The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1879-02-07

Piqued that so great triumph should
pe gained in this irregular fashion on
Their own ground. Should Mr.. Lock.
yer be able 10 complete his proof, then
1913 VIII be red-letter year in the his.
tory OF scientific discovery. There can
be no doubt about the certainty and val
ne OF the strange results achieved by
Mr.. Crookcs in his recently described
experiments with rareiied gases hy
means Of his radiometer. The most
noteworthy point in Mr. Crookes's ex-
periments is the revelation Of Il kind OF
ultra gaseous state of matter which
comes INTO play when the number Of
molecules IN given space IS enormous
~ reduced. Here molecular reflection
occurs, obeying the laws Of light, and
molecular foci are formed which can
raise 70 incandescence platinum foil.
Moreover, in this state the molecular
stream readily obeys the influence OF
magnet. All Mr.. Crookes's recent az
well as his previous experiments have
given remarkable confirmation of MIR.
tombstone Stoney's theoretical views
concerning the action Of the ridiomcter.
The last named physicist has lately
placed his theory upon firm mathe-
NAUTICAL basis in a series of valuable pa
pers contributed To the Transactions
Of the Royal Dublin Society''--a society
which during the past year has exhibit
ca remarkable scientific activity. A
great deal OF important work has been
registered IN connection with spectre
scopic research. We can only mention
Abney's new method Of photographino
the least refrangble or red end Of the
spectrum as one of the great achieve
ments OF the year in this department.
THE GREAT AMERICAN PHENOMENON
Edison's photograph belongs to the
past year, so far &C least as its an
nouncement Is concerned II has not
yet realized the expectations formed as
TO its practical value, though il has been
of great service in connection with re-
SEARCHES on sound, and especially on
the human voice. In this res ect the
experiments OF Fleming Jenkin and
Ewing, Ellis and Barrett on the wave.
forms Of articuate sounds are note
worthy. The telephone itself has an
dergone various Improvements during
tee year, adding much to its practical
utility; the most marked advance be-
ing the int 'oduction in America OF Edi-
sons CARBON telephone. But perhaps
OF most popular interest in this direc
ton i Hughes's micropnone. As SEN
sltise ID heat as the microphone is to
sound Is Edisnn's microtasimeter, which
was brought into play at the eclipse OF
July. We need do no more than refer
to the subject Of electric lighting, the
great popular scientific sensation of the
year-of more practical than purely
scientific interest. In this connection
we should mention Tyndall's expert
ments in fog signals, which. besides
their great practical Importance, have 4
distinct scientific value. Early IN
the year Joule announced the re-
suits of new determination OF
the mechanical equivalent of
heat, the value now given being 7.2 IS
foot pounds. Out of much other valua-
bic work during the year in various de-
partments Of physics we can only men
ton De La Rue and Muller's elaborate
on the phenomena accompa-
nying electric discharge in gases, which
have their complement in the researches
On similar phenomena by DR.. Macfar-
ane, described in the Transactions OF
he Royal Society Of Edinsurgh;- Sed-
ey Taylor's curious experiments on the
,olor-hgures produced on thin films by
'arying sounds. Cores researches on
he thcrmo-electric properties OF liquids;
-apt. Evans's important contribution ,
a knowledge Of the earth's magnet ,
SIN and its remarkable changes, in his |
Society lecture; G. III. !
Darwin's various papers on the viscosity
# the earth, which have both physica, !
md geological bearing. The invaluable I
PAPER Of Thomson, at the United Serv-
&c Institution, on compass adjustment |
n iron ships; the duplexing Of long SUBJ
marine cables. Among works of i'm
'ortance published during the year we !:
an only mention Diapers Scientific
'apers," Rayleigh's Theory OF !.
'ound," and the first part Of valuable =
History Of Physics.'' by the late Prof.
'oggendortf, just issued. !
LIQUEFACTIoN OF THE GASES. :
OF course the mathematicians have i
cen busy, but their work has little in \
crest for the public generally; but we 4
lust mention Prof. Sylyester's ingeni- I
Us discovery Of the wonderful analogies 4
rat exist between the atoms as COM /,
ined in modern chemistry and certain q
xpressions in the most modern ge-
metry. In the borderland between
hysics and chemistry, the work Of Z
ailletet and Pictet in the liquefaction Z
the permanent" gases belongs strict Y
10 1877, though much has been done Y
lring the past year in continuing the = :.
Speriments. In the department Of !
ineral chemistry we find that during !,
e last year M. Lecocq de Boisbaudran Y !,
= continued his researches on the new Z
etallic element gallium, discovered y
20 wears Ann huf which has onlx. rnxr w