Turning from his indictment of national inefficiency and Parsimony to
his own special branch of study, Professor Dewar summarised the present position in regard to low- temperature research and the attainment of absolute zero. They had got down to within about 13 degrees of that point, but their progress was barred by difficulties arising out of 'mews, material, and cost, "In fact, to annihilate the few remaining degrees would be a far greater achievement than any so far accomplished in this branch of research." That the absolute zero would ever be reached by man was improbable but it might be safely predicted that liquid hydrogen would be the means by which many obscure problems of physics and chemistry would be ultimately solved. Professor Dewar con- cluded his address by an eloquent vindication of the disin- terested zeal of the scientific researcher. "To serve in the scientific army, to have shown some initiative, and to be re- warded by the consciousness that in the eyes of his comrades he bears the accredited accolade of successful endeavour is enough to satisfy the legitimate ambitidn of every earnest student of Nature." After all, there is no constant ratio between endowment and discovery. Faradays and Davys cannot be produced by State subsidies or benevolent million- aires, though such means may undoubtedly multiply the number of highly trained experts, and so minister to our commercial efficiency.
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