Insulation research turns to fundamentals

Of particular significance to those interested in the perfection of electrical insulation are two prominent trends of thought exhibited at the recent meeting of the Committee on Electrical Insulation of the Division of Engineering and Industrial Research of the National Research Council. On one hand, it is notable that there is a definite trend toward the concentration of study upon subjects designed to reveal basic fundamentals rather than to provide an immediate answer for any specific operating problem. On the other hand, the admission that there is an unbridged gap between the field of activity of the pure scientist and that of the applied scientist is an important fundamental step toward the bridging of this same gap to the ultimate benefit of all concerned. In the range of the technical program, physics, chemistry, and the specific subject of cable research came in for about equal treatment. It was announced that in response to repeated invitations from that organization, the 1931 meeting of the committee would be held at Harvard University.