SCIENCE SIFTINGS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 49, 26 February 1916, Page 14

SCIENCE SIFTINGS.

"HARD WORK AFFECTS THE BLOOU Eecent experiments show that the numiber of red corpuscles, and therefore the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood, are increased by labour sufficient to cause an appreciable amount of perspiration. If there is no perspiration there is no such increase. MOVEMENT OF THE MARTIAN CANALS. With regard to the alleged shifting of the canals of Mars over the face of the planet, Profeasor Lowell states in "Popular Astronomy" that this. phenomenon was detected at his observatory nineteen years ago, and is therefore no novelty. He believes that there is not an actual displacement of the canals, but that there are/, in each case, several canals that become successively visible. THE NIPA PALM. The nipa palm of the South Seas produces a sap which has the important distinction of being the cheapest raw material known in the world lor making j sugar and alcohol. After extraction J from the flower stalk this cap is known j ad "tuba" and contains about fifteen per ! cent, of sugar when fresh. Investigations made by the Philippine Bureau of Science bear the definite conclusion that nipa eugar is equal to cane sugar and can be extracted cheaper, as no crushing machinery is necessary; also that 2.47 acres of nipa -will produce 22,942 pounds of excellent sugar.

A WONDERFUL CLOCK. J What is claimed to be the most :wonderful clock in the world is to be seen ;in Petrograd. There are ninety-five faces to this colossal timepiece, which indicates simultaneously the time of day at thirty different places, besides the movement of the earth around the sun, the phases of the moon, the signs of the zodiac, and the date according to the Gregorian, ' Greek, (Mussulman, and Hebrew calendars. The works took two years to puti together after the clock had been sent in detached pieces from Switzerland to Russia. FOSSILS AND WATER SUPPLY. The methods used by -geologists in working out the distribution of ground waters are complex, but it is noteworthy that among the more significant criteria used are the fossil remains occurring in the different beds. Each one of the geologic horizons usually has its distinctive fossils, and by an accurate knowledge of these vestiges of organisms tho geologist is aided in. recognising particular geologic formations. In This way he may be able to determine, by means ol the samples taken from the bore, the depth to a certain water horizon. LIFE ON VENUS. Mr. C. E. Housden, hydraulic engineer, published a few years ago a somewhat startling book on Mars, in which he furnished detailed information in regard to the system of pipes and pumping stahis opinion) the Mar.-. Ifians *are^?naT>te'cf' to irrigate their arid planet. He has now produced a little brochure entitled . "Is Venus Inhabited?" in which similar engineering achievements are attributed to the problematical inhabitants of 'Venus. Mr. Housden sets out from, the. opinion of Schiaparelli and Lowell that Venus always turns the same face to the sun. Admitting the presence of water, this ! would result in one-half of-the planet's surface' being permanently locked in ice, I this ice would supply Water, which, to prevent evaporation, the Venusians would convey in pipes rather than open channels to tlie. places where they desire to use it. The book contains an extensive discussion of Venuaian meteorology, and is plausible enough to be interesting.