100 years ago

The latest number of the American Naturalist is the first which has appeared under the new editors. Dr Robert P. Bigelow, of Boston, is now the responsible editor ⃛. “Every scientific man, as such” [he writes], “may well read two general scientific journals — the weekly scientific newspaper and the monthly review of scientific progress.” The American Naturalist will aim at providing investigators with the latter form of scientific information. Authors of papers intended for beginners, such as “Some Birds of the Garden,” “Some Common Weeds,” are politely informed that their contributions are not wanted, and very technical works of interest to only a limited number of specialists will be declined. What the editors desire is scientific papers written by scientific people and of interest to scientific workers in more than one field. The desire is a praiseworthy one, and we hope the fulfilment of it will exceed the editors' expectations.

From Nature 14 October 1897.

50 years ago

The lecture on “The Organisation of Industrial Research” which Dr. R. P. Russell, president of the Standard Oil Development Co., delivered on June 9 to the Industrial Research Committee of the Federation of British Industries was⃛ an outstanding contribution to what may be termed the philosophy of research. Research activity in his own Company, he said, began in 1919 with a group of twenty-six people: to-day the staff includes 2,456 technologists, engineers, assistants and clerical personnel all engaged exclusively on research and development projects, as well as several hundred working on laboratory phases of direct operating problems and an engineering staff of more than five hundred. Dr Russell computed that this expansion had brought a return of £15,400 of additional profit for each £1,000 expended on research and development.

From Nature 18 October 1947.

Many more abstracts like these can be found in ABedside Nature: Genius and Eccentricity in Science, 1869-1953, a 266-page book edited by Walter Gratzer. Contact David Plant.

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