innate total eleven doubtful total
twenty four. A mere glance at the table and at
the four going extracts will probably be enough to convince
the reader that a strong and innate taste for science

(08:57):
is a prevailing characteristic among science entific men, also that
the taste is enduring. This latter peculiarities by no means
a necessary consequence of the former. On the contrary, the
ruling motives in the dispositions of a man usually changed
as he grows older, the love of inquiring in childhood
being superseded by the fewest passions of youth, and these

(09:18):
by the ambitions of more mature life. But a special
taste for science seems frequently to be so ingrained in
the constitution of scientific men that it asserts itself throughout
their whole existence. Obviously, it must have had great influence
in directing their early studies and in ensuring their successful
prosecution of them in after years. It would be a

(09:39):
curious inquiry to seek the limits of a special taste,
that is, the diversity of the objects any one of
which would satisfy it. I think the indications are clear
that the tastes of some of my correspondence are far
more special than those of others, and that the latter
have checked a tendency to desultoriness by their strength of will,
or have had it checked by the necessities of their
position as co professors or professional men, or at most

(10:02):
of all, by that possession of that strange quality which
the phrenologists call adhesionists, but which seem to divide analysis.
It exists in very different strength in different persons, and
I know not where to find a better illustration of
its power than in the ordinary case of a man
falling in love for the first time. Few looks on
well doubt that almost any young man is capable of

(10:24):
falling in love with any one of at least one
third of the presentable young women of his race and
social position, if they happen to see much of one another,
under favorable circumstances and without other distraction. It. Although the
innate taste is of so general a character, it becomes
specialized at once by the mere act of falling in love.
Then the image of one woman takes complete possession of

(10:46):
his thoughts. She is, for a considerable period the only
female whose attractions for him, although he may previously have
had equally attracted by any one of tens of thousands
of her sex. A strong taste, bearing remotely on science,
may prove very helpful. The love of collecting, which is
a trifling tendency in itself commented children, idiots and magpies,

(11:08):
often leads to the study of the things collected and
is of immense use to a man who wishes to
study objects that must be collected in large numbers. I
have been told of an astronomy whose primary taste was
a love of polished brass instruments and smooth mechanical movements.
That nothing satisfied this taste so fully as work with telescopes,
and from loving the instruments he soon learned to love

(11:29):
the work for which they were used. A taste for
careful drawing works well into engineering and into systematic botany
or zoology. A love of adventure and in field sports
may be an extremely useful element in the character of
a man who follows geology or zoology. As a rough
numerical estimate, it seems that six out of every ten
men of science were gifted by nature with a strong

(11:51):
taste for it. Certainly, not one person in ten, taken
at haphazard possesses such an instinct. Therefore, I contend that
in its presence, adds fivefold at least to the chance
of scientific success. The converse way of looking at their
question gives a similarly large estimate. Certainly one half the
population have no care for science, and an extremely small

(12:13):
population of that half succeed in it. Nay, further, it
appears that I cannot publish facts in evidence without violating
my roll of avoiding personal illusions. That of the men
who have no natural taste for science and yet succeed
in it may belong to gifted families, and may therefore
be accredited with sufficient general abilities to leave their mark
on whatever subject it becomes their business to undertake. We

(12:36):
may therefore rest assured that the possession of a strong
special taste is a precious capital, and that it is
a wicked waste of natural power to thwart it ruthlessly
by a false system of education. But I can give
no test which shall distinguish in boyhood between a taste
that is destined to endure and a passing fancy. Further
than by remarking that whenever the aptitudes seem hereditary, they

(12:59):
deserve peculiar consideration. Instinctive taste for science are generally speaking,
not so strongly hereditary as the more elementary qualities of
the body and mind. I have tabulated the replies and
find the proportion to be one case of inheritance to
four that are not inherited from me the parent. There

(13:20):
is no case in which the correspondence speaks of having
inherited a lover of science from his mother, though of
course she may and probably has often transmitted it from
a grandparent. I have a curious case among the returns
sent to me of a passionable heraldry characterizing a great
nephew and a great uncle, the latter of whom have
died before the former was born. I have another of

(13:43):
an m and statistic and in whom a lover of
figures in tabulation was highly characteristic of his grandparent, and
is very strongly martin himself, but was wholly absent in
his parent and all other known members of his small family.
There have been numerous and most curious cases of a
love of feargus and tabulation in my own family, which
richly deserve a full description. It was carried to so

