Show washington DIGEST young scientists learn moral value of their work Is vital to progress by BAUKHAGE news analyst and commentator washington 1 dont often go into such intimate matters as private murders in these columns but I 1 have been impressed lately to see the results of the untrammelled trammelled un spirit of modern youth whose repressions and inhibitions have been removed by thoughtful parents who use reason instead of the cruel discipline such as I 1 have suffered having to go to bed without supper for instance when I 1 was impudent to my elde elders rs or being kept in the house for throwing my arithmetic at the cat instead of doing my homework or having my mouth washed out with acme soap when I 1 used language unbecoming a future commentator recently a pretty little brunette who was arker by having to leave the city to dwell with her parents in tome some dull rural area of missouri rebelled after shooting mama and papa she stuffed them behind the sofa ola and tried to dispose of their property then there was the poor little seventh grader who smarted under thoughtless taunting by a farmer who thought the youth displayed poor form in sawing wood the boy shot the old man and dumped him to in a creek there was the 18 year old girl from portsmouth va who playfully sprayed five GI s with revolver shots in a shooting gallery and the six girls aged 14 to 16 who beat up their female gym instructor in a bronx high school of course I 1 am not old fashioned enough to encourage corporal punishment but it does seem that a little less sparing of the rod might have prevented spoiling the crime record of the peaceful communities from chich these youngsters came perhaps it have helped though when the nations of the world set such bad examples I 1 help thinking of a para the concluding chapter of I 1 graph aph in that highly important and revealing book by former secretary of state cordell huu hull said hull and I 1 can see ee him leaning back as he be dictated looking over the wide sweep of the maryland landscape letting his thoughts go back over ove r the rich days of his years we have a desperate need tor for more religion and morality ty as the background for government rhe religious and moral foundations tor for thought and conduct require strengthening here as well a as S throughout the world there is no olgher civilizing influence fluence rf than religious and moral concepts corruption and tyranny can be driven out of at government only when these concepts give men the faculty to recognize such evils and the strength to eliminate them in these days alays when we hear so many unpleasant references to the atom bomb it was a relief to the national capital to get its annual reminder that the people who know most about atomic energy think tar far more about how bow it can promote human welfare than abrat how bow it can extin extinguish human life Six sixteen teer thousand high presented themselves this year as possible winners minners in the annual westinghouse bousa science talent search after rigorous elimination tests 40 finalists were selected to come to washington tor for talks with w th scientists visits to capitol hill and the white house and conversations with their colleagues these SO 0 students have a reasonable assurance ol of scholarships of 1000 each from various sources aside from the search awards while the two lucky top winners each are given 2400 with which to continue their studies there was another interesting thing about this years awards the k andrew kende displays his ex ec peri ments with new solvents to reduce explosion hazards revelation that america still is drawing heavily on the old world for its scientific talent the boy who won the top prize was born in budapest he is andrew kende a 15 year old chemist a handsome youngster five feet eight inches tall of the 40 finalists five were born in europe and 26 parents of the 40 finalists were foreign born the girl winner was 17 year old barbara claire wolff of flushing L I 1 where the united nations has its headquarters although there is no connection all the contestants must have worked on a special scientific project and miss wolff devoted her time to production of now tt if you raise fruit you will be interested in this although you probably recognize a if you met it on one of your strolls through your orchard A is a change a change in the body shape of a fruit fly the oy fly itself will not be permitted to get at your fruit its eggs have been dyed and irradiated observation of which processes in the long run probably will help the fruit industry when miss wolff dying eggs and ir radiating them she is editing her school paper playing badminton studying and we sup pose and enjoying her clubs which include math cancer and microscopy organizations young bendes project has to do with removing or redu reducing cing explosion hazards in the chemical processes process esby by which such modern synthetics as the silicones sili cones sex hormones and some synthetic rubbers are produced commercially merci ally some day thanks to him men and women may be able to face the most alluring hormone bimone or the most explosive overshoe or automobile tire in comparative safety and m may ay even be able to walk right up to a silicone sill cone and slap it on the back the 40 finalists were reminded by watson davis science service director harlow shapley director ol of harvard college observatory and W W waymack atomic energy commissioner MIS lioner that it is not enough these days however for or scientists to stick to their scientific last letting the rest of the world go by As dr shapely put it dont be so laborious in your laboratories that you ignore your responsibilities ties as citizens and as waymack warned nowadays the scientists must not only aid in the creation of knowledge but in the dissemination and use of that knowledge for the general welfare unfortunately there are an all too few trained scientists in this atomic age As the report of the presidents scientific research board pointed out the technological and scientific progress of this country depends upon one halt half of 1 I per cent of our population some persons this small group comprises the trained manpower the scientists te technicians ch aiu clans and engineers upon which the operation and the expansion of our economy depends and those actually engaged in scientific research te technical development or teaching culli comprise a much smaller group within this pool only persons the science talent search and similar projects undertaking to discover and encourage youthful scientific talents are helping to ensure the tu ture security and prosperity of the united states which depend as never before on the rapid extension of scientific knowledge not only be cause the laboratory is the first line of defense in wartime and the dentist is the indispensable warrior VC V XI q 7 Z R Z barbara claire ciaire wolff who plans to become a geneticist is shown with the equipment she uses to produce but also because scientific discovery Is the basis for our progress ag against ainest poverty and disease ex GI s can upset the budget again this year in an its attempt to trim mr Tr spending congress makes no allowance for nearly million dollars still unclaimed in terminal leave pay due enlisted men the presidents bulging budget set aside only five million dollars for this item just 1 per cent of the total possible cost in contrast to the usual hollywood practice the governments film production includes none of the usual thrillers latest 25 minute short subject made by uncle sam bears the prosaic title toward a uniform plumbing code other recent roos cover movies on blister rust control japanese agriculture toot foot and mouth disease 4 some of the people who say they would rather be right than president dont get the chance they deserve |