Evening star., 1935-06-04
STARS, MEN AND ATOMS
Notebook of Science Progress in Field,
Laboratory and Study.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

A strange object in the vastness Of
space-two enormous aggregations Of
stars tied together with q luminous
band more than 100 900 900 600, ,000, 900
miles longs reported in the Astro-
physical Journal by P. c. keenan, Of
the Yerkes Observatory.
The star aggregations are extra.
galactic nebulae, each consisting Of
billions Of celestial bodies and COM
parable in size to the Milky Way
galaxy, of which all the visible stars
are a part. The nearest Of them Is
approximately 10000. 900 ,000, 900 ,000.-
600 miles from the earth. as measured
by the red shift of their apparent
recession. One appears to be con-
siderably larger than the other.
This luminous ribbon stretched
through light years of empty space
constitutes the first known case Of an
actual physical connection between
independent star systems, which are
separated by such vast distances that
even their gravitational effects upon
each other are incalculably minute.
The hippopotamus, which sup
posedly spends much Of its life sub
merged in reedy African lakes and
rivers, has been misrepresented. it is
indicated by observations made by
Prof. G. H. Parker of Harvard Uni
versity on the 3-ton animal at
the National Geological Park.
Reports of explorer -naturalists were
to the effect that hippos could remain
entirely under water half hour or
more. supposedly holding their breaths
that long. Yet, unlike the whales and
porpoises, they possess no special ap-
paratus for such an aquatic life. Prof.
Parker found that the animal in the
Washington Zoo, even when frightened
and trying to hide. stayed under a
maximum Of 4 minutes and 40 seconds
and that the average time Of its sub
mergence was only 2 minutes and IA
seconds.
Other records cited by Prof. Parker
show that the length Of time this
animal can stay under water varies
with size. The average period for a
sucking hippo is only about 20 Sec
onds As its lung capacity increases
with growth its period of submergence
increases.
Mankind may be suffering from
evolution pains-roughly equivalent
to the growing pains" Of the indi-
vidual.
rJ,,r,or an, &c racoo,,ized nv tho
physician may be mechanical, chem
ical, meteorological or degenerative.
but DR.. Ales Hrdlicka, curator OF
physical anthropology of the Smith
sonian Institution, adds fifth and
generally unrecognized cause-dis-
turbing eddies in the stream of evo-
luton where it is flowing swiftly.
This may be the reason for certain
arrangements in the human system
which are not found in closely allied
forms whose place Is in calmer evo-
lutionary waters, such as the great
apes.
This conclusion arises from DR..
Hrdlicka's study Of curious physical
abnormalities found only in the hu-
man race-the so-called ear exostoses.
These are bony growths in the audi
tory canal of the ear. They oc-
cur most frequently in early man
hood. They are exceptionally fire.
quent among American Indians and
Polynesians, but it is probable that
no human group is entirely free from
them. They lead to hearing defects
and, in extreme cases, even to death.
They are more frequent in men than
in woman.
DR.. Hrdlicka tabulated the Incl
dence Of these curious growths in
several thousand skulls in the Ma
tional Museum collection. They cam
not be considered, he says, as results
Of "diseaae," but rather - abuorm-