(14:05):
strange an extravagance by one of its members, a lady
now deceased, that I can do no sufficient justice to
her peculiarities by speaking in general terms. I ought to
give pages of anecdote b fortunate accidents. We next come
to a group of cases which imply a latent taste
for science, namely where a lifelong pursuit of it was
first determined by some small accident. The previous indifference or

(14:29):
equilibrium of the mind was unstable. A push was accidentally given,
its position was wholly changed, and it rested in one
of stable equilibrium. These cases are not numerous, only ten altogether,
but I put them in the second place on account
of their affinity to those in the first. Physics and
Mathematics nineteen refer to this Chemistry I possession of a

(14:53):
chemical box when I was a little boy. Three from
lectures I attended when a boy nine to reading by
a stan a book on chemistry geology two for siliferous
rocks near the school where I was zoology nine A
traveling fellowship sixteen accidentally reading a book brought me back

(15:14):
to scientific studies previously suspended owing to my profession. Twenty
two gift when a boy of a box of British
shells with a book to explain them. Botany ten accidental
receipt of Decandle's flore Franciers when residing in France. Medical
science none statistics four very clear occasional lectures when a

(15:36):
boy mechanics two A particular study at a university which
accidentally became of professional importance. C indirect motives of opportunities.
This group has also considerable affinity to Group A, and
has been alluded to in the remarks appended to the
extracts referring to it. It includes those cases which the

(15:59):
mind was partially but not largely, deflicted from its natural bent,
that portion of the innate tendency which admitted of being
resolved in the direction of the scientific pursuit being satisfied,
the remainder being wasted. These cases are not numerous, only
sixteen altogether, but I give them the third place for
the same reason that I give group B the second.

(16:20):
Physics and mathematics five. Possession of special instruments eight, choosing
engineering as a profession but not following it nineteen love
of yachting, leading to researches on magnetism of ships. Chemistry six.
The obtaining of correct and accurate results in chemical analysis
gave me great satisfaction geology one. Interest in discoveries made

(16:42):
in blank three. A very early love of experiment in
chemistry six should have followed chemistry in physics, but circumstances
Blank gave opportunities for geology. Zoology five. My choosing Blank
for special investigation was due to a positive fascination from
the obscurity of the subject. Nine my fathers and brothers,

(17:04):
pursuit of field sports and thence indirectly to natural history
thirteen an early passion for mechanism which led me to
take to physiology and anatomy as the engineering side of
my profession. Fifteen. My tasteful biology began with keeping insects
twenty four blank subsequently to the desire to investigate certain

(17:24):
questions bearing on medicine botany none, medical science three. Connection
of hospital and medical school with the place of his residence. Four.
Love of facts and the impression that good surgery is
a great fact Statistics none. Mechanics three. Profession fell in
with natural tastes such as sketching four innate faculties serviceable

(17:47):
to profession under the pressure of circumstances d professional duties.
The fourth group compromises instances in which professional duty was
a principal cause of the inter modist first felt in
scientific pursuits or else of the energies being concentrated upon
some branch of science towards special inclination had previously been exhibited.

(18:09):
Two or three of the twenty one cases which I
shall quote may perhaps be thought doubtful examples and more
appropriate to the preceding group, But after all possible deductions
have been made, they will remain ample evidence of the
magnitude of the influence we are considering. A wise administrator,
desirious even at some cost of promoting original investigation, would

(18:30):
establish many professional officers of a scientific character, having responsible
duties of a prominent kind attached to them. They would
create much new interest in science, and would compel those
who held them to work steadily and to a purpose
in scientific kindness. Physics and mathematics. Four. Had never attended
specially to physics till appointed Professor of Natural Philosophy. This

(18:52):
induced me to give up chemistry and to devote myself
definitively to physics. Nine solitary, observing for years as director
of an observatory. Thirteen professional duties in civil engineering blank,
official exploration of blank fourteen, largely determined by a service
in North Polar and equatorial expeditions. Fifteen. My interest in

(19:15):
astronomy was very small, indeed, until I was appointed to
the directorship of an observatory. Chemistry eight the university invited
me to fill the chair of Blank gave my work
its bent Geology none zoology one, largely determined by being
appointed Blank ten, partially by my selection of medicine as profession. Thirteen,

