Astounding Science Fiction, British Edition — page 40: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

38 ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION didn’t say that, but we'll let it pass. We have no code, either. On the con- trary, there is scarcely a scientist in the country who has not tried to crack these three gimmicks of Mart’s since he put them on the market. I know of only one man who has made any partial success of the attempt.” “Can you give any reason for this lack of success? Is Dr. Nagle truly the singular genius he appears?” “He’s a singular genius, all right, but not in the way he appears,” said Jennings with a laugh. “To answer your question, I suspect there are certain traditional ways of finding out things that are wholly wrong in their approach. I believe Dr. Nagle has abandoned these and has devised for himself new methods to find basic knowledge.” “And you would say, I suppose, that this Committee should recom- mend amendments to the Patent Laws permitting Dr. Nagle to obtain patents on Laws of Nature?” “Indeed I would!” said Jennings. VI. THEY came in a stream after that. There were the bitter ones and the _ bewildered ones, and the senators listened in astonishment as the young researchers talked of the idiocy of legal definitions in scientific matters. Of invention and noninvention. Of combinations, defined by the legal mind. Of novelty and prior art. And the wonderful slip-of-the-wrist defini- tions of statutory and nonstatutory items. Of the mysterious “flash of genius” so essential to invention. Some of the younger, less disciplined men poured out the unrestrained bit- terness of long hours of research and development judged fruitless from the standpoint of patentability and resultant compensation. But it wasn’t getting out, Mart Observed. The reporters were taking down the words, but the bitterness wasn’t getting out to the minds of those who could vindicate him against the accusations that Baird and his kind had made. It was far easier for the press to quote a Dykstra and his comical, melodramatic interpretation — than the sincere frustration of the re- searchers who were doing all they could to back Mart. Thursday noon he said to Berk. “We've got to get it out where every one can buy it. Even if we win here in this little Committee and finally in Congress, we won’t have touched the problem of minds like Baird’s. That’s the real enemy.” “What are you going to do?” said Berk. “I'm going to offer to be inter- viewed on his program.” Berk whistled. ““Brother, that’s the equivalent of putting your head into the lion’s mouth clear down to your ankles. You know how they can mur- der you on those so-called interviews. You're up there like a mounted insect with a pin stuck right through your middle. You don’t say a word. If you do, they shout you down with accusa- tions of every sort. Baird’ll take the hide off you!” *T don’t think so,”’ said Mart. “It’s pretty tough to tear off.” Baird was more than delighted with the suggestion. Mart had the impres- sion that the commentator could scarcely refrain from baring his teeth. Momentarily, he almost wished he had accepted Berk’s warning. : “T would like it to take place as soon as possible,” he said. “Before the completion of the hearings.” “Tonight,” said Baird. “Ill scrap my whole program for this evening and give you a chance to state your case to the whole country.” Comichooksnco iim