Evening star., 1942-09-08
Of Stors, Men
And Atoms
Notebook Of Science Progress
In Laboratory, Field
And Study
BIZ Thomas r. Henry.

Drastic changes in almost every phase
of human living will follow the war.
They have been building up in chem
ical and engineering laboratories almost
since the last war and with increasing
impetus in the past few years. Most of
them have not become realities partly
due to inertia of thinking, partly due to
the fact that industry has been fooled
and stated for use of old processes and
materials and partly because of fear OF
economic disruption.
The war has given a chance for clean
start, due especially to the almost COM
pete suspension of civilian automobile
manufacture and home building. When
these industries and a hundred others
are resumed there will be no temptation
terials.
This was the prediction voiced before
the American Chemical Society last
night by DR.. Charles M A. Stine. vice
president of the E. I. du Pont de Nemours
S5 Co. after a careful survey of the
possibilities of the future. They do not
depend, he declared, on new discoveries
such as may result from the war itself.
For the most part everything is known
that 1t is necessary to be known and all
the materials necessary are at hand.
DR.. Slime excluded many fantastic DOS
ell -; 81
major question, But even the most con-
servatlvely based predictions leave little
doubt that with a successful outcome of
the war, the Western World will awake
into new age almost beyond the
dreams of most of the population.
The changes will affect food, clothing,
housing, transportation, medicine. Enor-
nous as were the changes following the
last war, to much less extent a world :
shaking and mind-Shaking affair, they
are almost inconsequential compared
with those to come
Said DR.. Stine: Since motor car pro-
duction stopped, the shiny new models
that now are gathering dust in store
rooms have aged" technically at least
two decades. We now are in the l96Os
of motor cars, as measured by the old
pace of development.
"Self-coollng systems, proved on large
scale by aviation, may end in the post
war car the nuisance of adding water
to radiators. Weights may be half
what they are, saving from 1900 to 1000
pounds Of worthless load The power
output per cubic inch of piston dis
placement may double, treble and even
quadruple. Fuels may yield so miles
TO the gallon or better.
In the oil industry they are specu
latlng on fuels with octane ratings of
$50. or almost twice that of the best
automobile gasoline of two years ago
1hey say gasoline itself may be dis
placed by superior petroleum product
They are talking of the practicability of
midget automobiles for children,
Instead of rubber alone there will be
many kinds of rubber. The true syn
thetic tire is yet to be engineered.
The upsurge Of automobile technology
Will be paralleled in aviation. Designers
are thinking in terms of hemisphere-
spanning frelghters and of passenger air
carriers in fleets numbering hundreds of
planes. rans-continental non-stop air
trains OF glders, which would drop of
and pick up coaches over the principal
cltleS enroute no longer are figments
OF the imaginative airmans dreams
Leaders of the industry say that tech
meal considerations no longer limit the
size OF alrplanes that can be built.
Now present are most of the elements
essential to the wide popular owner
ship OF planes. Small, highly efficient
almost tool-proof craft can be produced
at low cost. An enormous plant capacity
Will be awaiting utilization, tens OF
thousands will have been trained in
flying, and the postwar land will be
dotted with air fields.
AS never before, we are conscious OF
the need for cheaper and better hous-
ing, Crowded city slums stand as an
ugly reproach to our lack of initiative
mus TAR only general detectives have
taken form. They are for homes COSTING
IN the order of $500 to $500 per room
Prefabricated sections. which can easily
De handled by two men, will permit
fexlblllty in architectural designs. New
insulating materials. making possible
light walls that will be several times as
efflclent as heavy masonry ones. wil
allow the use of revolutionary structural,
principles. Stainless steel is indicated
as common roofing material of the
future. 1t will last as long as the
house and require no maintenance
Lighting will be automatic, governed by
electric eyes sensitive to outside varia :.
tons in the daylight. Air conditionine
units will filter out the pollens of hay
fever and asthma.
weapons OF medicine now beino ON,
ployed are unique to our time. They
include the ultra -centrifuge in which
there Is a peripheral speed of the rotat.
ing disc comparable to the velocjt,
OF a rifle bullet Still another is the
electron microscope, the largest of which
now BENG built is expected to magnify
10000 times"
Offers Suggestions