Salt Lake Telegram | 1933-12-16 | Page 4 | Engineer and Scientist Have New Responsibility

Engineer and Scientist Have rl New j ew Responsibility Recently D Dr Dg John C. C Merriam president of Carnegie Institution of Washington addressed a body of engineers en I on the responsibility of the scientist and of the engineer in contributing contributing con con- to solution of the critical problems that arise in human affairs saying in part It is worth noting that society has passed through many evolutionary evolution evolution- ary stages At the pres present nt moment it itis is 15 probably faced with greater reater and more difficult problems than at any other time in world history The more discussion there Is of world problems the clearer it is that the element that is lacking Jacking first of I all is knowledge of the facts Judgment Judgment Judg Judg- ment is merely the laying out of facts to determine the direction in which they point Although science lays a large claim to use the words creative and constructive it Is is in general not a creative activity The scientist himself is commonly discoverer and philosopher He may develop he may organize but in m the main he is a dis coverer of things that already exist The engineer on the other hand who is thought of as turning things over and using the results from the work of science may become a creator creator cre cre- ator and produce that which has bas not previously existed At the present time the thing the world most needs is an attitude toward toward toward to to- ward its problems representing a combination corn com x m. m of the point of view of the scientist who wants facts and of the engineer who indicates that these facts must have orderly arrangement arrangement arrange arrange- ment with reference to the question considered The engineer has a n unique opportunity not to control merely but to build and to guide