New Britain Herald Newspaper, June 29, 1929, Page 13

OVELTY is a keynote of the present-day radio pregram and in their efforts to put on the air “something different” the broadcast stations have get up their microphones in strange places to pick up equally strange sounds. Deep-sea divers have submerged “mikes” in the green waters of the sea ators have taken them aloft in the clouds; surgeons have ad- mitted them te their oxerm'ng rooms, fish swimming Even the sound of gol Measuring Tests to Measure the Amount of Work a Woman Can Do Physically Are ey , a Sus 3 ® L Pulled Up and Down. HAT is woman power? It depends in large degree wpon conditions under which she works. These conditions are most impor- tantly atmospheric. No person ean ex- hibit & maximum of labor efficienoy, ne matter of what kind, when obliged to work where there is not plenty of fresh air of a suitable temperature and hu- midity. Plenty of fresh air implies adequate ventilation. In solvi this problem, experts of the Unit:% States Government have subjected women to tests in a closed chamber with air supplied of various temperatures and degrees of humidity. The work they could physically do un- der conditions differing in re- LOVES with webbed fingers for swimmers’ use are the happy thought of Fritz Natho, of (')hp heim, Germany. They imitate the ,::t ai-; duck, w‘uh. aI course, finds advantage for propulsion through the webs between its toes. ‘The idea is utilized by stitching to the K:l. side of each glove a piece of rub- rised fabric corresponding to the size and shape of the hand when the fing- ers are lvru;! wide‘ lur'..- An_armchair which may be eon- verted into a rocker and which affords the additional convenience of a desk when wanted is the invention of Joseph 8. Weeks, of Los Angeles. A board, ex- tended across the arms of the chair and shaped on its inner side to fit the The Radio Apparatus Designed by Professor Richtera, of Vienna, for Broadeasting 1 duced by Growing Plants. in a bow! has been successfully broad- cast, as_well as the sounds of heart- beats of a patient’s have been “put upon the air” for the edification of local listeners, The explosions of shat- tered atomsealso have cracked in the ears of a distant audience. It has remained, however, for an “Woman Power” spects was measured by the pulling of a weight suspended above the ceiling of the chamber. It was found that circulation of the air in the chamber was of prime im- portance. To test this, there were on one wall of the chamber & number of electric fans, which, according to how many of them were turned on, could produce a current anywhere from a sephyr to a strong breeze. curve of the occupant’s body, bas at- tached to it, at the left, a hinged leaf which can be raised to the horizontal and fixed in that position by a tele- scoping extensible bracket beneath. Thus a comfortably wide space is pro- vided for writing mate books and whatever nh'.u-y !u req- ite. A flying toy which may take the shape of a bird or a miniature airplane is the invention of Jose Calvo, of New York. Discharged from a catapult, it travels in a circular path and returns to the operator. The “bird” is made in one piece, of cardboard or sheet metal, with outspread wings and a tail. For its discharge into the air, it is engaged with an elastic band carried by the cat- apult, which is held in the other hand. ecrets of Growth. |origin of the Austrian scientist to go even closer to Nature and to reveal her own voice over a radio broadcast station., He took a pot of flowers from his living-room window, placed it in the company of a lot of complicated electrical apparatus, and then actually broadcast the sounds made by the blossoms as they grew im- perceptibly before his eyes! eedless to say, the radio listeners who were permitted to eavesdrop on the novel experiment obtained quite a thrill out of it. How this amazing experiment was made possible by the operation of the electric ultra-micrometer is described in Radio News by Ashur van A. Som- mers. The original apparatus used for the broadcasts was zfiasigned by Prof. Richtera, director of the “Ravag” sta- tion in Vienna. Briefly, the idea is to arrange a deli- cate system of levers in such a man- ner that the upward movement of the plant as it grows moves one plate of a tiny condenser. This condenser is con- nected across the tuning condenser of 8 high-frequency oscillator, which is tuned to exactly the same frequency as a second oscillator of identical con- struction. While the lever remains sta- tionary, the two. locally-generated cur- rents do not produce any ‘“‘beats” be- cause they are tuned alike. However, the very slightest movement of the lever, which will be caused by even an infinitesimal growth of the plant or flower, alters the capacity of the midget condenser and throws one os- cillator off tune. Since the escillations generzted by this unit are now slightly different from those of the other, they’ will heterodyne or “beat,” and a third frequency will be generated, equal numerically to the difference between the two original oscillations. If the values are properly selected, the beat signal can be made to fall in the audible band, between 16 and about 10,000 cycles. The beat note is then led directly to the modulator circuit of the broadcast transmitter, and will go over the air as a peculiar squeal. Another possible arrangement is to reproduce the noise first through a loud speaker, and to pick up the sound waves with the usual studio microphone. This scheme allows the operators to listen to the apparatus directly and to determine whether it is working properly. In the actual oscillators used in the experiments by the Vieana broadcast station, “Ravag,” the circuits were ad- justed to a frequency of 1,500,000 cycles (200 meters). e plates of the condenser whose utfiuit is affected by the growth of the plant are very thin aluminum discs about two inches in diameter. The top plate is attached to one arm of the lever, while the bot- tom one is fastened to an