Chemistry Reference
In-Depth Information
cheerful character called 'The Old-Timer', who explored topics from art
to archeology, engineering to entomology. When the new CBS version of
'Adventures in Science' looked at Antoine Lavoisier, therefore, its writ-
ers imitated a familiar radio drama pattern, focusing more on that chem-
ist's sensational death than his ideas.
46
Within a month, CBS had dropped the dramatizations and shifted to
an abbreviated interview format. On September 16, 1938, the CBS an-
nouncer introduced chemist Harold C. Urey by saying: “We're off today
on the trail of a drop of water that spread itself into a thunderstorm and
washed up on the tables of research scientists a thousand new problems
to face and fathom. It's the story of Heavy Water, a magic potion as fas-
cinating as any witch's brew and the key, perhaps, to the next door of
human progress.”
47
By the end of September, listeners had tired of such
trivializations and tuned in elsewhere; the series was cancelled.
In late 1938, CBS asked Watson Davis to resume production with his
previous news-and-interview format, but Davis was now keenly aware of
who controlled the microphone and how easily he could lose access to
the airwaves.
48
He and the trustees had consistently rejected commercial
sponsorship. As long as the series remained a 'sustaining' (
i.e.
, non-com-
mercial) program, with production partially underwritten by Science
Service but the air time provided by the network (and therefore at the
network's discretion), Davis had to attend to the CBS suggestions. As a
consequence, the revived 'Adventures in Science' series blended atten-
tion to academic science with occasional promotion of research-based
industries.
In February 1939, for example, CBS executive Sterling Fisher wrote
to Davis that the network planned to cooperate with the Associated Gro-
cery Manufacturers in their April 'Parade of Progress' campaign, and he
asked Davis to arrange interviews with scientists “from the research
laboratories of large food product companies.”
49
Handwritten notes in the
46
'Adventures in Science' script for August 12, 1938; SIA RU7091, Box 386, Folder 1.
47
'Adventures in Science' script for September 16, 1938; SIA RU7091, Box 386,
Folder 1.
48
The series ran until 1958, with occasional interruptions for world events and Saturday
afternoon football games.
49
Sterling Fisher to W. Davis, February 7, 1939; SIA RU7091, Box 385, Folder 15.
