Science Sittings

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXV, Issue 7, 14 February 1907, Page 35

Science Sittings

By 'Volt*

Fireproof Material. -

Experiments beings made at .Bordeaux,- France, with - preparations to rentier wood and tissues non-4nflamma i ble, . are reported as being very successful. " ■ >- A Valuable Discovery.

A Hungarian chemist claims to have discovered a liquid chemical compound which renders certain kinds of matter proof against the effects of time. This discovery tends to lengthen the . life of metals exposed to air, "such as in bridges, railroads, vessels and tanks.-

Spiders 7 Sight.

Experiments have been made to decide how far spiders can see, and it has been determined that they have a range of vision of at least a foot. It is not always possible to tell, however, whether the lower animals perceive by sight or hearing or by the action air in motion has upon their bodies. Experiments tend to show that mice are sensitive to motions " of the air which to human ears create no sound whatever.

A Peculiar Fish.

There is a species of ■ fish in the Indian ocean which has a remarkable peculiarity. It is provided with a short snout, which it uses very much as a sportsman uses a gun. Swimming close beneath " the surface of the water it watches the flies flitting about •directly overhead, and haying selected one to its fancy suddenly thrusts its head out of the water and with unerring marksmanship discharges several drops of water at its victim. Confused, and with its wings drenched and rendered temporarily useless" by the watery p~rajectiles, the insect drops to the surface of the water,, where it is immediately gobbled up by its' yoraciouS enemy. These fish are said to be able to bring down a fly in this manner from the height of two or three feet.

Life of a Watch

The lifetime of a good watch, says ' Amateur Work,' is fifty years. In its daily - duties the balance vibrates 18,000 times every hour, 432,000 times a -day, or 157,680,000 times a year. The hairspring^ makes a siirAlar number of vibrations and an equal number of ticks from the escapement. If it is really a good ■watch, multiply 157,680,000 by 50, which gives 7,884,000,000 pulsations in fifty years. • The chances are that the watch may even then be in serviceable condition. This is a marvellous record, considering the small quantity of food that has been consumed by its constant action. We say food, because whatever labors must be fed, and the watch ' lives ' on • about sixteen inches of mainspring every twenty-four hours, which furnishes the power. Sunshine and Health.

Suns Mine consists of a metallic shower which bathes us with elementary iron, sodium, magnesium, calcium, copper, zinc L _nickel and hydrogen, the wholesurface of the sun being an unbroken ocean of fiery fluid matter, containing a flame atmosphere of vapor- - ised metal and gasses • such' as oxygen and hydrogen. The sun contains the chemical elements upon which all life depends,. The life essentials of the grain, the fruit, the vegetable, of all foods, is the sunshine. No life can he sustained without its influence, direct or indirect, because it contains everything that life 'feeds on. We little realise how dependent we are upon this great hall of fire. Our coal, our - oil-, our wood, ' our clothing, our food, the life essential in the air we breathe, all are. dependent upon it. A great many people live only a partial life because they do not get enough sunshine. They live in houses, rooms, -or apartments which the sunshine seldom, if ever, enters. We do • not wonder such people-.do not enjoy the thrill of health, when we remember that there is poison" in_ the air devoid of sunshine. If it were not for the flood of sunlight during the day, the night air would be too poisonous to, sustain life.

At the opening of the new ' convent at Corrimal on Sunday, January 27, by his Eminence Cardinal Moran, a sum of £220 was subscribed, included in which was a .cheque for £130 sent by a generous, donor anonymously.