upright rod. The position of the latter is adjustable, and is determined by experiment with the particular plant being used. The growth of mushrooms has been observed with the aid of this apparatus. One end of the lever is simply rested on the top of the mushroom; as the latter rises, it pushes the other end of the lever downward, increasing the ca- pacity of the midget condenser and, consequently, decreasing the frequency of the oscillator in whose circuit it is The Insect ODAY a fierce battle is on—that of mankind against the termite, popularly and erroneously called the white ant, which it somewhat re- sembles in color and form. This vora cious insect eats up houses, telegraph poles, trees and libraries, and as it works from the inside, these useful things are gone while yet they seem intact. [Even lawns are attasked by subterranean termites, and another species is working through stone and brick walls. About the only effective means yet found to combat this pest is to coat threatened objects with a protective preparation of asphalt. ““The organization of termite life is highly developed,” says Alfred Ainsell in the American City. “These insects live in colonies, with kings, queens, soldiers, workers, chemists, carpenters —each of which does his allotted work for the general betterment of the colony. No slackers or invalids are tol- Engine Driven With Dust NEW type of engine which does not need liquid fuel, but can be run on dry coaldust, has been demonstrated by Rudolf Pawlikowski, who was associated with Dr. Diesel in the early days of oil-engine construc- tion, and who continued to experi- ment with the attractive idea of burn- ing cheap coal in an engine. Instead of spraying oil into the cylinder, very finely powdered coal is blown in, but the action of the engine remains much the same as when oil is used. The success of the engine, aecording to H. L. Morrison in Power, is due primarily to the design of the coal- dust fuel valve and to the use of a small charge of oil to insure ignition. In former designs the coal-dust caked and refused to enter the fuel valve. The constant flow of the coal and air mixture along screw conveyors elim- inates this. “One hesitates to predict 8 wide use of this type of engine,” says Mr. Morrison, “but it seems to have obvi- ous advantages, in that either coal or oil can be used, depending upon the rice of the two fuels. A standard iesel can be altered to use coal-dust at a cost ranging from five to ten dol- lars per horse-power, depending upon the size of the unit. “The internal-com- bustion engine avoids much of the steam lant’s complication, ut cheap liquid fuel is not a ble every- where. Coal is more widely distributed than petroleum, and usually is much cheaper on & heat unit basis. “We have, then, the efficient, simply constructed internal- combustion engine us- ing a relative costly fuel and the compli- cated steam plant whose inefficiency is offset by the use of & cheap fuel. It was the combination of the simplicity of the internal - combustion engine and the burn- ing of cheap fuel that set Dr. Diesel upon the research that led to the Diesel oil-burn- ing engine, His first choice, & coal- burning engine, was a failure—not be- cause the idea was wrong, but because of his {nability to deliver coal-dust into the cylinder. Efforts to make use of coal-dust directly did not end with Deisel’s failure, for both here and abroad experiments have been earried on by a number of investigators, “Out of this has lrpured what im- partial engineers declare to be a prac- tical coal-dust engine. The Pawlikow- ski engine is workable, but the ques- tion to be answered is, What is its field of application? “In-plants of small horse-power the cost of fuel is not the large item—the lahor cost is the important part of the operating cost, and a reduction of 50 per cent in the fuel cost of a 200- horse-power plant would be not over fifty cents per hour. The gain would not justify the addition of a coal pul- verizer and the necessary engine alter- ations, for the overhead on the cost of the change would be more than the fuel savings. The same argument ap- plies to a small steam plant, in which a change to an oil-burning engine would offer greater savings.” A Cross-Section View of the Cylinder flead and Fuel- Feeding Mechanism of the Coal Dust connected. It is interesting to know that the movements of plant growth are not steady, but pulsating—like the strokes of a pump. The oscillators are built into two adjacent metal cans, which shield them completely from each other. Each can contains an oscillator coil, a vacuum tube, and the usual filament resistors and radio-frequency chokes. The “A™ and “B" batteries for each circuit are contained in the same cans, but sepa- rated from the radio-frequency com- ponents by metal partitions. The front panel of the instrument looks like a large one-dial receiving set. It holds two meters, a dial to ad- just the tuning condenser of one of the oscillators (the other being fixed), and two auxiliary knobs for filament control. Once adjusted, the apparatus is left alone, The electric ultra-micrometer has a practical use in the measurement of extremely small distances, since varia- tions in the length of an object to an extent as small as 1-250,000,000th of an inch can be detected. This move- ment is so much smaller than a wave- length of light that it is necessarily forever invisible. Very slight changes of temperature, which affect the length of pieces of metal, can be measured with precision to 1-5500th of a degree, Fahrenheit. In fact, when a person enters the room In which the electric ultra-micrometer is located, the rise in its temperature occasioned by the heat of a human body is enough to cause a loud squeal to issue from the loud speaker. The super-sensitivty of the electric ultra-micrometer to the slighest ia- tions of temperature makes this in- strument of precision of great value in conducting experiments in which it is necessary to record the most im- perceptible