Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-08-24
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

D
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
Directing wireless telegraph mes
sages by pafabollc rehcctors OF metal
plates or wires has failed on account
NJ the great loss Of energy. In the
new method OF Prof f. Braun, OF
Strssburg. three on more aerial wires
are placed on masts at equal distances
OF few yards from the transmitting
station, and the oscillations are set up
IN one wire slightly in advance or be-
hind those Of the other wires The
effect is an intensifcation OF the waves
IN the direction OF the leading dis
charge, with the production Of am cleo
trio shadow by wave interference be-
hind Il. The difficulty has seemed 10
be 10 give the slight difference OF phase
amounting 10 about one ten-mil-
lionth OF "A second-with precision, but
It has been found possible TO adjust
the difference TO less than one two
hundred-mllionth OF a second. With
three wires, the messages can be sent
In any one OF six directions
4 curious telephone complaint has
NFNtINNIIFu III AsdIf fhlNlles " NV
streaks appeared on an iron roof un-
der two wires. and Il was demanded
that the wires be removed and a new
roof placed on tho building. one Of
the many theories was that the de-
posit was salt collected by the wires
from the sea winds Investigation,
however showed that the roof was in
tact. and that the powder was nearly
Ia
damp wires had afterw6rd fallen to
the roof and adhered.
The sun proves 10 be undergoing
continual change 81 shape. From
measurements al Gottingen during
thirteen wears. Or. &. l.. Poor finds
that the ratio between the polar and
equatorial radii has varied consider
ably, and that the variation takes place
in n period closely corresponding TO
that Of the sunspots.
Spiders are not always solitary
creatures y. :. Jambunsthan has
lately recorded the finding In southern
India Of a species Of Stegodyphus that
builds spOngy nests with outlying webs,
each nest being occupied by 40 10 100
spiders with a large excess Of females.
Sometimes five or six nests are clus-
tered together The spiders not only
live and work together, but they share
with one another any prey that may
be captured. and some even show ma
ternal affection approaching self-sac-
rincc II appears that there are other
social spccies " the same genus. the
first known having been reported from
South Africa.
Disappearing paper is French nov
city Ordinary paper IS first STEPPED
boz sulphuric acid. diluted according to
the intended durability and Is then
dried and glazed. the acid being par
TALLY neutranzed by ammonia Napor.
The material is adapted for temper
AIRY use. Sooner or later II falls 10
pieces. however. and Il is recon-
mended to those whose correspondents
forget 20 burn their letters
Electric waves follow the earth's
curvature, explains Erskine-Mu a
Scotch engineer. because conduct
Ing layer high iu air keeps them from
spreading into space, practically caus-
ing them % travel between two par
dltl couuullIh PiaH'N.
4 new insulated wire. intended 10
replace silk-covered or cotton-coyered
wires for electromagnetic for small cur
rents. is being produced IN Berlin, and
has quite remarkable properties. The
coating material giving a continuous
covering essentially tetra-acetic cell
ulose. II isapplied IN numerous coats
al s,saalfftmn 10 both naNthla
and durable. has great elasticity and
solldity. Is moisture-p proof. and is not
affected BY temperatures up 10 500 de-
grees +. It. insulation resistance Is 50
high that a thickness Of 0.O00s inch is
broken down only by a tension of 500
volts Wires ranging in size from
o.OO26 10 0 006 inch are made. and a
coil OF given size contains much more
wire than the ordinary cof the coating
being so much thinner thin the double
or triple silk or cotton with the add.
tonal layer Of shellac.
An attempt at cumulative measure
rnent OF color. designed 10 show just
how red or how blue anything may be,
has been made by Joseph W Loyi-
bond. who has published a book on the
subject in London BY the superposi.
ton ~ glass standard color scales IN
special Intrument for excluding an
extraneous liFht the number 81 units
NJ red and yelloV-or any other CONF
blnatiou-nccesSsg "a match a given
color can be determined The glass
test slides have been prepared with
great accuracy standard and inVar-
liable chemical solutions keing en-
ployod for the colors with precau-