SCIENTIST’S SUNSHINE DECEIVES SCIENTISTS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3334, 16 August 1926, Page 2

SCIENTIST’S SUNSHINE DECEIVES SCIENTISTS.

An amusing booby trap was set—unintentionally—for scientists visiting ihe National Physical Laboratory at Teddington, says the London Daily 'telegraph, on the occasion of the annual inspection by the General Board, ft had been announced that in a room in North Lodge, one of the many outbuildings on the estate now taken over for Government research work, a- close imitation of daylight by artificial light would be shown. Visitors inquired their way to the lodge, and walked into a room the windows of which were covered with translucent paper. Then they sat down and waited for the “show” to begin. V, hen they bad done tin's for varying lengths of time they were courteously informed that the “show” was already on—that the ordinarylooking light in the room was not daylight at all, but artificial light transmitted from without through the paper-covered windows! A Daily Chronicle representative who visited the room was equally deceived. The light which filled it was exactly what one would expect to find on a summer day in an apartment with drawn linen blinds. Actually, the two side windows were shuttered, and the main middle window was closed in with a box of boards. The light came from 12 100-watt lamps, placed between the outside of the pane and the boards. Important experiments have been carried on in the room. A number of girl clerks, specially lent for the purpose, have been at work there for some weeks. Their relative efficiency in ordinary daylight, artificial daylight, and ordinary artificial light has been test-' od. but the resultant data has not yet been compiled. The light, which is mild and serene', with the faintest tinge of blue, is obtained by using gas-tilled tungsten lamps made of blue glass. At present its cost—about 74d an hour for one room—is prohibitive; for the ordinary house-’ bolder.