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Volume 1
Integrated Science
Editor-in-Chief
Nima Rezaei
Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
The Integrated Science Series aims to publish the most relevant and
novel research in all areas of Formal Sciences, Physical and Chemical
Sciences, Biological Sciences, Medical Sciences, and Social Sciences. We
are especially focused on the research involving the integration of two
of more academic fields offering an innovative view, which is one of the
main focuses of Universal Scientific Education and Research Network
(USERN), science without borders.
Integrated Science is committed to upholding the integrity of the
scientific record and will follow the Committee on Publication Ethics
(COPE) guidelines on how to deal with potential acts of misconduct and
correcting the literature.
More information about this series at http://www.springer.com/
series/16554
.
For more FREE books, go to: textseed.xyz
Editor
Nima Rezaei
Integrated Science
Science Without Borders
1st ed. 2021
Editor
Nima Rezaei
Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran,
Iran
This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively
licensed by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is
concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of
illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in
any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and
retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or
dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed.
The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the
advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate
at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the
editors give a warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to the
material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have
been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional
claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
A little bit later in time, about thirty years ago, when I was a
passionate child; why I came to this world? I thought to myself.
Probably I am going to do something, shouldn’t I invent something in
the world? I asked myself. Everything has been invented like electricity,
the telephone, and the airplane. Is there anything left to be invented? I
asked myself again. The answer was yes, there were many other
unexplored or non-invented things.
Thirty years later, which is today, I thought to myself that we would
certainly see some cars that fly in the sky. What if these cars crashed
and fell down? Fortunately and unfortunately, that hasn’t happened yet.
I thought to myself that what if we had a television that not only
transfers the light and the sound, but also transfers the odors of the
scenes! This appears not to happen too. I knew someone who was
mentally disabled. I thought to myself in the current century; it would
certainly be possible to transplant one’s brain into another’s brain and
treat him. This did not happen, too. But a phenomenon occurred:
“Networking”, which I haven’t even thought about. Different networks
came into existence, and humans became connected, trying to become
closer to each other. Indeed, I think in the present century, if we don’t
do networking, it would not be easy to move forward with our works.
Humans, I think, feel lonely, and to avoid distances, they are trying to
become close to each other and don’t come into their minds; they are
getting far from the close. Humans have begun building walls and
borders. They have defined borders between cultures, thoughts,
countries, states, cities, villages, homes, and even the people who live in
the same building don’t know who are living behind the walls! In
homes, there is a gap and a thick wall between the generations; so,
parents cannot dialogue with their children. On phones, they are
staying closely connected with far people while being apart from their
close people. I am almost concerned that these walls are extending to
our cells, which means that the immune system comes and builds thick
walls between itself and other organs, including the central nervous
system, joints, etc., and causes multiple sclerosis, lupus, rheumatoid
arthritis, and diabetes. We hope this does not happen that cells become
autonomous, which would become cancer. Whether we like it or not,
ourselves, our relatives, or our friends have to visit the hospital once
day. We hope this does not happen that a complex disease like cancer is
present within a family. Then you would see how much it changes the
order of priorities, and life forms a different form.
After years, since I became a full professor at the university,
published hundreds of scientific papers, thousands of citations to my
papers occurred, wrote tens of books that were published by
international publishers, and be selected as one of the top scientist of
the world, I wondered what is all this for? Why can’t we solve the
complex problems of mankind? And complex problems of mankind are
not only those related to medicine: climate change, a river floods
somewhere, while somewhere is drying up. I don’t know how much
your heart hurts when you see a child who is full length scavenging
something in the rubbish. Probably there is a thing that this child is
scavenging for. This is the problem of many countries, where you can
find someone holding a plastic cup standing at the crossroads and near
restaurants and asking you something. Child abuse, drug abuse,
addiction, pandemic and some other health issues are complex
problems humanity could not solve yet. Why? Because these problems
are not single disciplinary problems. They are the problems of every
single one of us. Their solution lies in multiple disciplines.
I usually travel a lot. Traveling by plane has two advantages. One is
when the plane is taking off, you find how small you are and also how
small your problems are. The other one is that in a world that has been
fast-paced, you will find the opportunity to think. I was in my thoughts
and wondered would it be possible to have a solution for the complex
problems of mankind? I thought that if we can remove the borders,
then it might be possible to make the world a better place for life. These
borders are not just geographical borders; borders between disciplines,
borders between the old and young people, and borders between
people. Why? Now that people are spending their time on virtual
networks, why not taking advantage of it for an Integrated Science
Without Borders Platform? That’s when I decided to create a scientific
network, named “Universal Scientific Education and Research Network
(USERN)”.
So, the Integrated Science Series aims to publish the most relevant
and novel research in all areas of Formal Sciences, Physical and
Chemical Sciences, Biological Sciences, Medical Sciences, and Social
Sciences. We are especially focused on the research involving the
integration of two of more academic fields offering an innovative view,
which is one of the main focuses of USERN; science without borders.
Life is too short. If one day you were ing heartbroken and lonely,
keep in mind when you were a child, you would like to fly. If now you
see yourself dealing with everyday life and as I say “captured by water
and seeds”, which means to only care about your financial and basic
desires, bear in mind that water and seeds mean the cage, and the cage
means the death of the freedom. Do not determine a flight-ceiling
neither for yourself nor for others. We should bear in mind that “The
Sky Has Room for Every Bird that Dares to Fly.”
I cannot end my words without thanking all, who made this
initiative possible, while USERN was nothing without them. Flying alone
in the sky looks like a prison, without any sense of reunion,while the
colorful flying is impossible without a companion Flying together, making
the way easier,to go farther, in any weather Flying higher, showing how
much smaller,however still lier to be a true lover...
