Astounding Science Fiction, British Edition — page 30: what you’re looking at

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

28 ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION things continued to be ignored, the gap between the scientist and the man in the street widened, and widened, and stretched out farther and farther. Any physical scientist knows that regard- less of theory, there is a practical limit to the elasticity of a material. There is also a limit to the elasticity of human reaction to a science it can- not understand, and therefore fears. It became also apparent, in these weeks, that there was a serious leak of details on the progress of Bossy. No project as widespread as the work on Bossy could be kept entirely under security. Even where trained scien- tists possess only scraps and portions of the whole knowledge, misconcep- tions will occur. And multitudes of those working on some phase of Bossy were not yet trained scientists. They were students. Students, for all the grave respect they hold for the weight and importance of their knowledge, are notorious for misconceptions. There is a dividing line between effective scientist and student, but it has noth- ing to do with graduation exercises. _ loo many remain students, multiply- ing misccnception upon misconcep- tion. An astonishing number of these, The World of tomorrow... WAITS FOR YOU IN THE COMING ISSUES OF ASTOUNDING | SCIENCE FICTION — Subscribe Now — | SIMPLY TAKE THE ATTACHED COUPON TO | YOUR NEWSAGENT OR MAIL iT DIRECT TO THE PUBLISHERS AND YOU WILL RECEIVE YOUR COPY THROUGH THE POST EACH MONTH unable to make their way in the lab- oratory, turn to teaching for their living. The gap between science and superstition widens. Beyond a serious central leak, which was becoming apparent, there were widespread rumors and bits of infor- mation leaking out. Each, in itself, was perhaps .a harmless thing—if properly weighed and stripped of its exagperations and misinterpretations. But human beings, generally, are not noted for their ability to weigh judi- ciously, discount exaggerations, and allow for possible misunderstanding. People like sensationalism, and in the telling add their bit to it. Bossy, at first ignored as being the business of the scientists and having no relationship to bread and bed, sud- denly became a topic of conversation everywhere. Everyone found he had an opinion. Ready-made opinions -by the score poured through the news columns and over video. Bossy began to assume proportions of concern, dread, then outright fear. When you stop to think of it, some of the more articulate would say, the most inefficient, unpredictable, costly (your newsagent), or ATLAS PUBLISHING & DISTRIBUTING CO. LTD. 18 Bride Lane, London, E.C.4 Enclosed is my subscription for 6 issues (10/=) Enclosed is my subscription for 12 issues (20/=) (Strike out whichever is inapplicadie) to ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION | Prrerrerriiiiii ei ee eerie rier ier rere ere ere oO FCCC RORE ROSE DOE TE SOS REESESE TEDSTER SR ESE SEES ECOUS DESH HSEEEE NETO HSSSHOSS OOOO SEUDEROS COMUNENCIAT WIE CRE oss cincchovasaccossksecucesacuvecsveseenss issue BLOCK CAPITALS PLEASE ~—eS eee Ged Swe Geter testes someest sees eeesd fee ow connicloooks.c© iim