What's New in Science.

Cue (NZERS), Issue 34, 31 October 1945, Page 33

What's New in Science.

A new soap which will produce a lather in sea water or hard cold water, sufficient for shaving, is expected to have wide civilian use. ❖ ❖ ❖ Your train ticket is printed while you wait by a new machine soon to be installed in American stations. It eliminates the necessity for carrying stocks of tickets for various destinations. ❖ ❖ ❖ Gas turbine engines for aircraft, approaching as much as 10,000 horsepower are envisaged within the next decade by G. W. Vaughan, president of the Wright Aeronautical Corporation. On a giant transport plane of the future the gas turbine engine may mean a saving of as much as 8,000 lbs. over present types of engines permitting about 40 more passengers to be carried, or nearly four extra tons of cargo.

Speeds as high as 60 knots are said to have been attained by a novel aeroboat designed by a Swedish engineer. The craft, which resembles a small sea-going ’’flying wing’’ in appearance, is a test model for a much larger vessel of 110 tons powered with 3,500 h.p. engines. } * * * Dinosaur footprints found in Bandera, Texas, are estimated at 120,000,000 years old. The Dinosaur, a prehistoric reptile of some 30 tons at full growth, was known to have been a good swimmer but it was thought that his massive bulk did not encourage him to much activity on land. Now, experts who have examined the footprints consider that these mammoths may have been equally at home on land.