Nima Rezaei
Tehran, Iran
Acknowledgment
I would like to express my gratitude to the Editorial Assistant of this
book series, Dr. Amene Saghazadeh. Without a doubt, the book would
not have been completed without her contribution.
Abbreviations
ADP Adenosine diphosphate
AI Artificial intelligence
AMP Adenosine monophosphate
ANT Actor Network Theory
AOGCMs Atmosphere‐ocean general circulation models
AQIs Bits of absolute quantum information
ASD Autism spectrum disorder
BBB Blood‐brain barrier
BDNF Brain‐derived neurotrophic factor
COVID‐19 Coronavirus disease 2019
CSP Corporate social performance
CSR Corporate social responsibility
DICE Dynamic Integrated Climate Economy model
EPR Einstein‐Podolsky‐Rosen
GBD Global burden of diseases
HPA Hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal
HRI Human–robot interaction
IASP International Association of Science Parks and Areas of
Innovation
ICT Information and communication technology
IMMERS Immunoemotional regulatory system
IMR Indigenous Management Research
JAR The Journal of Artistic Research
LHC Large Hadron Collider
LIGO Laser Interferometer Gravitational‐Wave Observatory
MSF Médecins sans frontières
NCDs Noncommunicable diseases
NGOs Nongovernmental organizations
NHST Null hypothesis significance testing
NPIs Non‐pharmaceutical interventions
OECD The organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
RBA Research based on the arts
RCAP Rejection, contestation, adaptation, and anticipation
SOA Sociology of Organized Action
SRL Societal readiness level
SSE Social and solidarity economy
SSI Socio‐Scientific‐Issues
STEAM Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics
STP Science and Technology Parks
STS Science-Technology-Society
STSE Science‐Technology‐Society‐Environment
TRL Technology readiness level
UN United Nations
WFP World Food Pogramme
WHO World Health Organization
WWI World War I
WWII World War II
Contents
1 Introduction on Integrated Science:Science Without Borders
Nima Rezaei and Amene Saghazadeh
2 The Human Person as an Integrated System
Jan Kłos
3 On the Nature of Qualitative Research in Process
Transformations:The Changing Man in the Changing World
Ewa Rzechowska
4 Integrated Science:Ambitions, Practicalities, Misunderstandings
Henry H. Bauer
5 The Integration of the Sciences and Integral Human Knowledge
Chris van Haeften
6 The Indelible Stamp of Our Lowly Origins:An Epistemic
Architecture Between the Sciences and Humanities
Dustin Hellberg
7 Transdisciplinary Approaches to Understand and Facilitate
Transformations Towards Sustainability
Ortwin Renn
8 Models and Integration
Henrik Thorén
9 Unlaws:The Missing “Dark Matter” in the Philosophy of Science?
Rory Allen
10 Life—Stabilization of the Unstable Through Controlling
Influence of Quantum Information
Thomas Gö rnitz
11 The Sustainable Humanist Concept in Art and Science Synergies
Silvia Nuere, Laura de Miguel Á lvarez, Adela Acitores Suz and
Raú l Díaz-Obregó n Cruzado
12 From Being One to Being Many.Understanding the Diversity of
Bio-Life:Human, Nonhuman, and Liminal Beings in Bio Art and
Body Art
Monika Michałowska and Karolina Żyniewicz
13 Composite Bodies in Times of Revolt.On Socio-Material
Assemblies in Social Uprisings
Pedro E. Moscoso-Flores and Antonia Viu
14 Life, Complexity, Communication:Integrating Social Systems
Theory and Consciousness
Tilia Stingl de Vasconcelos Guedes
15 Instrumentality Versus Awareness:Rethinking the Reverse Side
of Artificial Intelligence
Ž ilvinas Svigaris
16 The Question of Transdisciplinarity Between Modern Science
and Critical Thought
Christopher Ryan Maboloc
17 Adaptive Networks at the Crossroad of Artificial Intelligence
and Formal, Biological, Medical, and Social Sciences
Jan Treur
18 Are We Ready for “Them” Now?The Relationship Between
Human and Humanoid Robots
Xiao Dou and Chih-Fu Wu
19 Integrating Computer Simulation and Social Theory for the
Planning and Managing Complex Problems
Leonardo G. Rodríguez Zoya
20 Rethinking Managerial Control in the Contemporary Context
Jean-Yves Le Corre and Thierry Burger-Helmchen
21 Innovation and Altruism:A New Paradigm Defining the Survival
of Corporations?
Sophie Bollinger and Marion Neukam
22 Integrated Science 2050:Science Without Borders
Amene Saghazadeh, Adela Acitores Suz, Antonia Viu, Chih-Fu Wu,
Christopher Ryan Maboloc, Dustin Hellberg, Ewa Rzechowska,
Henrik Thorén, Henry H. Bauer, Jan Kłos, Jan Treur, Jean-
Yves LeCorre, Karolina Żyniewicz, Laura de Miguel Á lvarez,
Leonardo G. Rodríguez Zoya, Marion Neukam, Monika Michałowska,
Ortwin Renn, Rory Allen, Pedro E. Moscoso-Flores, Raú l Díaz-
Obregó n Cruzado, Silvia Nuere, Sophie Bollinger, Thierry Burger-
Helmchen, Thomas Gö rnitz, Tilia Stingl de Vasconcelos Guedes,
Xiao Dou, Ž ilvinas Svigaris and Nima Rezaei
Index
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
N. Rezaei (ed.), Integrated Science, Integrated Science 1
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-65273-9_1
Nima Rezaei
Email: [email protected]
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used
when we created them”.
Albert Einstein
Summary
We argue that complexity is the nature of problems. The first section of
the chapter moves from a simple beginning, complex problems, to an
end that both complex problems and complex problem-solving give
birth to a depressed thinking society. The next section addresses what
science is, what non-science (parascience and pseudoscience) is, what
bad science is, what good science is, and what science education is for.
