The author of this book is one of the leading authorities in the fields of mathematics and physical science, being in certain spheres—e.g. geophysics—the foremost living authority. His range of first-hand and first-class knowledge is truly remarkable, and extends beyond these fields into those of the natural sciences, particularly botany. In this book he presents a powerful analysis of the nature of scientific thought and method. It is interestingly written, and is here and there enlivened by a Puckish humour, but, being mainly addressed to physicists and therefore developed in the language of mathematics, it is hard to summarize. Essentially, the argument is a plea for the validity of passing beyond the Pearsonian standpoint of phenomenalism to that of conceptual inference. We will, however, cull