(19:38):
by appointment to a surveying ship made me a comparative
anatomist Blank, that, too, Blank forced me to palaeontology seventeen.
First began to concentrate energies to one branch when appointed eighteen.
My scientific tastes were determined by a professional study twenty
three to the profession of medicine in physiology, anatomy, and

(20:01):
Blank twenty four subsequently to my desire to investigate certain
subjects bearing on my profession of medicine botany. Seven. Never
took up botany to any extent till the professorship was vacant.
There is some conflict of testimony here. Medical science one
partly to my profession. Two. I selected the medical profession

(20:24):
because it was that of my father. This choice led
me to scientific pursuits. Three. I did not follow my
own branch from any special liking. Indeed, I rather disliked it,
but it was necessary to earn a lovelihood and to
follow some branch. Six. My addiction to medicine was purely
the result of accident. I never gave a thought to

(20:44):
physics as a subject of study until I was twenty
seven years old. Seven accidental to medicine statistics. Two due
to official employment when young in a very important statistical
inquiry mechanics. Two. The science of blank, which I learned accidentally,
became serviceable to me when employed as an engineer. Three.

(21:06):
My profession fell in with my natural tastes for pressure
of circumstances e. Encouragement at home. Nearly one third of
the scientific men have expressed themselves indebted to encouragement at home.
There received it in various ways. Sometimes the influence of
the parent was strong and deress. Their origin was due,

(21:26):
beyond all doubt to my father's influence. Sometimes it was
strong but general, as I was in a general atmosphere
of scientific thinking and discussion. Sometimes it went no further
than indulgence as permission to carry on little experiments at home,
in a room set apart for the purpose. Under each
and all of these shapes, it was truly welcome, and

(21:46):
its effectiveness may be in some measure estimated by the
vastly smaller number of cases in which success was obtained
in direct opposition to family influences. Scientific studies in boyhood
are apt to meet with scant favor at home. They
deal too much in abstractions on the one hand, and
sensible messes and mischief furniture and clothes on the other.

(22:07):
They lead to no clearly lucrative purpose, and occupy time
which might be apparently better bestowed. These hindrances were far
more seriously felt when the men on my lists were young,
when apparatus was highly to be procured, and when scientific
work was exceptional. I ascribe many of the cases of
encouragement to the existence of an hereditary link. That is
to say, the son had inherited scientific tastes and was

(22:31):
encouraged by the parent from whom he had inherited them,
and who naturally sympathized with him. Attention should be given
to the relatively small encouragement received from the mother. I
have sorted the extracts so as to permit the comparison
to be easily made. The female mind has special excellencies
of a high order, and the value of its influence

(22:52):
in various ways is one that I can never consent
to underrate, but that influences towards enthusiasm and love as
distinguished from philanthropy, not towards calm judgment, nor inclusively towards science.
In many respects, the character of scientific men is strongly
anti feminine. Their mind is directed to facts and abstract theories,
and not to persons or human interests. The man of

(23:14):
science is deficient in the purely emotional element and in
the desire to influence the beliefs of others. Thus, I
find that two out of every ten do not care
for politics at all. There devoid a partessian ship. They
school are naturally equable an independent mind to a still
more complete subordination to their judgment. In many respects, they
have little sympathy with female ways of thought. Is a

(23:36):
curious proof of this that, in the very numerous answers
which have reference to parental influence, that of the father
is quoted three times, often as that of the mother.
It would not have been the case, judging from inquiries
I elsewhere made, if I had been discussing the antestines
of literary men, commanders or statesmen were still more of divines, physics,

(23:58):
and mathematics. Ten. The origin of my interest in Blank
is mainly due to my father's knowledge of geology, navigation,
and engineering eleven primarily derived both by education and inheritance
from my father. Chemistry three permission to carry on little
experiments at home in a room set apart for the purpose,
blank subsequently residing abroad, and my mother making a home

(24:21):
for me there. Four. I was taught at home with
my brothers. We had always the example of industry and
were encouraged to think for ourselves. Eight. My father gave
me some books on chemistry, and I owe to my
mother a child's curiosity and afterward a man's reverence for
scientific truth. Eleven. My taste received no encouragement whatever from relations.

