THE SCIENCE CONGRESS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18953, 29 August 1923, Page 7

THE SCIENCE CONGRESS

VARIOUS TOPICS DISCUSSED. IMPORTANCE OF STATICS. Proaa Association—By Telerraph—Copyriga* SYDNEY, August 28. Mr E. T. Fisk, in a second paper at the Science Congress, traced the history of wireless in Australia, stating that it was one of the few countries to solve the problem of Government control. Ho was now engaged in a scheme which would afford direct communication with Great Britain. Mr G. Taylor explained the progress achieved in transmitting, by radio, threecoloured plates from natural-coloured photograph. Success depended on the results of these experiments. The Congress passed a resolution requesting the League of Nations to give its best attention to the encouragement ol inventions for peace and progress. Rev. Mr Silgra, of Manila, in a paper on observations regarding statics in tno Pacific, said the vagaries of statics were to capricious to be overlooked and too important to be ignored. Night signals from Lyons could. be read in Sydney, 10,000 miles away, with head phones on a table; but in the morning they could not be read at all. A practical scheme of observing statics had been in operation in the Philippines since the beginning of the year. During a discussion of the characteristics of the Australian aboriginal, Dr Buck (New Zealand) said the Maori race was eager to co-operate in anthropological research regarding themselves. He suggested that an agreement should be reached as to what measurements should be made of skulls, many of which could be examined in Maori burial places, but could not be removed.

A paper by Mr Maiden, New South Wales Government Botanist, on reafforestation, stated that the native forests of Haw r aii were dying at an alarming rate, jeopardising the w’ater supply in some areas. Introduced trees were being utilised to reafforest, particularly Australian fig trees. These, however, had produced no seeds until the tig wasp was introduced. Since the insect had established itself plenty of seed’ had been available, and large quantities .vere being scattered by aeroplanes. (Received Aug. 28, at 7.50 p.m. ) At the Science Congress, Captain Anderson, commander of the United States scout cruiser Milwaukee, which is fitted with a sonic depth-finding apparatus explained the devise. He stated that it was already used with much success for deepsea soundings. The instrument is a connecting link between a transmitter and a receiver. It sends an impulse to the bed of the ocean and detects the return of that impulse, the results being deduced from the time that elapses. Accurate results cannot be obtained fx’om a vessel travelling at a fast speed. It is claimed that when perfected the sonic depth-finder will prove extremely valuable to seismographists, oceanographers, and geologists. Professor David said it was more than likely that geologists would discover a great deal by a closer study of the ocean bed, and the sonic sounder seemed to be opening the way for them. Professor Gregory delivered a lecture on Hawaii. He traced, the history of the islanders, and claimed that they were a most intelligent and progressive people. It was one of the problems of science to preserve and extend the Hawaiian race. Extended tests showed that they stood in the first grade in general structure and physical attributes. The flora of the islands was amongst the most beautiful in the world, yet it was absolutely valueless from an economic standpoint. By scientific application, however, unsuitable ground had been made to produce sugar cane and pineapples successfully. (Received Aug. 28, at 11.20 p.m.) Dr R. J. Tilyard (Nelson), in dealing, with the broad question of the insect fauna of Australia and New Zealand, expressed the opinion that Australia was the last of the great land masses to acquire ■ insects. He said that the first extant fossil insect fauna found in JNew .South Wales included six highly specialised forms, including beetles and flies. These must have been 6 evolved and specialised elsewhere, and must later have immigrated into Australia. These insects came from the partly-vanished lands in the Indian Ocean region, which geologists called Gondwana Land. These pioneer insects did not leave New Zealand.