It is followed by tracing the demarcation of science from non-science in
philosophy, sociology, and history. Then, we see global borders
classified as important and more important borders by the selective
function of thinking. Also, we see how globalization has influenced
global borders to be classified as borders to connect and borders to
divide. The section on global issues recognizes ten burning questions
and challenges on the imperfection of the world that, if failed to be
treated effectively, would result in risks to humanity nobody wants to
see. It would prepare us not to be surprised by the fact that health
issues that are difficult to treat are those that are also difficult to define
because they cross the borders between nations (infectious
pandemics), body systems (multisystem diseases), tissues (metastatic
diseases), in the mind and between the mind and environment (mental
disorders), and even the borders between brain and body
(immunoemotional disorders). We see science education when it is at
cultural borders dealing with the duality of learning science or living
everyday life, and also when crossing borders yielding both science and
life. The importance of schools and universities without borders is
noted. Then, we understand how science and technology control each
other while both trying to come into a given society. Finally, we see the
procedure and practice of integrated science and conclude that a cross
between disciplines and a connection between scientists is a necessity
for building metaknowledge and proposing metaperspectives.
Integrated science
[Adapted with permission from the Association of Science and Art
(ASA), USERN; Made by Sepideh Sargoli, Shaghayegh Khodabakhshian,
and Mahsa Yousefpour].
The code of this chapter is 01000011 01110100 01101111 01101110
01101110 01101110 01100011 01101001 01100101 01101111.
Fig. 1 Elephant in the dark: poetry by Jalal al-Din Rumi, Maulana. The image shows
townspeople, who have never seen an elephant, examine its appearance in the dark
“Some Hindus have an elephant to show.
“A leathery throne.”
Fig. 2 What does a complex situation demands from the problem solver? (Prepared
with data from [1])
The system and the individual(s) are the main parties involved in a
complex problem-solving situation (Fig. 3). Therefore, personal
(processing capacity, motivational parameters, emotion regulation
capacities, system knowledge, control knowledge, and strategic
knowledge), situational (transparency, training, and deadline), and
system (the type of feedback, knowledge acquisition, and knowledge
implementation) aspects play a role in solving the problem.
2 Science
2.1 What is Science?
Applications of the word “science” are not the same in different
languages [7]. In English, the word “science” is applied to activities
concerned with natural sciences and similar fields of research. Political
economy and sociology, but not literature and history, fall under this
definition of science. In German, the word “Wissenschaft,” which means
science, is defined as the “systematic pursuit of knowledge, learning, and
scholarship.” In this way, the word “science” incorporates all academic
activities moving onto the road of investigating critically and producing
knowledge systematically, and this would include social sciences and
humanities as well.
Principle Goal
The principle of All students regardless of gender, cultural or ethnic
equity background, physical or learning disabilities, aspirations, or
interest and motivation in science should have the opportunity
to attain higher levels of scientific literacy than they do
currently
Principle Goal
The principle of All students will learn all science in the content standards
achievement
The principle of All students will develop science knowledge as defined in the
understanding content standards and an understanding of science that enables
them to use their knowledge as it relates to scientific, personal,
social, and historical perspectives
The principle of Learning science is an active process
learning
The principle of For all students to understand more science, less emphasis
“less is more” must be given to some science content and more resources,
such as time, personnel, and materials must be devoted to
science education
The principle of School science must reflect the intellectual tradition that
science literacy characterizes the practice of contemporary science
The principle of Improving science education is part of systematic education
education reform reform
3.1 Philosophy
It is easy to accumulate confirmatory evidence, but how can change the
future when all related statements come from the past. This strategy,
i.e., verifying statements, in turn, gives birth to a new problem, the so-
called problem of induction that comes along with the generalization
process of predicting future behavior based on past and present
observations.
Karl Popper thought that science should offer the most valid and
reliable knowledge if it is presumed that science is superior to other
knowledge-producing cultures. Knowledge is different from absolute
claims and belief and certainty; reliable knowledge is falsifiable and
uncertain. And what makes science advance is the falsifiability of
statements that can be invoked by critical thinking, refuting theories,
and proposing conjectures. In this manner, falsification is a good
solution to avoid cumulative repartition effects, and instead, can help
identify errors and serve as an error-eliminating system. For
falsification to operate, it would require scientific, empirical evidence,
pushing Karl Popper to define the problem of demarcation of science
from non-science [16].
3.2 Sociology
Popper’s essentialist perspective is seen in Merton’s thought of science
when laying out “the extension of certified knowledge,” that is,
“empirically confirmed and logically consistent statements of regularities
(which are, in effect, predictions)” as the institutional goal of science. A
frame structuring of this institutional goal of science—which is what
demarcates science from non-science in Merton’s view [17], as
falsifiability for Popper—critically involves technical (methodological)
and social (moral) norms. While technical norms are based on
empirical evidence, social norms are “held to be binding on the man of
science.” Such a structure entertains the man who is a scientist,
contributing to the development of empirical evidence, and
simultaneously is a social being, reacting to social norm violations. The
four main norms as proposed by Merton are as follows; communicating
the work to other contributors to science (communism), the equal
allocations of resources to all contributors to science (universalism),
not taking the actions out of self-interests that might affect the
institutional goal of science (disinterestedness), and critically assessing
the evidence and developing arguments with claims (organized
skepticism). In this way, knowledge-producing activities are scientific if
and only if they are housed in this frame; otherwise, they are not-
scientific practices, e.g., politics [16].
3.3 History
Thomas Kuhn was the other pioneer who theorized demarcation,
neither with falsifiability nor with social norms, but by defining two
puzzle problems and proposing paradigmatic consensus as a solution
to these problems [16]. One puzzle appeared when he explored the
arguments social and behavioral scientists make and compared them
with those of physicists, leading him to identify the importance of
agreement on first principles endorsed by physicists, not by social and
behavioral scientists. A quest through history posed to Kuhn the other
puzzle that challenges us to handle the rejection of old facts and beliefs
and good explanations accepted so far in the science of nature, and can
we call practices for rejecting these claims as scientific activities.