(24:42):
My mother accepted. Geology. One, My father and aunt collected specimens. Four.
I was indebted to a high degree to collections made
by my father and mother. Seven I was encouraged by
the example of an elder brother zoology. Nine. The example

(25:03):
of my father and elder brothers, who were all pretty
firm to field sports was also followed by me, and
from field sports to field natural histories. But a step
fifteen he inherited from my father. I was in a
general atmosphere of scientific thinking and discussion. Twenty one. I
may have derived inherited the tendency from my mother. I

(25:24):
belonged to an industrious family and saw every one working.
One traditionally derived and inherited from my father's family, I e.
From father, grandfather, et cetera. Six. My father had no
scientific knowledge, Nevertheless he encouraged me. Seven. I trace it
to the love of truth out of mental cultivation in

(25:45):
my father, and to his encouragement of this love in
his children. Eleven. That I inherited a strong love of
nature from my father, as certain, who was devoted to
harticulture and very fond of birds. Sixteen. Their origin was
due beyond all doubt to my father's influence. Seventeen. My

(26:06):
interest in science arose from the example of my father
and blank et cetera. Nineteen. I trace it to the
earliest impressions of my childhood, all of which are connected
with my father and the animals he brought me as
pets twenty three, to my father's example in science. Four
decidedly to my mother's observations in our childhood rambles. Eight.

(26:29):
My soon developed enthusiasm must have been derived from my
mother's family. Botany two, A little encouragement at home. Six
The love of botany was instilled into me in very
early youth by my father. Eight to my father's encouragement
of a natural inclination ten and to encouragement from my

(26:51):
mother medical science one partially to my mother's medal activity
and love of collecting and arranging, and to my father's
constance encouragement of my pursuit statistics five partially acquired from
intercourse with my father and blank mechanics. Five. I was

(27:11):
always brought up in a half scientific, half literary atmosphere
three family tradition derived through my mother's side. Two cases
are mentioned in which the origin of the scientific tastes
was partly due to the active assistance of the wife.
One of these is botany, and the other I have
ventured to suppress as it did not appear to me
sufficiently decided f the influence and encouragement of friends. This

(27:38):
group has much in common with that of the indirect
influences already classed under Group C. It includes cases where
a fortituous acquaintance has been the means of deciding it,
probably by revealing a letter taste or showing how some
obstacle in the way of indulging it could easily be removed.
There is a wide interval, often very difficult to get over,

(27:58):
between the study of a object out of books and
the practical investigation of it for oneself. At this point
of a man's mental progress, the help of a friend
may be of immense assistance. He may give elementary hints
which will remove formidable difficulties to a beginner who is
utterly unused to experiment. It is told, I think of
a scholar that he labored for successive days to make

(28:20):
with his own hands in his own chambers a plum
pudding according to a time hounted family recipe. But he
produced nothing except thick pastes or stirabouts of different degrees
of lumpiness, revolting to the site. At length, he confided
his difficulties to a lady, who explained that in making
plum puddings, it was a matter of course, and therefore
not spoken of in the recipe, to put the ingredients

(28:41):
into a bag for beginning to boil them. The example
of a friend encourages a young man to overcome his
diffidence and to firmly occupy any position that he knows,
by his own judgment to be true. Perhaps the greatest
help of all is the consciousness of strength, which is
given by cooperation on not very unequal terms, whether an
in performance and reputation. Out of the ninety one cases,

(29:03):
eighteen speak gratefully of the influence and encouragement of friends
physics and mathematics. Three. I was both his young friend
and assistant for three years. He imbued me with his
respect for science. Blank earnestness and accuracy six, partially encouraged
by an eminent friend. Thirteen picked up an unsystematic education

(29:27):
in science in the company of Blank. Sixteen I was
taken to see Blank, which was the origin of by
experimentalizing seventeen. I traced it to my acquaintance with Blank
and to going abroad with him nineteen. The intimacy of
his father with Blank gave me a bise towards magnetism chemistry. Two.

(29:48):
My taste for zoology arose through friendship with Blank. Geology too,
the surgeon to whom I was articled, fostered by tastes. Four,
to mining officers in Germany, to conversation with Blank and Blank,
and acquaintance of Blank. Five. Through the acquaintance of Blank,
to the particular branch of geology that I have pursued zoology. Three.

