This is a podcast from the archives of the BBC Reith Lectures.

This lecture in the series Science and the Nation, given by Edward Appleton, was originally broadcast in 1956.

The Reith Lectures.

Sir Edward Appleton, fellow of the Royal Society, principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh,

gives the last of his six BBC lectures on Science and the Nation.

He will discuss science and education.

Sir Edward Appleton.

In my previous lectures, I've been talking about the different kinds of science we practice in Britain.

In dealing now with science and education, I turn from actual achievements to the training of the young people whose achievements are still to come.

Now you'll remember that I've spoken as a champion of specialization.

I've also mentioned the personal satisfaction that can come from specialising in a rapidly

developing subject like science. Specialization alone, however, isn't enough. I therefore don't

intend to talk in this lecture

simply about the education of the scientist as a scientist,

but about the education of the scientist as a whole man.

Now, on the subject of education, people speak with many different voices.

Yet there are some things to be said about it that

would find fairly general acceptance, especially among men of science themselves. You'll remember

that I've identified adaptability. Adaptability as one of the essential qualities we must try to foster in our training of scientists.

And here I mean adaptability in its widest sense,

not only the ability to make the leap from theory to practice,

but also the ability to communicate and cooperate with men of different training and interests.

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