Scientists’ Studies: Research Reports Reveal Queer Facts

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 September 1949, Page 6

Scientists’ Studies: Research Reports Reveal Queer Facts

As a store of curious facts, the an-; nual reports of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research are becoming hard to beat. The research involved-in obtaining the information presented may be of great value and may bring high honour to the scientist in his particualr field, but some of it inevitably prompts the question, “What will they, do next?” “Total worm weight per acre is about, equal to the weight of total sheep, carried,” is one unexpected statement, which may startle the city gardener and cause even the farmer to look with renewed interest on his paddocks as a supporter of life. Butnot satisfied with weighing the worms, the investigators are proceeding to find out what they eat. Another part of the report records the finding of several new species of native, worms in North Auckland. The worms commonly found in cultivated soils come from Europe. Wear And Tear On Teeth Another investigator is immersed in the problem of tough grasses which wear away sheep’s teeth. He has an apparatus for measuring the breaking, strain of various types of grass, ana photographs at intervals the teeth of a, selected group of sheep which eat them. No reference is made to any similar experiments on the—effects.on human teeth of steak and hard candy. A field for speculation is raised by a brief reference, to the, study of the stomach contents of 67 birds from the agricultural areas of the Auckland Province. Garden seeds are not mentioned as being present in largo quantities; but several species of insects not previously recorded, in New Zealand have been found. “Better milk has meant worse cheese” seems to be the conclusion reached in another investigation, carried out this time by the Dairy Research Institute. It: is stated that the development of flavour in cheese during the ripening process. depends on the presence of certain organisms which gain access as contaminants in the milk. The possibility of introducing such organisms in the cheese-milk or curd is now being studied, . Beetles To Cosmic Rays Female beetles are not half so foolish as males, it seems. They tend to resist the beetle-like urge to rush at lights and fires, and thus another possible way of liquidating their destructive race is regretfully reported as “of little use.” Sprav from the sea adds as much as 3cwt of common salt an acre to coastal areas, states another section of the report. Five diplomas in greenkeeping were awarded during the year at the greenkeeping. research station. For work on- hay fever .852 grams of grass pollens were supplied to medical institutions. Special plates were set up high on four mountains, including 9100 feet up Mount Ruapehu, to collect data about cosmic rays. Wartime, poison gases are being tried to slaughter the germs in infected soils required for growing hops and tomatoes. Other sections of the report give equal cause for surprise, this time at the minute degree to which observationscan be made. The tracing of individual atoms is involved in the study of the weathering of- paint by making the paint radio-active. By measuring the radio-activity at any time the effect on the paint can be determined very accurately. Small strain gauges, are being tested, which will detect a movement of . about one millionth of an inch when imbedded in dams dr smaller structures. A meteorological radai\set at Whenuapai can. follow small observation -balloons to a height of 60,000 ft and up to 130,000 yards in range. The time signals sent out by the seismological observatory had an. error on most occasions last year of less than a tenth of- a second. The worst error was 0.22 seconds.