Except in relatively narrow areas, there is not much difference between physicians and enlightened laymen in the matter of scientific knowledge. This applies not only to such fields as anthropology or geophysics or electrical engineering, but even to the biological sciences, including much of technical medicine. The annual publication, Science Year, designed for laymen, will prove fascinating to physicians and will help them see the broad perspective of science, in addition to providing some details in medicine with which they may be unfamiliar.
The volume contains popular but well-written articles about various scientific topics. Those specifically medical include discussions of hyaline membrane disease, "slow viruses" attacking the central nervous system, microscopy, hypothalamic hormones. Among the many nonmedical essays are those that discuss geophysics and geology, astronomy, anthropology, and meteorology. An additional section surveys in more cursory form the latest scientific developments in various fields. The biological sciences are well represented,