Omaha daily bee., 1908-09-20
SPEED OF LIVING THINGS
Curious Calculation on speed, from
snail Pace 60 " spidity
of Light.

a French statistician has been calculating
the speed at which various animals, ma
chimes and natural forces move.
The expert calculates the rate Of speed
per second. lie finds that the thumb nail
grows at the rate Of 2-t.W0,OOO.OCO Of a yard
per second. Would you suppose that the
thumb nail or a bamboo tree grew faster?
Our expert shows that the bamboo tree has
tho thumb nail beaten by an enormous
margin. This energetic plant shoots up
ward at the rate of 27-l0,O00Ooo,OoO Of a
yard per second.
The hair, according to science, is a kind
of vegetable which is rooted in the skin
and keeps on growing while properly
nourished and cared for. 1t is interesting
to know that a healthy hair Of the human
head can beat the bamboo about ten times
in speed IF growing. The hair grows at
the rate OF 1871, 600 100 Of a yard per sec
ond. Probably you would not have realized
that the hair is much faster than the
thumb nail. but you can learn from these
The snail is proverbially regarded as a
figures that it is.
very slow animal. and this expert thor
oughly bears out the old impression. The
snail usually joys along at the rate Of
$4,000 of a yard per second. 1t is really
very interesting to know for the first time
after all these years just how fast a snail
goes. The next time you see one of them
you can inform your friends with a great
show Of wisdom that the creature is max
ing 15-1O,OOO of a yard per second.
DO you suppose that the average man
walking about his business goes faster
than a fairly good swimmer? 1t is Il puz-
cling question. Well, a brisk walker will
,,-av 1 ,-,~1 q gp,l,oe L., a eCpopH and tho
same man swimming will go l yard and
inches, according to this investigator.
A horse going at a trot-not the fast
~trotter of the tracks, estimated to make
a speed of A yards and 1 foot in a second,
1t is interesting to find that a man run
ming fast will beat this, for he will easily
cover s yards 1 foot 3 inches in a second.
The carrier pigeons powers of flight are
marvellous. The bird flies at a
speed of % yards 2 feet 4 inches
a second, thus beating any effort that r
man can make even with the aid of bicycle
or skates. II man were only supplied with
a good pair of wings, he would have no
need of automobiles, trains or any other
kind of artificial locomotion.
The fastest racehorse, according to the
French expert, has attained a speed of
20 yards 0 inches a second, which
is considerably less than that Of an ordi-
nary carrier pigeon.
Light at present holds the record OF
speed among all moving things that has
been measured. 1t travels at the rate OF
1928, 02S, 800 yards a second, according to the
French scientist. This is faster than think
ing, even by the most quick witted person
Let any reader of this try to think the
simplest thought and then with the aid Of
a stop watch note how long it has taker
him to think 1t. He will then be able tC
understand how slow his mental operations
are compared to the speed of light.
Z 1t is an interesting fact that electricit!
is just a modern fraction slower thar
light. The former travels at the speed o
3O4, $50. 160 yards per second.
These calculations indicate the enormou
labors which scientists undertake in orde
to gather information concerning the force
= of nature and their common operation
e which are taking place all about us a
every moment. 1t has been said that scien
lists who make accurate observations con
n tribute greatly to the progress of knowl
edge.-New York World.