(30:12):
The help of Blank has aided me immensely. Ten. I
was much under the influence of a remarkable man, a
most accomplished naturalist. Twenty three The example of many men
whom I knew when I was young proved great stimulus
and incentive. I can trace it distinctly to my intercourse
with certain professors botany. Five. Blank was subsequently encouraged by

(30:36):
eminent botanists. Nine. I was thrown into the society of
a gentleman who took much interest in botany. Ten There
were determined afterwards by Blank and the friendship and encouragement
of the four greatest British botanists of the day. Medical
science one partially to the friendship of three eminent botanists.

(30:58):
Seven accidentally direction to medicine by associating with a medical
friend in a superficial study of botany statistics five partially
from intercourse with my father and certain of his friends.
Mechanical science too. The friendship of Blank matireally influenced my career.
G Influence and encouragement of tutors. This group of thirteen

(31:23):
cases refers to the influence and encouragement of masters, tutors
and professors it is a small one, not because persons
in those positions are incapable of exerting much salutary influence,
but because the scientific men on my list seldom had
the advantage of receiving congenial instruction. This is clearly proved
by a comparison of the replies referring to Scotch and

(31:44):
to English tuition. In Scotland, the university program and the
general method of teaching is much more suited to men
of scientific bent of mind than those in England. Consequently,
the influence of tudors has been testified to far more
abundantly by the those men on my list who have
been educated in Scotland than by the rest. The proportions

(32:06):
are striking and instructive. I find that about one six
of those from whom I have received returns have studied
in Scotland. Hence, if professional influences had been equally effacious
on both sides of the tweed, there would have been
five times as many expressions of gratitude to English teachers
as to Scotch. But the facts showed that no less

(32:27):
than eight out of the thirteen cases refer to teachers
in Scotland. One to a Scotch teacher settled in England,
and only four to English professors. It would have been
eight moldiplied by five equals forty and not four if
the English education had been as profitable to science as Scotch.
I willingly admit that the smallness of the numbers, namely

(32:50):
only thirteen cases, renders precise figures open to question. However,
the superiority of the Scotch system is supported by other evidence,
which I shall speak of in the chapter on education,
Physics and Mathematics. Seven. I believe the origin was when
I attended the natural philosophy classes at Blank ten, tastes

(33:11):
confirmed by lecturers and especially by the encouragement of certain
professors twenty interest in mathematics due to the encouragement of
Blank and influence of professors at a university chemistry seven,
chiefly to being sent as a pupil to an eminent
man of science geology five lectures by Blank Zoology five.

(33:35):
My scientific tastes were largely promoted by the attractive teaching
of Blank various professors seventeen and to being the assistant
and close companion of Blank twenty four. I can trace
it in part distinctly to my intercourse with certain professors Botany. Four.
I date my first efforts of any consequence from an

(33:57):
early intimacy with Blank, who who his pupil and assistant.
I was the necessity of accurate work then dawned upon me. Six.
The companionship of Blank incided me to prosecute Botany with Vigor.
I was one of his best pupils and traveled with
him Medical science four were subsequently by the approval of teachers,

(34:20):
having been selected chief assistant statistics four very clear occasional
lectures when a boy on moral and economical subjects, the
tastes were utwaist developed by a good education. Six. Professor
Blank's lecturers were the origin of my interest in geology.
It was the earliest scientific pursuit of this correspondent. Mechanical science.

(34:43):
None h travel in distant parts. There are only eight
cases in this group, namely those in which the aspects
of nature under new conditions have developed a love for science.
Few men of scientific training have had opportunities of distant travel,
but on those few, their actions at being very strong,

(35:03):
especially as regards boologists and physicists. I see nothing here
in respect to mere geographers and quote none of their replies,
because his importance to them requires neither proof nor comment.
Men are too apt to accept as an axomatic law,
not capable of further explanation, whatever they see recurring day
or to day without fail. So the dog in the

(35:24):
back yard looks on the daily arrival of the postman, butcher,
and baker as so many elementary phenomena, not to be
barked at or wandered about. Travel and distant countries. By
unsettling those quasi axomatic ideas restores to the educated man
the freshness of childhood in observing new things and in
seeking reasons for all he sees. I believe that a

(35:46):
handsome endowment of traveling fellowships, thoroughly well paid, with extra
allowance for any special work allotted to their holders, given
only to young men of high qualifications, and lasting for
at least five years, would be money well bestowed in
the furtherness of science, physics, and mathematics. Three. To some extent,
my tastes were determined by events after manhood, because for

