Science Siftings

New Zealand Tablet, 6 December 1906, Page 35

Science Siftings

By

■'■■ y :;■■'■■ u'lls; -vl:: : ; is i the growth; of- plants; large sums expended;'ioi', fertilizers rich in thatV element.;':~ So riaiv chemistry , has done n-othing ■effective" ?;; '- in the way of; frpms the /. atmosphere. ■'■'■"'.: '".■■;■/''" '"''",";'"' : " "■'•"" 'Vi"" >"* ■ The Spectroscope.;. .;.:„„,, ~=•' . Iri the -field ijs ' more serviceable thaii: 'the"''"'"'teicscope;. 'its means; ■ have -been discovered" 'daTk;r;:plaiieMllre:. : ;ti6^ies,,:-which' : revolve about stars and which a, telescope thousands .of ~ times'-;:■''more.'ipp^ijrtuis;th'a'ii' any we ; -now. -could - v never'' reveal;"":'*: i --'- } ''''-■'■ ; :;' ■': - - .;- : '\;-- :: ■;-->' .a Miners of the World. > More than- half total *'"■min•er'^"pf''"•"thjb^''";w6l•la'™* v, were in ,1901 engaged in "getting .coal, . Great Britain r% -- employing over 833,000,.Uthe> -United;; States Germany 543,000,-France - WlyOOO; /Belgium 138,000,.-.'■; Austria 119,000,- and,/ Indian nearly 93,000.,; output of coal was. 886,006,060 tons, of the, estimated^'.' value of more than ;;;;■>.-;"/ : "<V" «, ''•.:'■■'■ ■:■■ y_. Dreadnoughts Masts. ; . .;; -x.w ,;• -&Z. ' Two remarkable lyeeh fittcdrtb ? the r l)at-:' : tleship Dreadnought. < They -are unlike anything eyer .-,- fitted to .a battleship. befbrej and together with itlie' ; two great funnels, through- each of > which a coach t- : and four could be . driven with\,ease, they "give : ship a J'lOat fdniiidable appearance. v The;masts ";arp,?; tripods pure and/.. : simple, supporting ../the'''-stat tons' aloft," from which the fire of the powerful 12rn. guns mayvbe 1 directed. ■■;.-/;. .; '/ :/--,■:■•. ''■•'.'•'■" '.; .'-'^'-' ; ' .. ■_ Strength /of-' the Ant. \/':---~:*^^-'i;. : ™''^? } If a man •-■"'•had.- the strength -of. the ant he. could lift 500 times his. own wcig-htv Thus if the standard weight of a man w T ero 150 pounds, he could lift with-r ; out 'due exertion 75,000 pounds. Think;lJloW: >" condition would affect :the - hibor problem .or how it would express itself;'in#tiie qxiestion of peace and' war yond tlie wildest' dreams ! ;'Anid. if an /ordinary man ; was so strong how marvellously more able.:- would-be i a Sandow of that race; of-Samsons ! ■ : ;-/; ■'• - ■ '.^-''fy:^ /The '-Height- of/ the Clouds. " : l ys The., highest./clouds -rise on . an, _ average to a. '•• of nearly 30,000 feet. The middle clouds Jceep-at from '■'-' about 10,000 to feet; abpve/the surfaee- of the J: earth, the lower clouds' L seldom ;lower 'than 1000. pi ; ;': higher rthan /7000 ifeet. . ;The : cumulus clouds float wifhtheir lower" - surface- at a height of/from J4OOO >to feet, while their= summits : upward "%©; ; 5 a height of •16,000"--ieet. /The/ tops/ of the Alps' are' often hidden by clouds of the 'thir'd class, while those -, of the .other ..classes are„.,frequently seen shooting up : the ravines like sheets of smoke. ..-" New. Mitrailleuse. ■■ /- >' ,'•'/ France's new\niitrailleus<i,^which is now""being man- ■ ufactured at' St. will naturally be a great/, - advance on the 'weapon Trom which the French hoped;., so much in the war with Germany.. This was 'a kmd;'' of- pepper-box whichr,'J vomited' * bullets ;wi-I>h■■-;.■ a: harshVgrinding noise, and ' was ,much dreMed by the Pius-; sdans until discovered the- limits of its The mitrailleuse was .apt; -to exhaust all its energies*-'' within a small "area,; : an'dl it, is;; recorded >tliat a Prus-r "' sian 'infantryman- once,;, received rio fewer than twenty^/ three bullets—and survived,!-" '"i -i >".