SCIENCE SIFTINGS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 303, 20 December 1913, Page 15

SCIENCE SIFTINGS.

RQCKIXG MAX. Dr Ferron, a French Army surgeon, relates the case of a young soldier who was afflicted with a nervous complaint which caused him to rock unceasingly when asleep with a perfectly rhythmical movement at the rate of 32 to 33 times a minute. This, say 3 the "Mail" correspondent, is attributed to the custom of rocking an infant in its cradle. In some nervous people a liking for this rhythmic movement persists in later life, and leads to the habit of tapping the ground with the foot or swinging in a chair. SIGXALS FROM MARS. Is Mars trying to signal to the earth? The question is raised by some unusually interesting observations of the planet which have been made public by M. le Coultre, the distinguished astronomer of Geneva. During observations which lasted 17 days the astronomer remarked a series of luminous apparitions of a bluishwhite colour, like the light of powerful electric are lamps. The illuminations, which usually lasted several seconds, were observed on several different nights. This is not the first occasion on which they have been seen. Several astronomers have at different periods within the last six or seven years drawn attention to them, and have tried to explain them as being due to atmospheric or volcanic origin. Most of the previous theories have, however, been exploded, and the conclusions come to by M. le Coultre are strongly in favour of the phenomena being due to regular attempts made during recent years by the Martians to get into communication with our planet. IMPROMPTU SCIEXOE. The ability and versatility of Sir Oliver Lodge is generally Tecognised, but it was never better proved than at a meeting of the Union of Educational Institutions held at the University the other day. As president of the Union he was asked to give an axidress in the nature of a scientific exposition of some sort. He confessed himself puzzled on the choice of a subject that would please an audience of educational experts. He -had thougiht. he explained, of dealing with a chemical notation he devised a long time -ago, and .which had never been published, and on the other hand 6uch subjects 36 the atank- theory of energy, the principle of relativity, and radiation, all mattens of scientific controversy at ■the present time, had suggested themselves to them. Then S-ir Oliver Lodge surprised and amused his audience by asking for a show of hands on the choice of a subject! It seemed incredible that any man was able, without preparation, and at a moment's notice, to speak on any one of these abstruse scientific problems. Yet -after the vote had been taken Sir OliveT 6poke for well over half an hour on the ata.nic theory of energy and radiation, and managed to make his address thoroughly interesting. SOME RECENT IXYENTIOXS. A telephone which is claimed to be explosion-proof and flame-proof has been invented in England for use in mines or anywhere that explosive gases or liquids are present.

To wa-rn a balloonist if his aircraft is ■rising -or sinking there has been invented a vertical tube, containing a horizontal fan, which rings two beils of different tones -aS air enters the tube from above or below.

An electroscope for detecting the presence of radium disoharges, 60 delicate that it»measuTes current, strengths as small a* one ten-trilliont-h of an ampere, has been made in Paris.

Lieut. Clifton West, of the Frontiersmen's Legion in England, has produced a bullet which threatens to render airships useless. It is a.n ordinary-shaped bullet, but it carries four revolving cutting propeller blades, which open out n6 the bullet travels. These tear a hole in t-he fabric, releasing the air and causing the machine to catch on fire. The bullet is not affected by water conditions, and can be adjustable to all guns. It will be given an official trial shortly. An inventor has patented a scheme which is name a water bicycle, but which more resembles a eawh-onse. The swimmer straddles the main ba-r or frame of the structure, on which a saddle is fitted. He then uses h-is feet to turn pedals, and his hands on cranks, and thus works propellers like on a motorboat, the idea being that this will shove him forward at a high rate of speed. Rudders are fitted for steering andelevation purposes.

ELECTRICITY AS A GROWTH STIia'LATOR.

The English correspondent of "The Scientific American" gives an account of Mr. T. Thorne Baker's experiments as to the in/luenee of high frequency- currents upon the growth of chickens which are being conducted on a farm near Poole. On this farm about four thousand cliickens are being grown under the influences of the electric waves, and the results are truly -astonishing. The chickens live in flats, and over the whole building is wound an insulated wire, which is traversed by the high frequency currents, carefully regulated. Chickens living in the electrified flats reach, in five weeks, the normal weight of chickens three months old. And out of four hundred chickens treated in this wav only six, and those obviously doomed from birth, died. In view of the fact that a fifty per cent death-rate is usual at this period of the year, it will be seen that this result is sufficiently startling. Chickens so weak that they could not stand up, and whiqrh in the ordinary course would have died, have been put in the electrified flats and become healthy and strong. It is not! only that the output of a chicken farm is doubled by this process, but a considerable saving in food is effected. Only two-thirds of the usual quantity of food is required by the electrified chickens, which are charged to such a high potential that a spark discharge occurs on presenting a finger to the beak. From the scientific point of view the most interesting part of this work is the theory which explains how high frequency currents stimulate growth in this way. Mr. Thorne Baker is of the opinion that the hifh frequency currents stimulate the blood circulation by lowering the viscosity of the blood. He has conducted experiments on the effect of high frequency currents on the flow of viscous fluids." and he finds that the time of' flow is decreased. Tlie viscous fluid loses some of its viscosity, and becomes more mobile. It is not at present known whether prolonged electric action increases growth up to maturity, or whether its whole effect is to cause the maximum size to be sooner reached. In certain quarters the application of high frequency currents to the growth of children is being contemplated, and the results in this field will be awaited with interest.