ABSTRACT
England in. the Second Half of the Twentieth Century-A Mass Society The Changing Nature of Our Democracy-The Role of Education
WE are now entering a new phase of the Industrial Revolution. Man has acquired the possibility of unlimited physical power, and the complete conquest of materials. Even before the discovery of the use of nuclear energy, new engines, resulting in the turbojet, were being developed which have already made the piston engine out of date for aircraft. The application of the gas turbine to land vehicles is under trial. Hydro-electric power is also being developed on an increasing scale. It is an indication of our mechanical progress that it should be considered a reasonable scheme to divert the Mediterranean Sea into the Quattara Depression of Egypt, power would be made on the way, and the subsequent evaporation of the sea water by the sun would yield valuable chemicals. But the use of nuclear (atomic) energy is completely revolutionary, and taps the source of power which heats the sun. Its practical application to motive power is beginning with the atomic submarine (1952), and presumably will be followed by engines on this principle for liners. The coming of nuclear reactors as power stations for making electricity, thus making coal for this purpose unnecessary, has been predicted. There is no mechanical reason why space-travel should not leave the realm of scientific fiction once sufficient power has been harnessed to the rocket-ship. There is an International Conference on Astronautics which meets annually, and the British Inter-Planetary Society is supported by serious scientists. Let us
remember that the Aeronautical Society of Great Britain was founded in 1866 to develop power-driven aircraft, and it may well have been laughed at then.