Accordingly, Kuhn put forward a paradigmatic consensus considering
historical trajectories associated with revolutionary changes in science
content and their influence on evaluating normal science. First
principles and models simplifying assumptions for working in the
context are the key components of a paradigm that seeks to define a
problem and optimize solutions. The success of such a paradigm varies
over trajectories, and this makes mature science being demarked from
immature science and non-science.
4 Global Borders
Different dictionaries agree that the adjective “global” means “relating
to or involving the whole world.” A “border” is a “line,” “strip,” “margin,”
“outer part,” “edge,” or “boundary” that “divides one country from
another,” “goes around or along the edge of something, often as
decoration,” or separates “two countries, administrative divisions, or
other areas” [18–20].
5 Global Issues
There is no formal consensus on what is a global issue. There are
different definitions for the word “issue” as follows;
“a subject or problem that people are thinking and talking about” or
“most important in what is being discussed” in the Cambridge dictionary
[23];
“a vital or unsettled matter,” “a matter that is in dispute between two
or more parties,” or “the point at which an unsettled matter is ready for a
decision” in Meriam-Webster dictionary [24]; and.
“an important topic or problem for debate or discussion” in the
Oxford dictionary [25].
It seems the third definition considers three main aspects of an
issue, i.e., it is a problem (or a matter), it is important (even vital), and it
is unresolved (and therefore under discussion or debate). In this way, a
global issue can be defined as an important unresolved problem of the
entire world. The literature contains various short and long lists of
global issues developed by different disciplines and organizations, of
which some are available in [26]. For example, global catastrophic risks
include climate change, artificial general intelligence, biotechnology
risk, ecological collapse, molecular nanotechnology, global pandemics,
overpopulation, and nuclear holocaust. Also, the World Economic
Forum [27] recognizes ten burning questions and challenges on the
imperfection of the world that, if failed to be treated effectively, would
result in risks to humanity nobody wants to see. The recognized
challenges would demand from the public and private organizations the
perfect power of global cooperation and action. These questions and
potential risks are as follows;
1. Question: “Which regions waste the most food?” and risk:
“Malnutrition, hunger, and even conflict;”
2. Question: “Why should growth be inclusive?” and risk: “Income
inequality and economic and social ills;”
3. Question: “What will the world of work look like?” and risk:
“Hundreds of millions of unemployed people around the world;”
8. Question: “What is the deal with global trade and investment?” and
risk “growing unease over globalization;”
10. Question: “How can we make healthcare fit for the future?” and risk
“dealing with pandemics to the rise of noncommunicable diseases
(NCDs) to the prohibitive costs of care, particularly in developing
countries.”
There no longer existed the slightest doubt in the mind of Frank Bird
that their rivals had indeed stolen a march on them and were the first
of the Bloomsbury brand of aviators to mount upward in the realms
of space.
“It’s Puss Carberry beyond a question, and he’s flying all right,” he
said.
Naturally there was a trace of disappointment in his voice, for he had
never dreamed, while working at the monoplane, but what he and his
cousin would be the pioneers along these lines in that part of the
state.
Still, Frank was a good loser. He knew how to fight down that feeling
when it threatened to grip him.
“They certainly deserve a lot of credit,” he continued.
“What for—stealing our thunder?” demanded the indignant Andy.
“Oh!” Frank remarked, laughingly, “I guess they had as much right as
any one to build an aeroplane. And if they managed to keep the
secret it was to their credit. Perhaps we’ve been doing a little too
much talking. And it looks as if Puss did pick up some points down at
the aviation field. He seems to be managing the biplane fairly well for
a new beginner.”
“Well,” admitted Andy, grudgingly, “he is going around after a
fashion; but lots of times it makes a swoop down at the ground like it
meant to whack them into a cocked hat. But somehow the fellow at
the wheel, which I reckon must be Puss, manages to recover just in
time.”
“And he’s doing better all the while,” Frank pursued, still watching.
“When he gets used to it that fellow will run an aircraft decently, and
we’d better make up our minds to that. I only hope we come out as
well when our turn arrives to make the trial spin.”
Indeed, the biplane seemed to be behaving quite handsomely. Its
evolutions, as it was sent around the field where Puss must have
taken it for a trial, were by degrees assuming a more positive form. It
no longer dodged and shot sideways, but acted more like a wild colt
that has recognized the hand on the bridle rein.
So deeply interested were the Bird boys in watching that they even
forgot how the lunch hour had arrived. The ringing of a bell from the
back stoop of the Whympers domicile aroused them, and Andy, with
a look of disappointment on his face, trotted off to eat first, since they
would not leave the hangar together.
“I wonder,” said Frank to himself, noticing his cousin’s downcast
appearance, “whether that boy is really disappointed because we’re
not the first in the aviation field here at Bloomsbury, or if he feels a
bit sore because the Carberry biplane failed to get in trouble on its
novice flight. But I’d better get to work on those planes. We must
have our machine ready today and if tomorrow looks good, try it out.”
So he went energetically to work, trying to put the other aeroplane
out of mind for the time being. And yet it might have been noticed
that several times Frank found an excuse to issue forth from the
shed on some errand, and that on every occasion his eyes naturally
sought that region where the strange bird had been so lately soaring.
On his last trip it had vanished and he supposed that the boys,
satisfied with having shown what they could do, had alighted again.
Just then Andy came hurrying forth, devouring a wedge of pie as he
advanced and crooking his neck in the vain endeavor to locate the
biplane.
“Where did she go to?” he exclaimed. “Don’t tell me they took a
cropper and that it’s all off? That would be a big disappointment, for
I’ve made up my mind that I don’t want to see Puss and Sandy get
hurt. Because, in that case there couldn’t be any race on Old Home
day. And I’ve just set my heart on beating ’em to the top of the
mountain.”
