Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-14
SCIENCE NOTES.

A COMPLETE wireless telephone sys-
tenn has been invented by Charles E.
Alden of Boston. Mass. who, by the way.
is descendant of John Alden of the
Puritan days. Mr.. Alden is a scientist
and artist. as we'll as an inventor. and
some time ago. while working on some
improvements which he had conceived in
the Marconi system of wireless teleg-
raphy he made some Observat ton which
had the effect of changing the trend of
his labors into the perfection of wireless
telephony instead of biography. He met
with such success that he was encour-
aged and conducted line Of experiments
which enabled him recently to give some
exhibitions of the wonders of his inven-
ton to his friends. who were astounded.
Armed with a few simple instruments
and what appeared to be a divining rod,
he went out into the fields and with the
aid of the instruments his guests were
able at once to hear music which was
being played In a house several hundred
feet away, and also to converse with the
occupants. BY means of his wireless tel
ephone Mr.. Alden believes that many of
the most important problems of the age
will have been solved. Generals In the
field WILL he says. be able to instantly
flash commands to all points in the scene
of the maneuvers: every sailing and
steam vessel along the coast or crossing
from continent to continent can keep in
touch with the different lighthouse keep
ers. passing ships and all the dangerous
points along the different coasts by SIM
ply taking out the wireless apparatus and
calling up land. Danger Of the sea
says Mr.. Alden, will to a Legree hither-
| 10 unknown be wiped out. The cost Of
erecting poles and wires will all be done
away with, In the country districts any
person may talk with his neighbors miles
away by taking out his small and mex
pensive wireless telephone"
| I he age of the earth through the radioac-
tive properties of radium and helium has
been pointed out by r. T. Strut before
the Royal Institution of London Accept
ing the hypothesis that helium is con-
stantly at definite speed from raditim.
Mr.. Strut proposed a quantitative esti-
nation of the radium and the helium
present in various minerals as a means
of determining their relative ages. Pro-
ceeding on similar lines, when once the
rate at which radium is transformed
should have been estimated. simple op-
Grafton in arithmetic would solve the
problem of the age of the earth. Il
have" said Mr. Strut. been able to find
that the age OF tiints present in chalk lis
only one-thirtieth of the age of the min
eral that is heing mined IN Cornwall"
The matter of the theft of incandescent
lamps from their sockets i'm Office build
ings and hotels has long been a serious
| thing to the electrical companies. many
of which have established the custom OF
renewing lamps without charge. With
the advent of the new high-efaciency
filaments which have been the means OF
greatly increasing the cost of the lamps
this petty pilfering has been given even
greater Importance. In order to over
come this a locking socket has been placed
on the market by which it is impossible
to remove the globe except by the use of
a key which releases it. In appearance
the locking socket is similar to the ordi-
nary key or keyless socket, tie only diff
ference being a small , keyhole The
screw shell in the socket. however, swiv-
els freely until it Is locked by a key in
the keyhole. To place a lamp in this
socket or to remove one from 1t. it Is
necessary to lock the interior shell by
use of the key before the lamp can be
screwed in or out. AS the lamp turns
freely at all other times. it will not be
broken by person thinking 1t is merely
stuck in the shell and trying to force it
out.