Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1852-05-27
MISCELL.A NY,
Curiosities of Science,

| An interesting paper might be written by a
competent hand, respecting what we may call
the " Curiosities of Science. There are hum
dreds of facts, familiar to the explorer of ma
ture,. which would star,le the ordinary reader
from their apparent antagonsm TO other facts
Thus, if a blackened card is laid upon snow or
Ice in the sunshine, the frozen mass underneath
will gradually melt, while that by which it is
surrounded is but little disturbed. II, however,
the suns rays instead Of falling directly on the
card and snow are reflected from metal sur
face, an exactly opposite result occurs the ex-
posed parts are the first to melt and the black
ened card remains standing high above the sur
rounding portion. Another curions fact is that,
if bars of copper, zinc, brass, and bell metal,
are heated and placed SO as TO cool on blocks
of lead, tin, or pewter, the bars thrown into
state of vibration, and produce sounds similar
TO those of an aoian. A blacksmith will tell
you he can press heat out Of piece of iron, by
simply beating it with hammer, until, at last,
he will render it red hot and be able to light
match at it, but he will add that the same piece
! cannot be made red hot again by hammering,
until it had been made red hot in fire, and
brought back 10 its original expanded cond-
tion. The same principle which is at the
bottom of this curious fact enables fire to be
obtained by the friction of two pieces of
wood. '+ .''
! Even unscientihc readers are familiar with
the fact that ice can be formed in the hottest
aware that water can be frozen in vessel that
is at red heat Yet this astonishing expert
ment has been frequently performed. If deep
platina saucer is heated red hot, and then wa
preserved in the liquid state by freezing mix
ture, is poured into the vessel, the rapid evap-
Grafton of the volatile acid, which enters into
ebullition at the freezing point, produces such
an intense cold, that ice is Immediately formed,
and being thrown out, can be used TO cool wa
ter. The experiments of jugglers have proved
TO all, that under certain conditions, the hand
can be immersed with impunity in melted met
al. Little more is required than to rub the
hands with soap so as to give them polished
surface, then TO plunge them in cold solution
of sal-ammoniac, and afterwards to put them
into the liquid iron, lead, bronze, or other
metal, moving them rapidly through it, though
not too rapidly. The explanation of this curl
GUS fact is this. When the hand is plunged
into melted metal, the skin is not in contact
with the metal, and therefore the heat incident
upon the skin arises only from that which is
radiated from the metal. The moisture of the
skin passes into the spheriodal state, and re-
fleets the radiating caoric, so that the heat is
never at the boiling point
Heat and light exhibit, in part, through trans
parent bodies, very remarkable difference
transparent alum which is as clear as the
clearest water, transmits only twelve per cent.
Of heat, while rock crystal, which is not more
lucid, transmits ninety-seven per cent of heat.
Black glass allows ninety-seven per cent. of heat
to pass through it, while green glass, colored
by oxide of copper, and covered with layer of
water, will, though perfectly transparent, al
most entirely deprive the solar ray of heat
On the principle Of different colors, the whole
economy of nature, in reference to the absorp-
tion and radiation Of heat by the various kinds
OF flowers and plants, is carried on. Says a
late writer -" Every tree spreading its green
leaves to the sunshine, or exposing Its brown
branches to the air--every flower that lends It's
beauty to the eartf--possesses different absorb
ing and radating powers. The chalice-like
cup Of the pure white lily floating on the lake,
the variegated tulip, the brilliant anemone, the
delicate rose, and the intensely colored peony,
or dahlia, have each powers peculiar to them
selves, for drinking in the warming life stream
of the sun, and for radiating it back again to
the thirsting atmosphete.'' Electricity also
performs an important function in the growth Of
} flowers, as is popularity known by actual ex-
pertinent. In short, the world of science is full
J of curious facts, and not without poetry of its
, own. Many an intellect that wastes its time
in pro6tless mental speculations, or loiers life
away in the perusal of trashy books, would
fnd a new delight in tracing the wonder work.
} ing processes of nature, and learn through rev.
ering nature, to adore natures God.-Philo-
delphia Erening Bulletin. -zae rir