movements. . Family “HORDE life,” somewhat simi- lar to that which exists among present-day monkeys, probably lies back of man’s modern social sys- tems, according to Dr. Gerrit S. Miller, curator of mammals at the United States National Museum. “Humanlike asso- ciation of male and female,” the scien- tists says, “together with the psychologi- cal conditions which accompany it, seem to occur mostly in ma s whose young are born in a state which places difficulties in the way of their care by the female alone—mere helplesssness of the young is probably not the deter- mining factor. A litter of young wolves needs the attention of both parents, a litter of young opossums does not. A dyoung monkey clings to the female and can be ldeqululfimred by her sole administrations. The help of the male is not required; and I have been unable to obtain convincing evidence that a true family bond is established. The absence of this ability of the in- fant to cling to its mother may be re- garded as one of the specifically hu. man elements which in precultural times could have combined wi generalized primate characteristi lay the foundation of the family sys- tem in man.” Dr. Miller’s opinions and conclu- sions on this subject are published in the quarterly journal of the American’ Society of Mammalogists. “It is well known,” Dr. Miller is quoted as saying, “that a highly developed type of sex love is often attributed to mammals other than primates, especially to some of the carnivores, but the absence of carefully conducted experiments and of convincing field observations leaves the subject open to legitimate doubt.” That Devours Houses erated; any such are soon killed and eaten. “Most of the individuals are a dirty white. A few are brownish and, un- like the others, have four wings. These are capable of reproducing all forms of termite life. They leave the colony for a single flight, after which the: mate and lose their wings, and eacl The Drawing Below Shows a Typical Colony of Termites and How These Insects Build Tubes Over Concrete to Reach Wooden Supports Which Form Their Favorite Food. ArrACA NG Pace AooTS p.lr founds a new colony. These fly- ing ‘ants’ are the termites most fre- uently seen, because it is only in this orm that they leave the seclusion of the colony. ;’hey are very clumsy, often getting into food and causing a great deal of annoyance during the swarming season, usually the Spring of the year, “The termite is one of the most in- genious insects conlrontin} man. If, in order to replenish their larder, the: have to pass over obstacies !’nrougf‘: which they cannot pierce their way, the ‘sappers’ and ‘engineers’ of the ‘city’ are pressed into service. These will devise solid galleries made of a mixture of wood which has been pre- pared by chewing. The galleries are tubular when they have mo support. The artisans will avail themselves, with extraordinary skill, of every circum- stance that will permit economy of labor and raw material. They enlarge, straighten and level; every gap is rounded and poli-heJ. If a gaflery runs alongside a partition it will be- come semi-tubular; if it can follow the angle formed by two walls, however, it will be merely covered with cement, thereby saving two-thirds of the work. “In a termite colony there is no dirt or filth, and very few diseases are known to attack them. They eat their own dead, their skins which they have shed, and any other refuse that hap- gem to be in the way. Th? are guided y & sense of smell, and they com- municate by a seeming form of t:l‘:rnhy. They do not store their food, but depend on constant contact with wood or plant life in order to live. They attack trees and shrubs by enter- ing under the loose bark, or through an injured or dead root. “Subterranean termites are ¥maller than the non-subterranean type, but their colonies are r and more efficiently L ey must have moisture, and in order to obtain this they often work deep into the ground. On’ the other hand, the presence of steam pipes in & house often screates enough moisture to satisfy them with- out maintaining contact with the ground. “The non-subterranean termite in- fests telephone-poles, trees and build- ings. found in the frame of the house and in the supports, to a cer- tain extent also in floors, ceilings, rommassinG moldings, picture-frames, furniture of all kinds, and wood products generally. Their communities average about a hundred individuals. “A peculiar danger of the termite lies in the fact that its work of destrue- tion is seldlom apparent. They eat only the inside of wood, and show themselves rarely. Thus, the sills, supports, flooring, and other lpuu of a building may be complflt{ eaten away except for the outer shell, which gives the appearance of sound. The termite is voracious. He eats continuously, twenty-four hours a day, week in and week out.” Stature and Diet HE influence of diet upon the development of race character- istics has been shown by certain experiments of Japanese scientists in Tokio. To determine whether the slight stature of the Japanese depends upon their rice diet, the lar rice dinner of a group of school children was supplemented by other articles of food belonging to the diet of races of greater stature. The results of these experiments, carried on for several years, were an increase of several centimetres in stature and several pounds increased weight. A military physician in India made similar experiments with Indian races of varying stature. Sikhs and Pathans are larger than other Indians using other diets. The Mohammedan Sikhs consume milk, cheese and vegetables which other Indian races, of the Brah. min religion, do not. To carry the investigation further a litter of rats, whose metabolism is similar to that of mankind, was taken. One half were fed with food such as the Sikhs and Pathans use, and the other half with normal Indisn food. Fn?ent experiments showed that the “Sikh-Pathan” group attained a con- siderable size, while the other group remained much smaller, T ’ it )