Frank laughed.
“I must say your heart has become mighty tender of late, Andy,” he
remarked, as he washed his hands at the tin basin they kept at the
shed. “But make your mind easy, for I reckon they only dropped
down to get dinner. You’ll see them enough this afternoon. And ten to
one they fly over us here, just to laugh.”
“I’ll make sure to be inside then,” grumbled Andy, dejectedly. “But get
along with you, Frank. Colonel Josiah is dying to ask you a whole lot
of questions. He tired me out, and besides, I wasn’t feeling like
explaining just how we came to play second fiddle to those sneaks.”
Evidently Andy felt pretty “sore,” as he expressed it. When Frank
later on came out of the house he found that Elephant Small had
arrived, being deeply interested in the construction of the
monoplane.
Elephant had, of course, seen the biplane in the air. He had even
increased his customary snail’s pace in order to reach the field of the
flight before the boys came down.
Andy had evidently been pumping him for all he was worth, because
just as Frank arrived the newcomer was saying:
“Why, yes; they did come down with something of a bump, but
nobody was hurt, and Puss said he’d know how better next time.
She’s a dandy, too, boys, I tell you. Of course, not any finer looking
than the one you’ve got here, but built along entirely different lines.
Ginger! I’d be tempted to go into this flying business myself, only I’m
afraid the pace would be a little too hot for me.”
Those who knew Elephant’s slow ways and habits of procrastination
would have certainly agreed with him. He could never keep up with
the procession. Aviators must necessarily be built on the order of
athletes, for their very lives may depend on instantaneous action and
speedy thought that springs from intuition. It is not the profession for
a lazy or clumsy individual.
Soon the two were hard at work, with Elephant looking on, crouched
in his favorite attitude of sitting on his haunches and encircling his
knees with both arms.
The talk, of course, soon turned upon the great race of such aircraft
as had been fashioned by enterprising sons of Bloomsbury.
“It’s going to be a pretty race,” ventured Elephant.
“Huh!” grunted Andy, without looking up, “that remains to be seen.
I’ve got a hunch right now that it will be a clean walkaway; if a fellow
can say that about an aeroplane that makes circles around another
aircraft.”
“I was just thinking, Andy,” continued the other, reflectively and
soberly, as if he really meant every word, “that when you do make
that landing up on the little plateau crowning Old Thunder Top, you
can satisfy yourself of one thing anyhow.”
Andy did raise his head at that.
“Now, what in the dickens do you mean, Elephant?” he asked.
“Why,” went on the other, to the secret amusement of the listening
Frank, “don’t you recollect what I said yesterday when we were
talking about your missing that cute little aluminum monkey wrench
you invented—and how I believed that old robber of a bald eagle
might have grabbed it, because it was shiny. Well, you know that pair
have a nest somewhere on the cliffs up on Thunder Top. What’s to
hinder you taking a peek to see if I wasn’t right?”
“Oh, rats!” said Andy, with a shrug of his shoulders. “You know I don’t
take any stock in that yarn, Elephant. I’m only afraid Larry hit closer
when he said I might have dropped that jewel out of my pocket at the
time I was hanging from that limb over the sink hole.”
Frank put down his knife which he had been using.
“Now that the subject has come up again,” he said, quietly, “I might
mention something that occurred to me while you were in at dinner,
Andy.”
“About my lost wrench?” demanded the other, quickly.
“That’s it. Stop and think now—do you remember laughing at me for
trying my big tool on that tiny nut that holds the main guy of the
rudder?”
“Sure I do,” replied the other, promptly.
“And you did the job like a charm with your little wrench, for I
complimented you on the way it worked. You remember that, of
course?” Frank went on.
“Sure I do,” repeated Andy, his eyes beginning to glow with
anticipation.
“Well,” Frank continued, “it wasn’t last Friday that happened, nor yet
Saturday. I’m positive it was on Monday of this week, just the day
before the glorious Fourth, and if you doubt it I can prove the same.”
Andy sprang up, cracked his heels together, and gave a shout.
“You’re right, Frank; it was Monday!” he cried.
“Say, what’s all this row about?” demanded Elephant, looking
puzzled. “I don’t see what difference it makes whether it was Friday
or Monday, so long as the little wizard wrench is lost, dead sure.”
“Why, you slow coach!” cried Andy, “don’t you understand that if I
sure had it right here in the shop on Monday it never could have
been lost on Saturday. So both you and Larry guessed off the hook.
It didn’t drop from my pocket into that blessed old muck hole.”
“And then the old eagle couldn’t have lifted it either!” observed
Elephant, with a look of disappointment on his face, as he saw the
one bright idea of his life vanishing in smoke.
“And if I had it here it ought to be around somewhere!” observed
Andy; whereupon he started overturning everything that chanced to
be lying on table or floor, until Frank begged him to desist or else
they would find themselves in a peck of trouble regarding other
things that could not be found.
“But hope has revived, anyhow,” asserted Andy, doggedly, “and I’m
never going to give over the hunt. That invaluable little tool has just
got to be found. And I’m the Peary that will get there sooner or later.”
“All right,” said Frank; “but I can see Larry coming whooping along
the road out yonder on his wheel, and he looks as if he had
something to tell us. Yes, whenever Larry grins like that all over his
face he is bursting with information. So get ready to be surprised,
fellows.”
CHAPTER IX.
THE NEWS LARRY BROUGHT.
“Don’t you take too much stock in Larry bringing news,” observed
Andy, still letting his eyes rove all around the walls of the shed, as
though striving to discover somewhere the object of his dearest wish.
“Oh, come!” said Frank, “you’re going to run him down just because
his guess about your wrench falling in that mudhole turned out bad.
Why, at the time I thought it must be the truth.”
