Jean Perrin and the reorganization of science

Around 1930 a new generation came to the leadership of science in France, determined to overhaul it from top to bottom. Already in their fifties or sixties by the time they achieved leading positions, they had long suffered under the direction of superannuated professors, and they had seen French physics, once first in the world, sink toward obscurity. It was their deeply feared rivals, the Germans, who had made and welcomed many of the exciting new discoveries in quantum theory and relativity. The new generation in France, led by the physicist Jean Perrin, now launched a campaign for science. Within a few years they managed to create an organization of a new kind—one that not only revived French science, but that also served as a model for science organizations in many other countries. The story of this effort is interesting not simply because it is an important part of the history of modern science, but also because it can help us to see the social and ideological forces that may help or hinder any reorganization of science.