NEWS BY MAIL.

Hokitika Guardian, 20 April 1926, Page 1

NEWS BY MAIL.

DANCE OF TIIE ATOMS. LONDON. February 23. Dealing with “ The Constitution and Evolution of the Stars ” in first of a series -of public lectures at King’s College, Strand, W.C., last night. Professor A. S. Eddington, Professor of Astronomy at Cambridge University, said that the double star C'npella had a density little greater than that of air and a temperature at the centre of some 7.000,1)00 degrees and at the outsido of between 5,000 and 6,000 degrees. ” The inside of a star.” said Professor Eddington, “ is a hurlv-hurly of atoms, electrons and ether-waves.” He added : " We have to call to aid the most recent- discoveries of atomic physics to follow the intricacies of the dance. Try to picture the tumuli. Dishevelled atoms tear along at 50 million miles a second, with only a few (alters left of their elaborate cloaks of electrons, torn from them in the scrimmage. The lost electrons are speeding a hundred times faster to find new resting-place- A thousand narrow shaves happen to the electrons in tenths of a second ; sometimes there is a- rude side slip at a, curve, hut the electron still goes on with increased or decreased energy. Then somes a worse slip than usual : the electron is fairly caught and attached to the atom. Elsewhere two of Hie atoms are meeting full till and rebounding, with further disaster io their scanty remains of vesture. Atul what is the result of all litis hustle? Very little. Unless we have in mind an extremely long stretch of time, the general state of the star remains steady." APE VOICES. LONDON, February 23. We ('xpect- a decent voice from a bird and are sometimes disappointed but to discover a fine natural contralto in a male ape is quite a surprise to Zoo visitors. A new singer has just reached Regent's Park: a Hooloek gibbon in splendid condition and excellent voice. It is it oily that the animal does not coniine himself to the first full, fruity note in his compass. This one note is better worth the money than many we have to endure in some Loudon con-cert-halls. He has. however, only two notes, and the second is an inferior imitation of a hiccup. H comes as an anti-cli-max. He is to he introduced to the cage of another gifted vocalist—a female white-handed gibbon. (“Pale Hands T Loved " seems to he indicated as the llooldek’s next song.) The lady in question has also only a two-note range. Her song is said to resemble a very melodious motor-horn with an echo effect about an octavo below the principal theme.