(36:09):
ten years I held positions of great responsibility in distant
parts of the world. But I considered they were formed
in my youth. Nine. Ocean voyaging in the beginning of
life solitary, observing for years in a country verging on
a desert under southern skies thirteen. The distinct origin Blank
was the wonderful effect on me by the aspects of

(36:30):
nature as seen in the Blank, combined with what I
may call the accident of having been allowed to explore
part of it in an official capacity fourteen, largely determined
by my service in north polar and equatorial expeditions. Chemistry
none geology seven subsequently much influenced by being thrown at

(36:52):
estimate nineteen on my own judgment and resources in founding
a mining colony in the backwoods of Blank and carrying
it out quite alone. Zoology too, strongly confirmed and erected
by the voyage in the Blank thirteen. My appointment to
the surveying ship Blank made me a comparative natomist by
affording opportunities for the investigation of the structure of the

(37:15):
lower animals Botany. Five. They were directed to Botany purely
through accidental circumstances, which led to a prolonged residence in
an imperfectly civilized country z unclass residuum. We now come
to the final group, namely those influences which cannot be

(37:35):
sorted into any of the eight groups with definite titles,
which we have already examined. At the outset, I spoke
of these unclassed conditions as forming a class by themselves
of no great importance, and which might be indefinitely reduced
in proportion as we chose to pursue our analysis. I
estimated that the ninety one replies which I have received
and analyzed assigned a total of one hundred ninety one causes.

(37:58):
It now appears that no less sent one hundred and
eighty eight of these fall into one or other of
eight definite groups, and that there remain only three on
our hands for the unclassed residuum. Even these are apparently
due to aggregates of conditions, the more important of which
would probably find their place among the eight groups, leaving
a still money to residue. We may lightly dismiss them

(38:19):
as of inappreciably small importance in our present inquiry. Chemistry
ten entirely due to circumstances after manhood and the direct
opposition to family influences. Eleven to opportunity at a foreign university.
Geology eight. The taste developed gradually after manhood summary. If

(38:40):
we take a general survey of our national stock of
capabilities and their produce, we see that the large part
is directed to gain daily bread and necessary luxuries, and
to keep the great social machine and steady work. The
surplus is considerable and may be disposed of in various ways.
Let us now put ourselves in the position of advocates
of science solely, and consider from that point of view,

(39:02):
how at the surplus capabilities of the nation might be
diverted to its furtherance. How can the taste of men
be most powerfully acted upon to affect them towards science.
The large category a of an eight tastes is practically
beyond our immediate influence. But though we cannot increase the
national store, we need not waste it, as we do now.

(39:23):
Every instance in which a man having an aptitude to
succeed in science is tempted by circumstances which might be
controlled to occupy himself with subjects of less national value
as a public calamity. Aptitudes and taste for occupations which
enrich the thoughts and productive powers of man are as
much articles of national wealth as coal and iron, and
their waste is as reprehensible educational monopolies, which offer numerous

(39:49):
and great prizes for work of other descriptions, have caused
enormous waste of scientific ability by inducing those who might
have succeeded in science to spend their energies with small
effect on uncongeni the occupations. Whinner pursuit is instinctive and
the will is untaxed, an immense a matter of work
may be accomplished with ease witness. To take an extreme case,

(40:09):
the sustained action of the wholly involuntary muscles. The heart
does its work unceasingly from birth to death, and it
is no light work, but such as the arm working
a pump handle would soon weary of maintaining. Or again,
think of the migratory flight of birds in obedience to
an instinct, or of the muscular force astonishing both in

(40:30):
magnitude and endurance exhibited by lunatics who have some real,
though morbid passion, which gives them to exercise it. We
must therefore learn to respect innate tastes which directly as
in A or indirectly is in C, serve the cause
of science. As regards B, the fortunate accidents we can
multiply opportunities. There is great hope in respect to d

(40:52):
the professional influences. It is clear to all who have
knowledge of the scope and modern science, that there exists
an immense deal of national work, work which has to
be performed, and which none but men of scientific cultures
are qualified to undertake. Scientific superintendence is required for all
kinds of technical education, for statistical investigations of innumerable kinds,

