New Britain herald., 1927-12-31
By ISRAEL KLEIN Science Editor, NE,A Service


 Two great series of events will remain indelibly stamped in the scientific history of 1927.
 One covers the remarkable pro gross in aviation. The other concerns the almost unprecedented outburst Of floods, earthquakes and torna- does that brought unusual losses fin life and property.
 The Mississippi flood lasted more than two months. covered 1S,0pr square miles put 250,000 out of their homes and caused damage valued at S250,00o, 900. The New England flood early in November killed almost 150 persons and caused more millions of damage.
 Many Severe Tornadoes
 Tornadoes of severe intensity tore over the middle west. along the At lantic and gulf coasts and hit Ger many and Japan. Earthquakes caused losses of thousands of lives in China. Japan and Palestine, be- sides destroying valuable property and obliterating many towns.
 Sciences explanation of these disasters lies in the unusual activity of sunspots in 1927, the peak year in an 1l-ycar sunspot cycle. These great whirlpools of magnetic storms seem to have aggravated the trou- blesome conditions we experienced.
 To allay further disaster of this type, especially along the Misss- lsippi, government and other scien- lists are studying ways of refores- tation, Of building higher and stronger levees and of putting up great dams and reservoirs along the tributaries.
 Opposed to this havoc is the SO sies of flights across the Atlantic land Pacific, beginning with the non stop flight of Col. Charles A. Lind bergh and ending in the attempt Of Mrs. Grayson. Many lives were lost in futile attempts, among them three women, but the contribution to aviation's progress was tremen- dous. The air-cooled whirlwind mo- tor proved it's value while the ac- itivity in aviation started the ball rolling toward long distance trans portation.
 In the first half year of 1927 more than 1e,oo0,o0o miles were covered in civil flying in this country. Air plane passenger, mail and express routes sprang up rapidly.
 Explorers Busy
 Just as adventuresome were tho numerous exploring expeditions during the year Nearly every part of the globe was covered by scien- tists digging up fossil remains Of prehistoric races remappng parts of the world and laying foundations for better weather reporting. One of the greatest achievements in this field was that of the l.. S Naval Alaskan survey, which map } ped the whole territory Of Alaska ; in 15 days. thanks to aviation's help. Such a job would have taken more than 15 years by the old l methods.
 Radios use in connection with the George Palmer Putnam eXpedi-
 
 that Bafiin Land had been previous ly charted 5000 square miles too large.
 In Greenland, today a lone sci enlist is collecting data about the north pole of the winds, where great storms congregate and star furiously for the European coast to wreak havoc to shipping. Test Finstein Theory
 At the same time great discover ies were being made in the other sciences. pr. Dayton c. Miller and Prof. A. A. Mic. on are even now renewing experiments, one on the question of ether drift and the other on the velocity of light, results of either of which have great signifi- canoe in Einsteins calculations
 Echoes of the 1926 evolution controversy continued into 1927, when legislatures of Arkansas, New :. Hampshire and other states tried unsuccessfully to exclude teaching of evolution in the public schools.
 Chemistry and medicine went all most hand in hand toward greater discoveries. More synthetic methods have been introduced into industry, thanks to chemical research, mak- ing it possible to manufacture rub Der, leather. perfumes, flavoring, { even petroleum from coal. l Cure for Paresis l In medicine. one of the greatest advancements has been the infec- ton of persons subject 10 hitherto = incnrable general paresis with ma ] laria germs, in order 10 check the ' worse disease. After infection, the malaria would be cured by a new drug caled "plasmochin." @ quininc preparation more effective than the old quinine prescription.
 Radio also contributed great pro- lgrcssive steps-in transatlantic tele iphony, in radio tclcvison, in beam transmission, in the transmission of , weather maps to ships at sea, in the : increase of power for broadcastinG a to 100 kiiowatts. in the use of giant '. cr-coolcd 10O-kilowatt radio |. tubes. in the construction of re ceivers operated entirely by house | current, in the invention of a bet f ter type four-element type and in :. many similar achievements that ] make radio reception favorable te 0 day.