130 SCHOOL SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS

might be taken of its track. Its mass would be much smaller thanthe mass of an electron�so small that it would not have an ob-servable effect even if it made a direct hit on the nucleus of an atom.During the past few years, scientists have wondered whether the

mesatron might be the particle which Yukawa predicted. It hasabout the same uncertain mass. From the time of its discovery, themesatron has had all the characteristics which Yukawa predicted,except one�the ability to disintegrate. In the past years, scientistshave seen definite signs that the mesatron is also radioactive and does,therefore, disintegrate.Because this inventory of fundamental particles is complete for

today, does not mean that it is finally complete. There was a time,not twenty years ago, when only electrons and protons were necessaryin the imaginations of scientists to explain the behaviour of atoms.Now they have imagined and proved indirectly the existence ofneutrons, positrons, deuterons, photons, and mesatrons. They haveeven imagined the neutrino! But if you hear of a strange new particlecalled a nucleon, don’t let it upset you. "Nucleon" is only the namewhich some scientific writers give to all the particles which may comefrom the nuclei of atoms.

EDUCATIONAL CHANGES AT M.I.T.Full acceptance of a broader educational mission involving concepts of a

university with new but limited objectives that call for pioneering and leader-ship, is recommended in the report of a survey recently completed by a com-mittee of the faculty of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.The survey was carried out by the Committee on Educational Survey which

was appointed in 1947, at the request of the Instituted president to review thestate of education at M.I.T. and re-examine the principles of education thathave guided academic policy at the Institute for almost ninety years. Its taskover the past two years has been to determine whether these principles areapplicable to the conditions of a new era emerging from social upheaval and thedisasters of war.The recommendations of the committee call for new experiments in education

and new exploration into the unknown involving vision and leadership of ahigher order, not only in engineering, but in the natural sciences, the humanitiesand social sciences, as well as in architecture and city planning.The committee^ report discusses the educational philosophy developed at

the Institute, the improvement of professional education, a broader educationalmission, sponsored research, and organization of the faculty for greater unityand effectiveness.

In making its recommendations the committee expresses its belief that thisgoal must be achieved without departing from the philosophy of limited objec-tives that has contributed to the strength of the Institute in the past.

A lie stands on one leg, truth on two.�BENJAMIN FRANKLIN.