ABSTRACT
Until the last century scientific research was almost entirely the work of men who earned their living by some other method, or possessed private means. The same false idea is propagated by writers who are ignorant of science and either hate or fear it, and therefore attempt to magnify the gulf which exists between the scientific worker and the average intelligent man. It is the object of this essay to show that any man possessed of the patience and leisure necessary to watch a cricket or baseball match, and sufficient intelligence to solve a crossword puzzle, can make quite definite contributions to scientific research. Among all the achievements of scientific amateurs none is more epic than the swim of Norbert Casteret through the cavern of Montespan. One may hope that as virgin peaks decrease in number, sportsmen with a scientific bent may begin to feel the lure of the virgin cavern.