“But Larry is always a false alarm,” declared Andy. “Like as not now
he thinks we don’t know a thing about that plagued old biplane, and
he’s just bursting with importance.”
The object of this conversation now came wheeling up to the door of
the shed. He did seem to be trembling from some cause or other. It
might have been his rapid pedaling over the road from town or else
the immensity of the news he was bearing.
“Hey, fellows!” he cried, as he came puffing inside, “don’t suppose
you’ve heard about it.”
“Punk! You’re a back number, Larry,” exclaimed Andy, quickly. “Why,
we watched ’em circle around the field from here; and Elephant saw
’em come down. You can’t tell us anything new about Puss
Carberry’s new biplane, I guess!”
Larry looked surprised.
“Why,” he said, “I hadn’t heard anything about that. Do you mean to
tell me they’ve been and beat you up? And actually got back to solid
earth again without breaking their necks? Well, that is news!”
“But look here,” said Frank, “you were going to tell us something.
Has there been another prize offered? Perhaps there may have
cropped up a dozen other aeroplanes that are being built for the
competition. Seems to be the rage around Bloomsbury just now.
What is it all about, Larry?”
“Oh! what I had to tell don’t seem to have any connection at all with
airships,” said Larry. “The funny thing about it is how they ever
managed to keep it a secret all morning, up to noon. And Chief
Waller has been working hard all the time. Possibly now, you may
have seen some of his men passing along the road here, mounted
on motorcycles? They’re scouring the whole blessed county for the
rogues!”
“Rogues!” exclaimed the impetuous Andy; “now you have got us
wondering to beat the band! What’s going on in Bloomsbury? Sure
the old town is waking out of her Rip Van Winkle sleep with a rush.”
“You just bet she is,” affirmed Larry, with a grin. “And when Old
Home Week comes along, everybody in the whole U. S. will be
talking of the great doings here.”
“But get along with you, Larry. Sure, you’re slower than molasses in
winter. Do you want to have us drop in a fit? Can’t you see we’re just
trembling with anxiety? No more chaff now, but put us wise!” and
Andy shook the newcomer, as though really believing he ought to be
aroused from a trance.
“There was a robbery last night!” began the other.
“What! in Bloomsbury?” asked Frank, surprised, for such a thing was
seldom known in connection with the town on Lake Sunrise.
“Leffingwell’s jewelry store was entered, and cleaned out! They say
the thieves must have taken thousands of dollars’ worth of stuff.
They carried it off in two suit-cases, too; though I don’t know just how
the police found that out. It was kept quiet up to noon in the hope
that the rascals might be apprehended. Every neighboring town has
been informed by ’phone or wire. Police are on the lookout
everywhere, trains are being watched, and it is believed that the
thieves are still hiding somewhere near Bloomsbury, waiting till the
chase cools down to make their escape.”
Larry got this off much after the manner of a small boy at school. He
had evidently rehearsed his speech while booming along on his
wheel.
The three boys stared at each other.
“Why,” remarked Frank, “seems to me they’re beginning early. We
had warning that the chances were there would be a raft of thieves
wander this way next week, on account of the big crowds expected.
Everybody was told not to leave things around loose, and to lock
their houses when out on the streets. But these sly fellows knew
enough to slip in ahead of time, when folks were napping.”
“My! but they must have made a great haul,” observed Elephant.
“I’ve often looked in at that window display of diamonds and
bracelets and watches, thinking that it must be worth a heap. And do
you mean to say they’re all gone up the flue?”
“Cleaned the safe out. They were experienced crooks too, because
they knew how to open that big safe without the police hearing the
explosion!” Larry went on.
“Explosion!” echoed Andy, his mouth opening in astonishment.
“Sure. They blew the doors off with dynamite, covering the safe with
blankets in the most up-to-date style. Must have timed it to go off just
when that freight puffs up the hill, and makes such a big row. It’s
waked me many a night.”
“I know,” declared Andy, “it goes along at half-past two in the
morning. Then it must have been at that time the job was pulled off.
And there isn’t any train until six. Are they sure the robbers didn’t go
on that?”
“Yes,” Larry continued, “because Chief Waller happened to be at the
station then, and nobody got on that he didn’t know. Besides, they
have found out several other things.”
“Tell us what they were, please?” asked Elephant, edging closer.
“Well, a little runabout of an auto was found broken down and
abandoned not more than half a mile away from here. It was headed
out of town. No owner has turned up for it as yet. And the Chief says
he is sure it must have belonged to the two robbers. Something
happened just when they were leaving town with their boodle; and
they had to duck into the woods to hide.”
“Well, I only hope they find ’em then,” said Andy. “Because I don’t
just like the idea of having such fellows hanging around. Makes you
have a queer feeling if you happen to be out late on the road. Ugh!
guess I’ll stick close till they get some news about that bunch.”
“I heard the Chief had a clue that may turn out valuable,” Larry went
on. “On the floor of the back room where the safe was located they
picked up a crumpled paper. It didn’t belong to anybody in
Leffingwell’s, and is believed to have fallen out of the pocket of one
of the robbers while at work. You know that could happen, boys.”
Whereupon the Bird cousins exchanged glances, and smiled; for
they remembered the card which had been found on the floor of the
shed, and which they felt positive had been carelessly dropped by
one of those vandals to whom they owed the destruction of the
canvas covers of the planes.
“But what was the paper?” questioned practical Frank.
“Oh! yes,” Larry replied, “and that ought to interest you boys,
because, you see, it was a pilot’s license, granted by some French
Society of Aviators to a Jules Garrone. So it looks like the owner
might have been reduced to robbing a store. Of course, when they
find out who he is, and where he stays, he’ll have to explain how his
license happens to be lying around loose in a place that has been
robbed.”
“What beastly luck,” grunted Andy. “Here we’re just breaking into the
honored ranks of air navigators, when some scamp has to go and
disgrace his calling. Don’t I hope they get him, though, and send him
up for a good term.”
