Evening star., 1942-02-12
Of Stors, Men
And Atoms
Notebook Of Science Progress
In Laboratory, Field
And Study
BIZ Thomas r. Henry.

By Thomas r. Henry.
Coffee, of which more than nine bill
lion pounds have been destroyed in Bra
zil in the past 10 years because 1t has
been glut on the world market Is Being
transformed into new plastic with re-
markable properties which may take the
place of essential metals.
1t promises to consume most Of the
surplus crop with some profit to the pro-
ducers.
The new product, caffelite, is described
in London's Chemical Trade Journal, Or
gan of the British chemical industry, by
two Brazilian scientists, Drs. H. S. Polin
and C. E. Arayo.
A plant is already in operation in Sac
Paulo which will turn out 1000 pounds
of the plastic an hour and a factory is
under construction which is expected
to process about 5000 900 bags Of coffee
this year If any market can be devel-
oped for the plastic the operation is held
certain to be profitable because much
of the cost can be met by extracting the
drug caffeine and a substance known
as coffee oil from the beans. These both
are in demand but have been expensive
in the past.
Caffelite, Drs. Polin and Arayo say,
is remarkable among plastics for its ex-
treme resistance to heat. Some day hot
coffee may be served in coffee cups. Also
noteworthy are some Of its electrical
properties which will give it a special
lied place in industry.
First, according to the description, the
bean is ground into fine powder. Then
this Is mixed with solvent which re-
moves the caffeine and oil. The powder
then is mixed with water and some acid
put through various chemical processes
and various molding materials are added.
1t then is nodded into any desired form
at temperature Of about $50 F.
For the past IL years about half Of
Brazils 10000 ,000-bag annual coffee crop
has been a surplus. This resulted from
a series of bad crops which caused heavy
increased paintings to make up the def
cits. Then came years Of bumper crops
which flooded the market. In 1881 new
year began the government program Of
destroying coffee to keep up reasonable
price on the world market. Coffee OF
poorer grades simply was unmarketable
anywhere.
But any kind Of coffee bean is good
enough for the new plastic. 1t promises
to end what perhaps has been the great
est wastage in any major crop.
The American head is getting broader.
In this respect 1t seems to be follow
ing, but perhaps at a somewhat acceler-
ated rate, the trend of the more civil
ized" races the world over. Especially
In the highly intellectual Is this process
noted.
Such are the conclusions of DR.. Ales
Hrdlicka, curator of physical anthropol-
ogy Of the Smithsonian Institution. after
a study Of large groups Of individuals
of three-generation American ancestry
and the foremost living intellects as rep
resented by the membership of the Ma
tional Academy Of Science.
1t is a natural phenomenon, he points
out, with the increasing use Of softer
and more concentrated foods. The chew
ing muscles are less used, especially in
childhood. Consequently, from lack Of
exercise, these muscles are less devel-
oped They do not exert so much pres
sure from the sides against the skull.
This skull is expanding with the devel-
oping brain. It follows the lines of least
resistance. With the pressure Of strongly
developed muscles in its way on both
sides the development would be to the
front and back. resulting in long-headed-
ness. With this pressure removed it
pushes sideways.
While there are numerous indications
of increasing observation-disclosures, or bra
chycephalicism, in the world DR.. Hrd-
licka says. there is no known instance
where people is becoming more doll
cocephalic, or longheaded.
1.-THE SKULL" says DR.. Hrdlicka, may
be regarded as comparable to plastic
bag filled with something that can only
behave as a near liquid. Were other
give the skull the shape of simple globe,
or near globe, as can actually be OBJ
served at certain embryonic or fetal
stages. If the skull, or that part of it
which contains the brain, assumes any
different shape the cause of this must
lie essentially in factors outside the brain.
"The ultimate shape of the skull must
be considered as the result of series Of
mechanical agencies connected partly
with the hereditary endowments OF the
different cranial constituents and partly
with the action of all muscular, pres
sural and other outside factors that have
operated on it from its beginning. A few
weeks of accidental or artificial pres
sure will deform the skull Of the new
born infant and the brain during all the
rest of the life of the individual will
be incapable of any material alteration
in these changes"
The broad medicines Of the highly
intellectual, DR.. Hrdlicka believes, is due
to an actual increase in the size of the
brain inside the skull, even to COM
paratively late period in life. This extra
brain material must make place for
itself in some direction. The increase
is due in turn, he believes, to an ex-
ceptionally good supply. There is no evil
dence as to whether 1t is confined to the
supporting and interstitial tissues of the
brain or whether there is an actual in
crease in the number of thinking" cells.
Saws America ReOuireS