Science Siftings

New Zealand Tablet, 12 March 1914, Page 53

Science Siftings

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C/ Where Radium Comes From. Hitherto the greater part of the radium in use has come 'from Bohemia, but pitch blende occurs in Cornwall, generally in small veins crossing the tin-bearing lodes, and it is stated of the Trenwith mine, near St. Ives, which is worked by the British Radium Corporation, Ltd., that the deposit is a guarantee of an assured supply of radium in large quantity. The Toad’s New Garments. Before toads are full-grown they often shed their skins. After that four suits a year is the family custom. When a toad wishes to change his clothes, he humps up his back, puts his head down and draws his feet under him. Straightway his old coat splits through the middle of the back. Next he pulls his legs out, then his arms, draws his skin into his mouth and by a great effort, swallows it. Although the swallowing process must be unpleasant, it is soon over and the toad finds himself arrayed in bright new garments. Use of Liquorice Root. Thousands of tons of liquorice root, an article that hy the natives generally is esteemed a pest and worse than worthless, are annually gathered in Turkey for exportation to America for use in the manufacture of chewing and smoking tobacco as well as for flavoring confectionary and beer. The principal collecting stations are Bagdad, Alexandretta, and Smyrna, at which places the exporters maintain offices, hydraulic presses, and warehouses. The business is largely controlled by an American concern. Two Leaning Towers. The leaning tower of Pisa is world-famous, but there are two leaning towers that are seldom heard of, though they are certainly marvels of architecture and worthy of much attention. They are to be seen at Bologna, at a spot where five streets join. The taller of the two is 320 feet high, and is 4 feet out of the perpendicular. The shorter of the two is unfinished, and, though only 156 feet high, is no less than 8 feet out of the perpendicular. There is no doubt that if it had been completed it would have been the most marvellous leaning tower in the world. There is nothing beautiful about the towers, for they are built of ordinary bricks. Both, however, are eight hundred vears old, which speaks wonders for the woi'kmaxxshin. For what purpose they were erected is a matter of doubt, but as watchtowers they cannot be beaten, for the view from the summit of the taller is magnificent and extensive. / Profitable Ideas. A large fortune was realised by the inventor who patented the idea of making umbrellas from alpaca instead of gingham, and Samuel Fox, the patentee of the improved paragon frame*, left by will about £87,000 \ from the profits of his invention. \ Enormous sums have been reaped from the mechanical contrivances for carpet-beating, convenient boxes of various kinds for packing goods, to say nothing of those wonderful inventions connected with electricity and the manufacture of indiarubber. Indeed, the patents on small articles have, always been most lucrative. The rubber tip at the end of lead pencils has yielded well over £25,000. A large sum was gained by the man who conceived the idea of an inverted glass bell to hang over gas jets, and thus prevent the ceilings from being blackened, and the gimlet-pointed screw has been worth * thousands of pounds. 4 The inventor of the safety-match or rather the prescient person who protected the —made a huge 1 fortune; so did the owner of the first safety-pin patent.