(41:13):
and deductions from them for sanitary administration in the broadest sense,
for agriculture, mining, industrial occupations or engineering. There is everywhere
a demand for scientific assessors who shall discover how to
economize effort and find out new processes and fruitful principles.
Professional duties generally ought to be more closely bound up
with strictly scientific work than they are at present, and

(41:35):
this requirement would tend to foster scientific tastes in minds
which had little inborn tendency that way. In respect to
g the influence and encouragement of tudors. Seeing how far
Scotland had surpassed England in the attractiveness of her mode
of teaching, which is by professional lectures rather than by
class work, it is clear that the English system admits
of being greatly improved, and the influence of her teachers

(41:57):
proportionally increased in turning the mindset to science. Lastly, as
regards h travel in distant lands, its indirect value deserves
far more than the moderate sums assigned to its prosecution
in the way of staff, traveling fellowships and rare voyages
of surveying ships. To sum up in a few words,
it seems to me that the interpretation to be put

(42:19):
on the replies we have now been considering is that
a love of science might be largely extended by fostering
and not thwarting in eight tendencies, by the extension of
scientic professional appointments and professorships, by assimilating, in some cases
the English system of teaching to that of the Scotch
and by creating traveling and other fellowships, which shall enable
the holders to view nature in various aspects, and to

(42:41):
work with foreigners whose habits of thought are fruitful in themselves,
but of a different kind to our own. I will
take this opportunity of drawing attention to what appears to
me one of the greatest disadhairata of this kind in
the present day, namely the establishment of medical fellowships amply
sufficient to annable the best youths who intend to follow

(43:02):
medicine as a profession, to spend their early manhood in
prosecuting independent medical researches. I appeal to capitalists, who know
not what use, free from abuse, to make of their
surplus wealth, to consider this want. They might greatly improve
the practical skill of the English medical profession by affording
opportunities or prolonged study. They might perhaps themselves reap some

(43:22):
part of the benefit of it. A young medical man
has now to waste the most vigorous years of his
life in miserable routine work simply to obtain bread. Until
he has been able to establish his reputation. He has
no breathing time allowed him. The cares of mature life
pressedue closely upon his student days to give him the
opportunities of prolonged study that are necessary to accomplish him

(43:43):
for his future profession. The influences we have been considering
are those which urge men to pursue science rather than literature, politics,
or other careers. But we must not forget that there
are deep and obscure movements of national life which may
quicken or depress the effective ability of the nation as
a whole. I have not considered the reasons why one
period is more productive of great men than another, my

(44:05):
inquiry being limited for the reasons stated in the first
pages of this book to one period in nation. But
it may be remarked that the national condition most favorable
to general efficiency is one of self confidence and eager
belief in the existence of great works capable of accomplishment.
The opposite attitude is in differentism, founded on sheer uncertainty

(44:26):
of what is best to do, or on despair of
being strong enough to achieve useful results, a feeling such
as that which has generally existed in recent years among
wealthy men in respect of pauperism and traitable gifts. A
common effect of indifferentism is to dissipate the energy of
the nation upon trifles, and this tendency seems to be
a crying evil of the present day in our own country.

(44:47):
In illustration of this view, I will quote the following
extract from a letter of one of my correspondents, who,
I should add, if singularly well qualified to form a
just opinion on the matter to which he is so
forcibly cause attention. The principal hindrance to inquiry and all
other intellectual progress in the people of whom I see
much is the elaborate machinery for wasting time which has

(45:09):
been invented and recommended under the name of social duties.
Considering the mental and material capital of which the richer
classes have the disposal, I believe that much more than
half the progressive force of the nation runs to waste.
From this cause, A great deal of energy is wasted
in attempting to seize more than can be grasped. There

(45:29):
is a feverish tendency fostered by the daily press to
interest oneself in all that goes on, which leads to
perpetual destruction and contails the time available for serious and
sustained effort. It may be worth while to mention a curious,
little morbid experience of my own as suggestive of much
more mischief. It is this. A few years ago I
had foolishly overworked myself, as many others have done, is

(45:52):
led by a perverted instinct which goaded to increased exertion
instead of dictating rest. The consequence was that I fairly
broke down and could not for some days even look
at a book, already sort of writing. I went abroad,
and though I grew much better and could amuse myself
with books, the first town where I experienced real repose
was Rome. There was no doubt of the influence of

(46:14):
the place. It was strongly marked, and for a long
time I sought in Vain for the reason of it.
At last what I accepted as a full and adequate
explanation occurred to me, simply that there were no advertisements
on the walls. There was a picturesqueness and grandeur in
the streets which suffice to fill the mind, and there
were no petty distractions to fret a weaker die and brain.

