NEW KNOWLEDGE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 76, 30 March 1935, Page 6

NEW KNOWLEDGE.

ADVANCE OF SCIENCE. MUSEUM DIRECTOR'S LECTURE. Many recent advances in science, as laid before the Science Congress held in Melbourne in January, were outlined by Mr. Gilbert Arehey, director of the Auckland War Memorial Museum, in a lecture under the auspices of the W.E.A. at the old Grammar School last evening. Considerable advances had been made in methods of weather forecasting, said Mr. Archey. Results of long study of wind direction and cloud formation had led to the theoretical conclusion that masses of warm, air, or of cold air. moved in extensive bands some nine miles high and thousands of miles long. Changes in the Australian weather were usually produced by an eastward movement of these bands of low pressure extending from the Antarctic to the tropics. Along this band cyclones developed. "This theoretical explanation enabled may hitherto puzzling phenomena to be understood," continued Mr. Archey, "and had further led to new discoveries and a greatly increased power of interpretation. Dr. Ividson, New Zealand Government meteorologist, explained to the congress the application of this frontal method of analysis to weather forecasting in New Zealand. Jlr. Archey said that while science was not a scaremonger, it was its duty to warn people of dangers in its midst, and it had been pointed out to the congress that there were three dormant diseases in Australia that might breakout at any time. Each was prevalent in non-malignant form in wild animals.

There was endemic typhus, similar to typhus fever but not so severe, that was found in rats and mice. There was sleepy sickness, common in non-malig-nant form in sheep, and psittacosis, or parrot disease. Some 40 per cent of tlio parrot family were infected with a virus, which, fortunately at present, did not seem virulent in man. The problem was what conditions might increase the virulence of these three diseases, especially in man. None were of importance now, but they had disquieting possibilities, and to be forewarned was to bo forearmed. Other scientific advancements covered by Mr.j Archey included noise, espeeially as it affected cities, erosion of land, the \alue of vitamins, snake bite serums and .anthropology.