The importance of science in changing the relations of men to the physical universe about them is easy to discern and is generally more or less recognized.【T1】That the present conditions of life are better than those which prevailed in earlier times proves the value of science, and the more it is considered from this point of view, the more valuable it is found to be.

【T2】The changes in the mode of living of man which science has brought about will probably in the course of time give rise to marked alterations in his physique. The better food supply, shelter, clothing, and sanitation which have been introduced as a consequence of scientific discoveries, correspond in a measure to the means by which the best breeds of domestic animals have been developed, and without which they degenerate toward the wild stock from which they have been derived. And probably, also, as the factors which cause changes in living organisms become better known through scientific investigations, man will consciously direct his own evolution.

But there is another less speculative respect in which science is important and in which its importance will enormously increase.【T3】It has a profound influence on the minds of those who devote themselves to it, and the number of those who are interested in it is rapidly increasing. In the first place, it praises truth and honestly seeks it, wherever the search may lead. In the second place, its subject matter often gives a breadth of vision which is not otherwise obtained. For example, the complexity and adaptability of living beings, the irresistible forces which elevate the mountains, or the majestic motions of the stars open an intellectual horizon far beyond that which belongs to the ordinary affairs of life. The conscious and deliberate search for truth and the contemplation of the wonders of nature change the mental habits of a man.【T4】They tend to make him honest with himself, just in his judgment, and peaceful in the midst of petty annoyances. In short, the study of science makes character, as is splendidly illustrated in the lives of many celebrated scientific men.【T5】It would undoubtedly be of very great benefit to the world if everyone could have the discipline of the sincere and honest search for the truth which is given by scientific study.

【T5】