Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-04-13
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

Recent Investigations make II fairly
certain that man existed in Europe I'm
the latter part OF the Pleistocene or
glacial epoch. Reviewing these inves-
legations. Prof W, j. Sollas, OF the
London Geological society, finds that
thu work of the comparative anato-
mists has emphasized the connection
between man and the anthropold apes,
especially the gorilla and the chin
pan2cc. and comparison OF the blood
Of man and the apes has shown a close
relationship that is not to be found in
other animals. Man probably diverged
from the primates AS the ape Of the
plains his development beginning with
emancipation from forest life. The
erect attitude and the greater use OF
the hand followed: and as he seems 20
have been very early "A social animal.
this gave a stimulus to speech. He
bly, had great bodily strength and
formidable natural weapons of defense
and offense. With the invention OF
weapons made by art, natural weapons
became unnecessary. and the teeth
were gradually adapted to alimentary
functions only. The Heidelberg jaw. the
oldest known. has a purely human den
tition. although otherwise strongly re-
sembling the Jaw Of apes, The brain
has grown in size and complexlty with
the evolution and use Of the hand. but
to a far greater extent with the de-
velopment OF speech and the conse-
quent exchange. multiplication and CO.
ordination OF Ideas.
Modifying an old experiment OF
PaalzOv a German Psychologist has
shown remarkable amoeba-like move
ments in a drop or mercury. A BIZ
chromate OF potash crystal and the
drop OF mercury are laid a fraction Of
an inch apart on the level bottom Of a
glass dish containing dilute nitric acid,
and az the yellow ring from the dis
solving chystal reaches the mercury.
the latter jumps back. then moves to
the crystal in a few seconds, and sends
forth and draws back long tenacles,
with lively twitchingH curiously like
those OF a w. animal The strange
play continues until the crystal is dis
solved.
Tree telling by electricity heated
wires has been found impracticable in
Germany, on account OF clogging and
the quick destruction OF the red hot
stretched wire.
Air navigation in Germany has
reached the stage where a network Of
signal lights for night guidance Is being
considered. with bells or sirens for use
In fogs; and DR. Bidlingmaier OF the
Imperial observatory at Wilhelmshaven
has lately pointed out that his duplex
compass win enable the aeronaut to Ak
his position with some degree OF ac-
curacy without dependence on signals
below. The instrument, az described
by Consul r n Norton. Ia a delicate
Indicator OF the horizontal intensity OF
the earth's magnetism az any point II
was used IN the late German antarctic
expedition, and in observing a star or
constellation gives the approx mate
longitude. while directly Il indicates
latitude with an accuracy Of three TO
six miles. The knowledge Of latitude Is
usually sufficient guide The dipping
needle can be relied upon when there
Is no iron in the immediate neighbOr- |
hood, and great advantage OF the |
new apparatus over the ordinary COM |
pass is that II Is wholly unaffected by |
the whtrlinR and other disturbing mo- |
lions so common to balloons IN the |
wind. An observation requires less
than two minutes The duplex compass |
could be used at sea. but il made |
valueless by the iron on most vessels.
In his novel theory ~ the canals Of |
Mars and their change Of color. DR. Ar |
rhenlus, Swedish physicist and Nobel |
prize winner contends that various \
conditions including the thickness Of |
the planets crust, have caused the /
formation OF parallel cracks, and that
these have gradually filled with sand. |
Various salts in this sand assume diff |
ferent colors according 10 the degree Of
dampness Of the soil at different sea-
sons. The melting snow" at the poles /
OF Mars IL regarded simply as an evap-
Grafton and tho dampneSs produced
temporarily darkens the cracks The
seas are believed 10 be shallow, contain
ing much sand. The experiments OF
Or. Arrhenius have not favored the
idea 81 life on Mars. and he considers
the climate too cold 10 support plants
or other organisms.