100 years ago in the journal "Proceedings" Kiev Polytechnic Institute Emperor Alexander II "(1903, Book III, p. 7-25) published a text of the speech of the first rector of KPI V.L.Kyrpychov on unusual for technical college theme: "the value of fantasy for engineers." The views expressed in it, and is now perceived with interest - something like write or speak often of late. We offer our readers an abbreviated text of the speech. We think it will be enjoyable, interesting and useful for polytechnics.
Today we celebrate the completion of the initial organization of the Kiev Politehnich Institute of Emperor Alexander II. Using donations collected in Kiev, and through multiple generous appropriations treasury amounts received by the Institute as a result of favorable treatment to him the Minister of Finance Witte, Construction Commission and the Council of the Institute had over three years to build n Institute building and equipping of educational and support institutions . Now the fourth, final courses of all Departments have already been opened, so that in a few months the first issue of the institution's pets will follow. Close to the time when they begin their activities, which is being prepared at the institute. Therefore, all who are interested n and PWM institution, now I have to think much about the fate of his pupils, the future scope of their employment, the nature of their activities, the personal qualities of the cat on rye whole rather provide them with success. I'm going to tell you a few thoughts about one very important aspect of this activity and I will dedicate today's speech to the question of the meaning of imagination for engineers. That I shrink from several obschepr and nyatogo directions and conversations on technical activities. Usually attach particular importance to labor, and, speaking of the great engineers, call them ze swarms labor. Far from weakening the value of work in every area of human activity, and technical in particular, however, I'm not going to talk about it today, and I will turn ext manie and on the other side - a fantasy. Maybe it will be allowed to tell me that they have already talked enough about the workers; Let's talk about dreamers.
In this topic I have a famous predecessor. The well-known English physicist John Tyndall at one of the congresses of the British Association delivered a remarkable speech "On the role of imagination in the development of the sciences," in which he perfectly understood the significance of fantasy for the physical sciences. Tyndale, in all fairness, values very highly the ability of people to vecheskogo spirit, about which he expressed as follows: "To ra to sow the darkness surrounding the world of sensations, we are equipped with the gift of imagination."
Incidentally, he cites such examples of fantasy in the scientific sphere, taking for the sample two of the most famous English scientists: "When Newton from the fall of the apple went mentally to the fall of the moon - it was a leap of fantasy. In Faraday's game voobr and zheniya always preceded by his experience. "
It seems to me that among all sciences the greatest power of imagination is required in mathematics. In saying this, I am not referring to the imagination, which you'd have to clear pre d stavlyat currently shapes and constructions. This imagination is almost all people, and it can be developed to a large extent in every student. But I'm talking about the highest step is, no this ability, of that fantasy, which is necessary for business masters, creators and moving and teley science. Fantasia need math to come up with new techniques, new item on the structure. Without it, he will not move forward, but only turn in the circle of previous ideas. Soon everything will be exhausted, and the movement of science will cease; Scientists will turn into commentators. Studying the works of the great mathematicians, we marvel at the richness of their imagination comes up with the large number of new and unexpected tricks, mind e Niemi found in the issue of a new, previously undetected side - even the ability to get out of the sphere of tradition, routine. They can not stay with the former, but they are irresistibly seeking a new one. In them, as it were, a natural contradiction to the established views, known ...
Mathematics gives us a sample of the boldest imagination of the results, it is created, it can be said, the most daring concept of human genius - the concept of space consisting of t ve four or more dimensions, and of non-Euclidean geometry.
Tyndall in his speech speaks mainly about the importance of imagination in the creation of physical hypotheses. The successes of physics and chemistry are also dependent on inventing new prospect and hog, the new pilot study techniques of speculation about possible new chem e Sgiach connections, and all this - fancy products. The ability of subtle, careful observation is very important for the natural scientist, but one is not enough. To bp indeed invest in results, you need to constantly come up with new things. This requires a rich imagination, and we can rightly call Copernicus, Kepler, Newton, Faraday brilliant visionaries.
In the technical field, dreamers are called inventors; They have a fantasy developed to a high degree, and in this respect they have a resemblance to the great scientists.
The same quality is belonging poets, and though it may seem Stra n nym, but upon closer inspection we notice many similarities among the three bits of brilliant people - scientists, poets, inventors. One writer, hara to terizuya James Watt, the most famous of all the inventors of the world, the inventor PAR ehsellense, said that "Watts in mechanics was the same as Newton in astronomy and Shakespeare in poetry", and these words are very label should be recognized and faithful to the Features e tics ...
