Geology Reference
In-Depth Information
energies and which Watts took very seriously. The bell for the
morning lecture rang at five to ten when Watts would be con-
ducted to the lecture room by a member of staff. At precisely
ten o'clock the lecture room door would be closed and locked,
the register removed, and Watts would begin.
Watts often said it was his job to make and mould young
geologists and he would strongly encourage them to read orig-
inal papers published in the journal of the Geological Society,
of which he was President. He also insisted that all members of
staff should attend Society meetings on Wednesday afternoons
in order that they keep up to date in their teaching. He once
chided one of his assistants for missing a meeting, who
responded that he had had a bad toothache, 'Well next time'
replied Watts, 'try having your tooth out the night before'.
As a result of Watt's lectures, avid reading of geological ma-
terial and his memories of Mr. McIntosh's lessons, Holmes
began to think about becoming a geologist. Not only did he find
the topic fascinating, but on looking around he felt that job
opportunities for students of geology in the established mining
industry and the emerging petroleum industry were going to be
much greater than opportunities for physicists. Consequently,
at the end of his second year Holmes took his BSc exams in
physics, then a necessary step to be achieved before he could
continue to the third year, and, somewhat to the consternation
of his tutors in physics, changed over to study geology. In fact
he never quite made the full transition.
In the same year that Holmes had started at the Royal College,
a new Professor was appointed to the physics department.
Professor Robert Strutt was a brilliant mind from the hallowed
halls of the Cavendish Laboratory at Cambridge University
where great names in physics were being made. Holmes was of
course already familiar with the name of Strutt from the corres-
pondence with Kelvin in the Times, and now here was the man
himself. For someone who wanted to study radioactivity,
Holmes could hardly believe his good fortune.
