SECRETS OF MODERN SCIENCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22830, 14 March 1936, Page 11

SECRETS OF MODERN SCIENCE

DEMONSTRATIONS BY FACULTY STUDENTS The Science Faculty of the Otago University last evening held a science conversazione, which was attended by some 300 students. The Mining School commenced the programme with demonstrations of an interesting character. For instance, one student carefully explained the means of extracting metals from lumps of ore sent in for assaying, while in an* adjoining room several others were refining the gold in furnaces giving a terrific heat. Upstairs models of end-tip and sidetip trucks, of brick-lined mines, of dredges, or of lifts which did not fall when the rope was broken were all very interesting. The next department —the botany and geology —had some curious exhibits. Under a microscope one had the privilege of seeing blood passing through the web of the foot of a frog, which was still alive, but under chloroform. Beautiful colourings under further microscopes led to the startling discovery that the material was only basalt rock, the "stuff the University is made out of," it was explained. Those who went into the Physics Department must have experienced one or two shocks, for a door, which was persistently kept closed, had live door-handles, and some pennies in a basin of water, which looked very tempting, gave a further shock when touched. A curious experiment was that in which, if a person stood on a round platform, took a spinning bicycle wheel in his hands, tilted it, he would find himself revolving. The physics lecture room was packed to sec a student demonstrating, with apparent ease, experiments which gave the audience some thought. A clock with two glass fronts and hands and figures only told the exact time, while, by the simple switching on of a light, small silvery propellers were set in motion inside a glass bulb. The chemistry laboratory rose to the occasion with experiment after experiment being successfully earned out. Grapes placed in a beaker where the temperature was many degrees below zero came out so hard that it took a hammer to break them. Several smoke screens, flares, explosions and finally a disconcerting odour terminated their performance. One or two outside features, such as the rocket car which was to travel along a wire above the Leith River, were not entirely successful. After several attempts to set the car going n loud explosion occurred and the apparatus disappeared in smoke. Best of all, however, was the final feature—a paper balloon with a lighted candle at the bottom. This rose high into the air, and with a slight north-west wind was carried far out to sen. where it appeared to be like one of the slurs.