The Mountaineer. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1859-1861, 1859-12-31
orth. MegntsIpssr.I " A ...s
OBJECTS, ADVANTAGES, AND
PLEASURES on SCIENCE.
An ABRrDoEMFNT 1t B. MAcKrgzrr.


THERE Is something positively agree
liable, to all men, to an at least whose
mature i not most groyclling and base.
/ n gaining knowledge for its own sake.
The practical uses DC any branch of
knowledge are undoubtedly of the
highest importance; and there Is hardly
any man who may notigain some posi-
tive advantage in his worldly wealth
and comforts, BY increasing Ills stock
lof information. But there is also a
pleasure in seeing the uses to which
knowledge may be applied, wholly in
dependent OF the share we ourselves
may have il those practical benefits.
The mere qualification DC curiosity
the knowing more to-day than We
knew .yesterdaythe understanding
clearly what before seemed obscure
and pnzzling-the contemplation 81
general truths, and the comparing to-
Hgether Of different things il, an agree.
able occupation Of the mind, and. be-.
sides the present enjoyment, elcvates
the faculties above low pursuits, puri-.
hes and refines the passions, and helps
our reason TO assra sc their violence. Il
L may Be shown By d few examples,
how much sassI ,iS,s. slrs..s Is
In learning d little OF any one branch
of knowledge, and it may thence be
inferred how great reason there IS to
extend our inquiries.
A few instances may be given Of
the singular truths brought 10 light by
the application of mathematical, me-
Fchanical, and chemical knowledge to.
the habits of animals and plants.
JIG you have a certain space, as q
room, to gil up with closets Of little
cells, all of tile same size and shape,
there are only three figures which will
enable you to fill the room without
losing any space, they must either be
squares, Oh figures OF three equalsides,
or figures OF six equal sides. Thisscan
be proved by mathematical reasoning.
The six sided figure is By far the most
convenient ofthose three shapes, be-
cause its corners are datter, and any
round body placed in ID has therefore
more space. This figure is also the
strongest of tho three; any pressure
from without or from within will hurt
| il least, as il has something Of the
strength Of an arch. A round figure
would be still stronger, but then room
would be lost between the circles. Now,
Fit is a remarkable fact, that bees build
their cells exactly in this shape, the
very best possible for their purpose, to
save all the room and wax they can.
Il is also proved BY mathematicians,
that to give the greatest strength and
save the most room, the roof and floor
must be made of three square planes,
meeting in q point --and they have
further proved, that there is one par
ticular angle or inclination of those
planes TO each other where they meet,
which makes q greater saving of ma
terials and of work than any other in
clination whatever could possibly do.
Now, the bees actually make the tops
and bottoms of their cells Of three
planes meeting in point, and the
angles : or inclinations at which
they meet are precisely those found
! out by the mathematician to be the
best possible for saving wax and work.
These angles never vary in any place,
the obtuse angle measures 110o and
the acute 70o. z::s g.. t..
! Who would dream Of the bee know
I ing the highest branch of mathematics
--the fruit of NeKton's most wonder
full discoyery---a result, too, of which
he was himself ignorant, one of his
most celebrated followers having found
| it ont in a later age. This little insect
works with truth and correctness
which are perfect, and according to
principles at which man has arrived
only after ages OF slow Improvement