SCIENCE NOTES & NEWS

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 513, 30 October 1912, Page 3

SCIENCE NOTES & NEWS

THE POWER OF THE SUN. An interesting object is to be seen in a cemetery at Ohio—a large granite stone weighing two tons, in the,shape of a ball, which is gradually turning on its axis. It is stated that during the last five year* this ball has turned a fraction over thirteen inches. When the ball wasplaced in position an unpolished

•pot six inches in diameter was purposely left in the socket of the' I'edestal whereon it rested. A little later it was noted with astonishment that this spot was turning upward on the south side of the monument. This curious revolution ot the huge polished ball, to lift which would require a large derrick, is supposed to be due to the sun's action, in the following manner: The solar rnvs heating one side cause the ball to expand to a certain degree, whereas the north side, which rests mostly in the shade, does not expand to the same extent, thus causing the ball gradually to- shift its position by turning.

MOTOR FOR ROUGH ROADS

The roads of Costa Rica, notorious for deep ruts which make touring with the usual type of motorcar almost impossible, ate responsible for a type of car' which might prove just as useful, however, in other countries alTiicted with deephrutted roads. It. is well nigh a mechanical impossibility to get out of many of these ruts with a fourwheeled car without, assistance. With the newly-designed car, however, the front wheels run between the ruts, and makes it possible to steer out of the track. With the exception of the single wheel in front, and the slight alteration of the frame -to meet it, the chassis follows the usual design.

THE SCIENCE OF SLEEP. Ordinarily we do not sleep by accident or haphazard. We simply resolve to sleep, and self-sugges-tion plays -a great part in the production of sleep. We go through a variety of actions, all suggestive of a change from our norma 1 waking condition. We undress, we place ourselves in a comfortable position, we close our eyes. We believe and expect we are going to sleep, and the result is—sleep. One of the great preventives of sleep is the fear of not sleeping, but an authority says that once this fear is broken down we sleep anyhow. The insomniac worries about his insomnia, this very worry deepens the mischief. HEIGHT OF CLOUDS. Many, varying answers have been returned to this question of how high the clouds are, and, in fact, it may be stated that there is no fixed height for any kind of cloud. Some remarkably interesting measures of the height of clouds have been made at Vienna by an ingenious method. Advantage was taken of the extiemely brilliant light furnished for the great illuminated fountain erected not long ago in that city. By ;v.eans of a projector it was found that a beam of light could be sent up to the clouds, producing upon i.hem a luminous spot capable of being observed simultaneously from points on the earth two or three miles apart. By such observations the height of certain clouds of the cirrus variety was found to be as much as 10,000 metres, or nearly 33,000 feet. RARE METALS IN EVERYDAY USE. Many rare metals have up to the present been put to commercial use. Thorium, employed for incandescent gas burners, chiefly comes from Brazil. The tantalum minerals, tantalite and columbite, supplying filaments for electric lamps, are obtained in the United States and Australia. Zirconium, in zirconia and gadolinite, is also used in the Nernst and Wedding lamps. Vanadium, from the United States and Mexico, enters into he steel frames of motor-cars. Uraium ores, yielding radium, are 'erived from Joachimsthal in Bohemia. Molybdenum, from Queensland and Canada, is used in a fine steel for tools or arms and for alloying with nickel. Tungsten, of importance in certain steels, is furnished by Queensland in wolframt~e, a mineral found also in Cornwall.

THE HAND LOSING ITS CUNNING. We learn through a French paper that we are in danger of losing the use of our hands. The assertion is made by a medical authority, and a little reflection will lead us to pause before scouting this theorv. Our hands in effect become less cunning and adroit through our availing ourselves of every mechanical appliance at our disposal. In times past women were skilful embroiderers and workers of lace, but the sewing-machine has deteriorated the work of the hands and lingers, because, in the case of the mercenary worker, it renders a better return for her labour. By degrees the hands become stubborn, and in time, says the authority before cited, there will be nothing for the ten fingers to do. 1