“You blood-thirsty chap,” laughed Frank. “Just as if it had anything to
do with the honor of the calling we’ve adopted as our own. Every
profession has its black sheep—ministers, lawyers, doctors, all alike.
All we have to do is to make good, and leave the rest. But let’s get
busy, Andy. If we expect to have everything in apple-pie trim by
tonight, we have little time to lose discussing things, even if they are
thrilling.”
Frank seemed to be a trifle more thoughtful than ordinary as he
continued his interrupted labors. Andy kept up a running fire of
comment with the other boys as long as they remained. Finally both
Elephant and Larry went away, and the cousins were left to their
work.
Although they stepped outside about every half hour religiously
during the afternoon, and each time scanned the tree-tops over in
the quarter where the biplane had appeared just before noon, they
saw no more of the flier.
Frank was of the opinion that, having tested it out, Percy Carberry
had discovered certain weak stays that needed strengthening; and
that the owners of the new air craft were putting in their time doing
this.
Andy showed his gratification plainly.
“I was afraid they’d just come hovering over us here,” he said, as the
sun drew closer down toward the horizon, and the biplane had not
been sighted. “And it would have badgered me some to have the
guys mocking us, and taunting us. Now they can’t go up, because
there’s too much wind for greenhorns to buck against. And by
tomorrow we’re just going to be on the map ourselves, mark me.”
“We certainly are,” added Frank, “if nothing happens to prevent it.”
“Why,” said the other, “what could happen to break us up?”
“Oh! I don’t know, but there’s many a slip between the cup and the
lip.” And that was all he would say; but Andy felt that his cousin must
be thinking of something definite, to have spoken as he did.
Evening arrived. As before the boys took turns going in to meals.
This time Andy insisted that his cousin be the first to break his fast.
“I’m as hungry as a wolf,” he admitted, “but all the same you’ve just
got to go in first this time. We’ve got gasolene in the tank, the planes
are finished, and if it was tomorrow, there’s nothing to prevent our
shoving the little beauty out into the open right now, and taking a
slant off over the field. However will I manage to sleep tonight, I don’t
know.”
Frank, knowing the stubborn nature of his cousin, did not waste time
in trying to combat his wish, but started for the house at once.
CHAPTER X.
SIGNS OF TROUBLE.
“I just knew how it would be!” said Andy, as he came in an hour later,
after having eaten his dinner at the house.
Frank, who was still pottering around the aeroplane, though careful
about having the lamp anywhere close to the gasolene tank attached
to it, looked up.
“What’s ailing you now?” he demanded. “Got a line on that
disappearing monkey wrench yet?”
“Shucks! I only wish I had,” replied his cousin. “But I was referring to
what Larry told us about those bold, bad men, who cleaned out poor
Leffingwell. You know he said they must be hanging around
somewhere not many miles from Bloomsbury, and that the police
were hunting everywhere for traces of their hangout?”
“Why, yes, I believe he did say something like that,” Frank went on.
“But what’s that worrying you for? Have you got an idea you know
where they’re hiding? If so, why not call police headquarters up on
the phone, and let the Chief know? I’m sure he’d thank you, Andy.”
“It wasn’t that at all, you see,” explained the other. “But what Larry
said has got on my nerves, just as I expected. I’m seeing things,
that’s what!”
“Things that don’t happen to exist, you mean, I reckon?” asked
Frank.
“Well, I suppose so. That’s always the way with me when I get
anything on my mind. I just imagine I see it everywhere. Now, would
you believe it, when I was coming across the field just now in the
dark, for the old moon is just peeping up over the trees, I thought I
glimpsed a figure that scuttled out of sight.”
“You did, eh?” said the other, eyeing him closely.
“Sure,” replied Andy. “Of course it was an optical delusion, as
Professor Jarvey at high school would say, and there wasn’t
anything there at all. But it gave me some start all the same. Hope I
don’t dream about those desperate chaps tonight. If I wake you up
by shouting, you’ll know it’s only a mild attack of nightmare. Just
douse me with the contents of that water pail, and I’ll come out of it
all right. I always do.”
“I’ll remember,” grinned Frank. “And as the bucket is nearly full just
now, make up your mind, my boy, that you’re in for a jolly good swim
if I’m compelled to upset it over you. I’d advise you to go slow about
dreaming such things.”
“I will,” remarked Andy. “You give me cold feet already; but that isn’t
a circumstance to what a beaut of a chill I’ll get if you douse me
tonight.”
“But see here, perhaps you did see something?” observed the other,
seriously.
“Nope,” said Andy. “The more I think of it the more I’m inclined to
believe it was just my imagination that made me think I saw a fellow
duck down behind that fence corner.”
“Did you go over to investigate?” continued Frank.
“Nixey. That would have been your way, I know, old fellow; but I don’t
happen to be built along the same plan. If it was one of those crooks
I didn’t want to meet up with him; and if my brain was only working
overtime why, what was the use bothering.”
“You can argue yourself out of any hole, Andy. But I think I’ll just take
a little walk out, to see if I can glimpse anything,” and Frank picked
up his cap.
“Be careful, Frank,” said the other, a little alarmed. “Just remember
Larry said the Chief called them desperate characters. So if you do
run up against the precious pair, let ’em have the better part of the
road. We’re not looking for any share in that reward, you know.”
“Oh! I’ll take care,” smiled the other, as he passed out.
Left alone, Andy grew nervous. He would go to the door and listen
every minute or so; for he had taken the pains to close the means of
entrance, and put up the long heavy bar that secured it from the
inside.
Finally, unable to stand the suspense any longer he picked up the
big monkey wrench.
“I think I’d better step out myself,” he muttered. “Perhaps Frank may
run across those scoundrels, and need help. There, was that a call?