...
The absence of imagination can not be replaced by anything in technical matters. Important techno cal improvements, in most cases, have the character of surprises; This is clearly seen in the field of Mechanics, in the replacement of manual labor by machines. One would be easier to exactly mimic the movement of the arms and legs working, do something about the iron slave. Almost always with this invention and starts, but a little luck along the way re d ki. In most cases, it is necessary to come up with something not FSUs zhee of human movement and its members, and does not even like hand tools and machines performing the same work, although there are exceptions. Gargrivs, who began the era of the invention is remarkable and spinning machines, imitated the spinners. At about the image of himself that they spindles in the hands of the move away from cotton stock prisuchivaya or t-ku, is close to that stock, navorachivaya thread on the spindle - then we get the concept of operation of the machine Gargrivsa whose resemblance to the spinners work led to him then , That the car was called the diminutive female name "Genny". About a visible remnants of the origin of the modern selfaktore - machine, which can be regarded as a system of several hundred (800-1000) spinners, exactly x dyaschih of back and forth with spindles in their hands, Suchan thread and wound them on the spindle. But, soon after Garrigiva, a contemporary of his Arkwright invented his water car, the work of which is completely different from the work of a spinner ...
... The inventors of machines can not be guided by the imitation of manual work, but must come up with something quite different, different from the existing one. They need to wander out of the multitude of designs, each a special kind, yet tried them, do not get suitable to the case. It needs a flight of fantasy, the perfect way out of the scope of the Rouge to us. This is the only possible way, and if, for example, until recently, had been received notable success on the part of aeronautics and submarines, the reason is, of course, is that too much imitated fish and Fri and tsam.
Studying the works of the great inventors, we, first of all struck by the wealth of their F n tazii. The invention offers sypyatsya in abundance, capture vsevozmo Well nye spheres of industry and technology. One ingenious inventor gives material sufficient to glorify hundreds of people. Just as in modern science the germs of many discoveries can be traced earlier and found in the former great masters of science and technology in the embryos of many later inventions retrieves t Xia brilliant visionaries in previous centuries. In front of all stands the famous bad Well nickname of Leonardo da Vinci. In the drawings, sketches, sketches, manuscripts that fill it, we, to our surprise, find a lot of designs to which a later origin was attributed. We see him tangential turbine with curved vanes and E (like wheel Tsunningera), modern bevel gear, helical wheel Vaucanson chain circuit Gall machine sipe napilkov, a spinning machine - ne p Imagine today Vater, parachute, ze m lecherpatelnuyu machine Etc., etc., etc.
This is the same James Watt, who we find the germ of all new improvements pairs of O machines - steam jacket, a system to m Pound indicator rotativ etc. In Robert Hooke, a contemporary of Newton, we find cutters, wheels of White. In Brahma (the beginning of the nineteenth cen- tury, etc.) meet the hydraulic and pneumatic transmission. Original and very tional figure represents Marquis Urster with its hundreds of inventions (1663), among which figure and the steam engine and the perpetuum mobile.
For the genius inventor follows a group of inventors smaller force, but ta ki people with very visionary, and, finally, the army of designers, changing the children and whether the details of the location, and producing numerous types of machines. It is instructive to study these fantasy products in all their diversity. For example, in the initial development of the construction of steam engines were tried vsevozmo Well nye location. Put them vertically, placing the cylinder at the bottom, and then perevor chivaya car as it upside down from the top of the cylinder. Disposal machine and hot zontally obliquely. Add to the car yoke; Put it above the car, or below the car, or at the same height with it. Then they abandoned the fixed cylinder; Arranged a rocking cylinder. Or the piston was fixed; q and then moved Lindrum (steam hammer Condi).
It was the same with turbines; Turbines radial axial, combined, with internal or external supply of water; We put the turbine axis and vertically or hot zontally; Arranged twin turbines; We made turbine active and reactive, for l nye and partialnye and so on. etc .. The same can also be seen in other bits of machinery.
