Science Siftings

New Zealand Tablet, 2 August 1906, Page 35

Science Siftings

By 'Volt*

The Vastness of British Coalfields

The total known coal production of the world is something like seven hundred and ninety millions tons per annum. Experts state that, even at this rate of production, there is sufficient coal to last for thousands of years. Some f a mt idea can be gathered from these figures of the enormous quantity of coal there is on this planet ; at) the same time, there is the statement made by Sir Robert Ball that all the coal on the earth would not supply the sun's heat for onetenth of a second.

Travelling Through the Air

M. Santos-Dumont is having built an aeroplane as well as a flying machine. The former will be a sort of an arrow, nearly 50ft. long, Laving a head 26ft. 'broad at, the base. On the shaft will' be fixed two bilk wings, ha\ing a total surface of 236 square feet, stretched on a vbamboo frame and cvr \ ing slightly downwards at the sides. The passenger will be seated in a basket beneath the double wings, below which will also- be a 24 h. p. motor working two propel-le-s, each 6-£ ft. diameter. Finally, an 'articulate tail will act as rudder.

An Expensive Book

What is regarded as the greatest of all illustrated books has just been completed. Only 100 copies have been printed, which ha\ c been sent to American and foreign museums, to the Kaiser, Ihe Czar, the Mikado, the Emperor of China, Queen Wilhelmina, and the Prince of Wales.. r l he book is a catalogue of Mr. H. R. Bishop's collection of lades, bequeathed to a Metropolitan art museum. It contains 150 full-page water-color drawings, etchings, ?,nd hthog aphs, and 300 pen-and-ink sketches. The text was contributed by thirty writers renowned in scientific and art circles, and the illustrations are by Japanese and Chinese artists. The be ok has cost £20,000 to produce.

New Wireless System

A despatch from Wi Ikes-Bar re, Pennsylvania, under date May J2, says :— The uiwlerground wireless telegraph system, nucntod by Father .Joseph Murgas, was pronounced a success to-tlay by Frederick Muckley, who has been associated with the inventor for some time. Experiments have been going on between this city and Scran ton, a distance of eighteen miles for six months or more, and several difficulties which delayed them have been overcome. During the last several days they have reached such a point that according to Mr. Muckley, the underground wifeless system is now an assured success. Waterproof shafts two hundred feet deep were smv< in this city and Scranton and over wires run to the bottom of each were sent and receivc-il, by the aid of the instruments invented by *athcr Murpas, messages between the two cities, inese shafts, it is stateff, are deep enough for sending messages a thousand miles. It' is now purposed soon as some details are completed, 1O1 O conduct experiments between New \orkat.d London.

Flowers and Insects

lo prove his contention that insects are attracted to floweis lrresnet-l'ive of the colors The various blooms possess, Professor Plateau, o f Ghent, has conducW some novel experiments. Some time ago he devised a method of research with the aid of artificial flowers, 'but his conclusions were objected to on the grounds that artificial flowers were too unnatural to be the means o-f reliable results. To completely prove his case, Professor Plateau has recently conducted some exS? Si li !\ th , e ald °/f/ f ni i^ors. A mirror was placed behind the plant in' flower, so as to trive * good reflection, and the insects coming to it were carefully observed. It was found that, with very rare exTd Z%J h f ;, nSeCls , W ° nt Bir aiP*tto the reluflowers, and occupied themselves *„ them without pavinc a ny atl tention to the reflections. Lhe few insects bufof the very large number observed which flew against the gass on arrival were seen' not to be attracted by the reflections but to be ta'uno- the mirror for an open passage A few insects again, whi -h threw themseWes against the glass after visiting the real Tower? were those which had finished their work, an d were about * to depart. They too were deceived into thinking the mirror free space. These new experiments in fact ? considerably strengthen Professor Plateau's conclusion that se°c?s to^owTrs 7 a SU^^ **« in attracSg' it*