MARVELS OF SCIENCE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLIX, 19 August 1929, Page 2

MARVELS OF SCIENCE.

ROYAL SOCIETY'S EXHIBITS

One of the most interesting of the exhibits arranged by the Royal Society for a conversazione at- Burlington House was the Fabry-Perot interferometer, lent by the National .Physical Laboratory. By means of this apparatus measurements up to a, millionth part of an inch can be obtained with accuracy. Another instrument shown was the Brown artificial horizon, named after its inventor, Mr S. G. Brown. The principal feature of this invention is a gyroscope fitted with a mirror which. turning at the rate of 6000 revolutions a minute, remains in a horizontal position irrespective of any external movement. The instrument is specially in tended for taking altitudes of the sun at sea by sextants, or for obtaining the true horizontal when the weather conditions prevent the natural horizon from being seen. Another invention which attracted much attention was the mutochrome, an instrument with a wide range oij uses in decorative trades. A design, in outline, is. first projected on to a screen, and then, by means of coloured lenses in the apparatus, each separate element in the pattern can be coloured, and the colours changed at will untill the desired effect is obtained. A modification of this instrument is contemplated for application to theatrical stage scenery. Of special interest to women was a specimen of cosmetic from a sealed jar discovered in the tomb of Tuit-aukh-Amen. The experts at the British Museum, laboratory have discovered the secret of the Egyptian chemist who compounded the substance 3300 years ago. The cosmetic probably consisted of 09 per cent, natural animal fat and 10 per cent, resin or balsam.