With particular strength evident, in our eyes, is the variety of designs with a bit Botko dynamos. They are made bipolar and multi-pole: with a rotating or stationary anchor; with serial or shunt wound, or take e nyayut winding compound; give armature annular shape, drum, disk, etc.; Currents are constant or variable, single-, double-, three-phase, multiphase; combined phase with one another in star or polygonal, or combined polygonal and star with t. d. In short, the obtained weight structures, such as ra of noobraznyh that barely noticeable their common origin, the general idea from which they grew in s.
One writer, searching for a gradual improvement of the electric accumulator of the ditch, and described Faure system, says: "After this comes purely industrial period of manufacturing of batteries and system are increased to infinity." This means that there was a period when it fell into the hands of visionaries - and they are Starting A turn and change in every way. It was and will be with other inventions when they come from a scientific, principled phase into a purely technical phase. From about bretateli firmly convinced that the machines, apparatuses, methods of production - as products of the human mind and imagination - do not represent something immutable, subject only to research and study. For them, these are the subjects, primarily subject to change. This is their point of view, such is their starting point; They immediately begin to change. As a result of such fantasy games get quick mustache on vershenstvovaniya, the spread of the invention at different areas, its application to the Sun, the possibility needs.
Inventors of all time and people present a very motley picture. It is an army that is recruited among all classes and professions. The only condition that Article and vitsya for recruits - a large force of fantasy. I have already mentioned that of all sciences the power of phantasy is required in mathematics, and the fact that among the mathematicians we meet many inventors confirms this. I will point to Archimedes, Cardan, Pascal (hydraulic press, arithmetic machine), Robertwal, Desargue, Lagir, Ivan Bernoulli (he owns the so-called Betancourt spire), Euler (axial turbine, circle engagement), Segner, Ponsle, Clapeyron And overlapping spools), Poselje, Hart, Sylvester (plagiograph, isoklinostat) and finally our famous mathematician PL Chebyshov, with his many mechanical inventions.
Between the inventors there are also notable people such as the Marquis of Worcester, one of the original inventors of the steam engine, and poor people of the people, artisans. Or, as the British - there are people who have received the courtyard n GUSTs by William the Conqueror, and there are people who granted the nobility with nature on Doi ...
Among the inventors we meet people of honest, high morality, such as James Watt and the Marquis of Urster, idealists like Leonardo da Vinci. But there are measures etc. and opposite qualities. Such is Cardan: "A philosopher, a deceiver and a madman." This is the same and Arkwright, of whom Karl Marks says (Capital Volume 1, str.371.): "Who and is known biography of Arkwright, will never think of n and call this ingenious noble barber, he was unquestionably the greatest thief of others discoveries and a man with my despicable. "
The fate of these dreamers was often very deplorable; Many of them were killed by the victims of their irresistible need to invent new things. How many they were ruined, life ended in a debt prison, in a madhouse. Others crashed to death. shis piled in with their flying machines, drowned along with their submarines, TDG and Bali explosion by them invented explosives. But the unhappiness is not in the condition I SRI keep people passionate fantasy of finding of the unknown.
...
What is the result of the activity of the dreamers we are talking about? Where do they lead us? This can be answered: in a magical country. The news about the very first invented and ancient s come down to us in the form of fairy tales; to these stories of dogs took part in the inventions, goats and so on. on. But most new inventions are purely Tale h character. We are now accustomed to them and have ceased to be surprised. For us the most in Novena Oba thing is that we receive is sent to a thin wire our minds for thousands of miles. However, the idea is weightless, it is easy to forward it. But we are not limited to this; of the district who tightrope we send hundreds of miles the mechanical work of several thousand liters of shadey.
...
Our factories are working with incredible speed and prepare items Tale h nom number and honors. One person at a spinning mill and fills the work with manual produ d stve hardly kept up to do in the same time, thousands of workers. Roth and tive printing machine prints up to 48,000 copies of newspapers per hour. How long is it from a pocket watch Bret? And now they produce more than six million annually. First it was a rarity, had only kings and tsenivshayasya par with Brill and Antes crown; and ro ck about every business will have hours, more faithful than in the old days we had Vlad e-negative person.
There is a lot of science fiction novels that portray the future age, and they are many others on the gochislennyh readers. Their authors are not constrained in their predictions, and can come up with something completely fabulous. But I dare to expect that very soon the inventors sd e bark much much more fabulous and fantastic than invented by novelists ...
...