(46:37):
When we are in health, we take little account of
the racket of English life, which may keep a pathetic
mind's from stagnation, by which causes needless wear and tear
to active ones, suggesting nothing useful and teasing, distracting and wearying.
I have heard German professories speak with wonder at our
whip energy, in mere fidget and in so caught amusements,
which are mostly very dull, and ascribe the successful laborsness

(47:00):
of their own countrymen to the greater simplicity of the
lives they lead, and they are a happier people than
we are. Partial failures. We have seen that energy, health,
steady pursiited purpose, business habits, independence of use, and a
strong and ate taste for science are generally combined in
the character of a successful scientific man. Probably one half

(47:22):
of the men of my list possess every one of
these qualities in a considerable and sum in a high degree.
If one or more of these qualities be deficient, success
becomes impossible lest its absence be appropriately supplemented by other
qualities or conditions. Causes may be specified in which too
few of the above mentioned qualities were present, and which
consequently ended in an abortive career. One is the possession

(47:45):
of energy, health, and dependence of character in excess, and
little else to control them. These are dangerous gifts. Those
who have them are apt to renounce guidances by which
the great body of mankind moves safely, and to follow
out a career in which they are almost certain to
blunder and fail egregiously. Probably every large emigrant ship takes

(48:07):
out many such men, full of unjustifiable self confidence, who,
to use a current phrase, knock about in the world,
waste their health use and opportunities, and end broken down.
Another case is that in which a strong ennit taste
for science is accompanied by independence of character and steadiness
of pursuit, but with no other quality helpful to success,
in which therefore leads to no useful result. There is

(48:29):
hardly a village where some ingenious man may not be
found who has ideas and much shrewdness, but as crotchety
and impracticable, he wants energy and business habits, so he
never rises. Many of these men brewed over subjects like
perpetual motion, that peculiarities are well illustrated in De Morgan's
Book of Paradoxes. Again, we frequently meet persons of a
stamp that justifies the old fashioned caricature of scientific men,

(48:52):
who absorbed in some petty investigation, utterly deficient in business habits,
are noted for absence of mind. Even idiots have often
strongly causes scientific tastes, as love for simple mechanisms or
objects in natural history, and they have, as already remarked,
a pleasure in collecting. Madmen have often persistency, as is
shown by their brooding on a single topic. We all

(49:16):
of us must have met with curious cases of failures
where a minor disposition that promises much of success never
achieves it. It may be that some mental screw is loose,
or there is some irreparable weakness of judgment, or some
untimely irresolutional rashness. Any fault of this kind is sufficient
to marr a man's chances. When competition is keen. To
attain the highest auto of success, two things are wanted. First,

(49:39):
equalities of the man must either be good or round,
or else. He must be so circumstanced as to be
able when the need arises to supplement his deficiencies by
extraneous help. Secondly, he must have some very useful qualities
highly developed. It is said that genius is required for
high success, and there is much talk about what genius
is and on the failures of men of gene genius.

(50:00):
While some persons go so far to doubt the existence
of genius as a separate quality, it appears to me
that what is generally meant by genius, when the world
is used in a special sense, is the automatic activity
of the mind, as distinguished from the effort of the will.
In a man of genius, the ideas come as by inspiration.
In other words, his character is enthusiastic, his mental associations

(50:21):
are rapid, numerous, and firm. His imagination is vivid, and
he is driven rather than drives himself. All men have
some genius. They are all apt under excitement to show
flashes of unusual enthusiasm, and to experience swift and strange
associations of ideas. In dreams. All men commonly exhibit more
vivid powers of imagination than are possessed by the greatest artists.

(50:44):
When awake. Sober plotting will is quite another quality, and
its over exercise exhausts the more sprightly functions of the mind,
as is expressed in the proverb too much work makes
a dull boy. But no man is likely to achieve
very high success in whom the automatic power of the mind,
or genius in its special sense at a sober will,
are not all developed and fairly balanced. End of Chapter three,

(51:08):
Part two of Englishmen's Science by Francis Gelton.