Physics in Central and Southern Europe

Abstract

SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITIES IN BRITAIN, Scandinavia, and Western Europe are familiar to. most American scientists, but unfortunately contacts with activities farther to the east are less extensive and far from satisfactory. It is therefore with pleasure that I report on some impressions and experiences of a recent visit in central and southern Europe. The following brief account does not attempt to describe all important activities in the countries mentioned, nor does it list all of the leading workers in any one place. The visits which my wife and I made were unofficial, and the choice of itinerary was dictated by practical and personal considerations. Moreover, the comments which follow pertain more to the conditions under which scientific work is being prosecuted than to the researches themselves.