The seeming fabulousness of inventions has repeatedly provoked distrust towards them; They were looked upon as chimeras and denied the possibility of their implementation. An example of the views of practical people on inventions can serve as a well-known opinion of Valpol about the book of the Marquis of Urster "The Hundred Inventions". Valpol calls it "an amazing example of insanity." Everyone knows the ridicule first attempts Shipping and boxcars on goad posts. The same ridicule poured on the proposal for a broadcast Murdock London coal gas. Gemfri Devi asked the inventor, not us e ren whether he is for his gas tank to take the dome of St. Paul's Cathedral. A Vulsten Utwe p waited for the proposal to carry out coal gas in the pipes through the streets of London is equally about the strong intent to cover the city a slice of the month and so on. D. But passes less than a hundred years, and what seemed to be impossible, not only performed, but pretty step e nor superior. Of course, modern light gas tanks (gas holders) by volume are much larger than the dome of St. Paul's Cathedral. In Manchester, one gasholder has a diameter of 260 feet, i. E. two and a half times greater than the diameter of the dome of St.. Sofia in Istanbul. A height of the gas tank 150 feet, i.e. greater internal height of Gothic cathedrals. The volume of one of the gas holder 7,000,000 cubic meters. feet, and on l ny volume of gas tanks of the city of Manchester comes to twenty-five million cubic meters. foot.
Not always counteract the invention is limited ridicule; often the anchor of dilis execution and stronger measures that hurt the interests of the invention, and z is known classes. An invention is often looked upon as a monster, like a new Ming of the brand, which will devour people or capital. Sometimes workers are considered harmful to themselves and the machine broke them. Such revolts against the machines were a few in England in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Spinners crowds and went broke Jenny Gargrivsa, cardio, Vatera Arkwright ...
Inventions often disadvantageous to the factory owners. Only the capitalists had to apply to the same machine, install their production as there are new, improved and you have to replace all the old. If someone does not do it, then quickly take it over the top competitors. In particular, in recent years the abundance of new inventions, appearing almost on a daily basis, it becomes burdensome for manufacturers. Things reached the point that in the United States dealt with the formation of a syndicate to buy new inventions, in order to destroy them. Those. expected to stifle new ideas at their very infancy.
...
If you, sir, were convinced of my words in an important znach th Research Institute for Technical Worker fantasy e lei, it may be will need from me as a teacher, guidance how to develop in children and young men this precious quality. Is it possible to prepare the inventors? I doubt it. In America, the book was published under the title "How d f lat invention". Guide for inventors. This is a very interesting work, but I do not think it will reach its goal. Guide to the fantastic unknown country is more difficult to write than to France or Switzerland inventors n and when you do not wait for their B e Decker.
But it is possible to develop several natural imagination, or at least not m e shat it to develop freely. For young children, it is very important in this regard Thu e of fairy tales. Now not uncommon to see parents who oppose tales; they do not give them to their children, trying to bring sober, business people. I entirely e GDSs predicted these parents that because their children do not come either mathematics or Rec e Tutelo.
At school, a great benefit to the fantasy of bringing the solution of geometric and cottages. It should be a real problem, requiring that the student himself invented dec th set, found a building. It is interesting that this activity meets the general nesochu in Corollary. Try to eliminate school solution of geometrical problems. There Stra n ny opinion, separates geometry from solving geometric problems as the two pa of the personal subject. It is believed that it is possible to know the first one, not owning a second. Or old and Yas facilitate student work published for them ready to meet the challenges, rules and sha used Lona for such a decision, is as harmful as the plans for the works of writing on given topics.
It is also harmful to the development of technical matters any templates established samples ready designs. They kill a fantasy, rob her field of activity, then on zhdayut deadness. Is it good, if we cover the whole of Russia the same paragraph of the construction projects; all churches, stations, bridges will be single sample! As if they were a choir of shea, still plenty of repetitions will annoy everyone how bored oleographs.
I do not want to say that we should not in a technical school to learn about good B samples were buildings, machinery, vehicles, and so on. D. The question is how to put this study? We make a mistake if we tell our students, here's a beautiful bridge, a good car, etc .; study them, emulate them, copy them. The following tips about Vat: explore these beautiful designs and try to do something better than them. And it is not so difficult, having a good pattern to improve it. It's hard to climb a high mountain, but when you have raised the height of external power, it is easy to go with and Momo even slightly higher. Tanks must be a covenant of the Institute of their pets.