Did he mean to signal to me then?”
His heart beating wildly, Andy halted just back of the doors. If there
came a repetition of the sound he meant to throw them open and
rush out, regardless of everything.
Instead there came a faint tapping, just as though some little
woodpecker were getting in his work, boring holes in which to hide
grains of corn. Andy listened.
“It’s our code,” he whispered, with a sense of relief. “Frank is there,
and he wants me to open up. Yep, there it goes again—‘open the
door!’ Hello! Frank, is that you, and are you coming in?”
“It’s all right, so open the door, Andy,” came the voice of his chum.
“Did you find anything?” demanded the keeper of the fort, as Frank
glided in through the opening.
“No, not exactly,” replied Frank, dropping into a seat.
“But you say that as if you weren’t quite sure,” expostulated his
cousin.
“I went over to the place you mentioned. There was certainly nobody
there,” continued the late scout, positively.
“Just as I said,” declared Andy, “it was one of my freaks. I’ll just have
to put a brake on that imagination of mine. It’ll get me in trouble one
of these days.”
“But the grass seemed trampled down, and in one place I found
where it looked as if somebody might have been stretched out
looking through between the bars of the fence. I struck a match, and
picked up this thing.”
Frank held up a partly burned cigarette.
“Which shows,” he went on, “that after all perhaps some one was
hiding in that corner, watching the hangar. And when you stopped to
look, it alarmed him, so that he scurried off.”
“A cigarette, eh? Well, we know who uses that sort of thing all the
time. And his name is spelled Sandwith Hollingshead, too,” Andy
declared emphatically.
“Perhaps,” admitted Frank; and he would not continue the discussion
further.
Andy knew from the signs that his chum must be thinking about
something connected with this matter; but if so, Frank kept his
suspicions to himself. He really had nothing sound on which to base
them, and did not wish to alarm Andy unnecessarily. Andy was an
explosive sort of fellow, and at times only a spark was needed to set
the magazine off.
Both the boys expressed their intention of getting to bed early, being
tired, and not having slept any too well on the preceding night.
Frank took to his board pile again, though Andy had fetched out
more blankets so that he could stack a lot beneath him to relieve the
hardness.
He heard the regular breathing of his cousin close by, long before he
could get to sleep himself. The moon had begun to mount quite high,
and sent more or less light through the little window. Frank several
times raised himself on an elbow, and looked around the dim shop;
but nothing seemed amiss.
Finally he must have dropped off, nor could he imagine how long he
had slept, when he opened his eyes suddenly. It was no loud bang,
as on the preceding night, that aroused him this time. Indeed, he did
not believe he could have heard any sound at all, and that it was
only some intuition that made him awaken.
He seemed to just be possessed with a conviction that some sort of
danger was hovering over them. There was no tangible reason why
he should believe this; but the fact seemed to be impressed upon his
sub-consciousness as he lay there and listened, almost holding his
breath with suspense.
Had there come no sound, doubtless, after lying there for five
minutes, Frank must have become sleepy again, and laughing at his
fears, turned over on his rude bed to drop off again.
But he did hear something. It sounded like a whisper, too, and
positively came from over toward the doors. Frank looked closely,
but so far as he could see, they were closed and barred, just as the
boys had left them.
There it was again. Could it be Andy murmuring in his sleep? He
was sometimes given to talking at such times; but Frank felt sure the
sound did not come from the cot at all.
He slipped quietly off his bed. Fortunately the night was warm, and
not like the preceding one, when they had shivered in their pajamas.
So he crept over toward the double doors.
As Frank bent his head close to the rough wood in order to listen he
felt the door quiver. It went through him like a shock of electricity that
some one was trying to see if the entrance to the hangar was kept
locked, since there was nothing in sight outside to indicate the fact.
Could it be Puss Carberry and his shadow, coming back again to
attempt further destruction? Frank had another suspicion flash
through his brain that gave him more of a shock than this first
thought. The two robbers who were said to be in hiding somewhere
close by—might they not have conceived the idea of stealing the
completed aeroplane of the Bird boys, and in this fashion making an
escape, outwitting the officers of justice, who would never dream of a
flight through the air?
He listened further. They seemed to be whispering together again,
though he was quite unable to catch a single word of what was said.
But he fully believed that if his last thought proved to be the truth
these desperate men would not give up a cherished scheme
because of such a little obstacle as a barred door.
Then his first duty must be to arouse Andy, and without making any
noise, if it could be accomplished. After that they would have to
adapt their movements to circumstances.
So Frank cautiously made his way back to the cot where his cousin
was peacefully slumbering, possibly dreaming of future triumphs that
would fall to the portion of the Bird boys when they became masters
of the air.
CHAPTER XI.
THE AEROPLANE THIEVES.
“Sh!”
Andy would have undoubtedly cried out on being so suddenly
aroused by a shake, only that Frank hissed in his ear; and also held
a hand over his mouth, so that he could not utter a sound.
He immediately put out a hand and touched Frank on the arm. It was
intended to reassure the other, and convince him that the sleeper
understood.
“What is it?” whispered Andy, as soon as the hand was removed
from his mouth.
“Keep still! There are some persons outside. They tried the door, and
I believe they’ll soon find the open window.”
Frank said this so close to Andy’s ear that any one five feet away
could never have caught a sound.
“Oh!” gasped the other, as he began to get up. “Whatever will we do,
Frank?”
“Sh! don’t speak again. Listen to me. We must try and hide behind
something, or under the work bench. Come, there’s no time to lose,
and be careful not to stumble.”
Frank drew his cousin on. Still, Andy had sense enough to stoop
over and lift the big monkey wrench from the place where he had
carefully deposited it before taking to his cot.
They crawled across the shed to the work bench, avoiding the
extended wings of the aeroplane.
Just as they gained the shelter of the bench, and were pushing
under it, there came a crackling noise from the further end of the