Abstract
LORD RUTHERFORD, presiding at the annual general meeting of the Institute of Physics, said that in the short time since its foundation, remarkable progress has been made towards the achievement of the original intentions of its founders. There has been a rapidly growing recognition of the importance of the physicist, not only in the academic world, but also in industry, and Lord Rutherford considers that the Institute can justly claim some of the credit for this. The properly trained physicist has the power to form his judgment by performing experiments, and if it be a subject where little is known, the cost of the investigation may only be a matter of a few shillings. It is very important that such an Institute should include every type of physicist among its members, and naturally to physicists in some of the sheltered posts, such as colleges and universities, it is not quite clear what particular advantages can be gained by joining the Institute, when they already have so many facilities at their own door. But taking a long view, Lord Rutherford said, it is the duty of every physicist to join the Institute, wherever he may be, and so help on the recognition of the profession that he represents. He looks forward to the time when membership of the Institute will be considered a necessary professional qualification. The standing of the physicist in the scientific world, not only of to-day, but also of to-morrow, depends upon the support that the Institute receives.
Article PDF
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Institute of Physics. Nature 129, 823 (1932). https://doi.org/10.1038/129823a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/129823a0