Evening star., 1950-10-23
Meter Is Made Accurate
To 100 MiIIionth Of Inch
Ten-Fold improvement Reported
By Standards Scientists
By Thomas R. Henry

By Thomas R. Henry
The meter. world standard of length,
has been reconstructed with an accu-
racy of about hundredth of a millionth
of an inch by United States Bureau Of
Standards scientists.
This provides ten-fold more accurate
measure than had been available.
The meter length was ruled on bar
Of platinum iridium alloy by using as a
measuring stick a single wave-length of
red light emitted by the element cadmium
when heated to luminescence. There are
about 1881 ,013 of these wave-lengths
in meter.
Used in 1893.
This was the same measuring stick
used in 1893 by the late Dr. Albert A.
Nicholson of the University of Chicago
TO measure the distance which is ac-
cepted as the international prototype of
the meter. now kept in an underground
vault in Paris. Countries periodically
check their national meters against this
prototype.
The distance marked off on the bar
in Washington. according to the Bureau
of Standards report, checks as precisely
as can be determined with the bar in
Paris. This is of considerable Importance
in showing that this bar has not grown
appreciably longer or shorter with the
years. The standard bar in Washington
also, it is shown, has not materially
changed its length. Claims have been
made that the lengths of these bars did
change by infinitesimal amounts and the
only way to settle the point was by
rechecking against an absolute standard
in nature itself.
The red wave-length of cadmium is to
be replaced now by a green wave-length
emitted by peculiar form of mercury
which is transmitted from gold by bonn
bardment in a cyclotron.
The wave-length of cadmium origi-
nally was chosen by DR.. Nicholson be-
cause it was sharply defined and could
be distinguished easily from other lines
IN the atomic spectra. From it all stand
ard lengths could be reconstructed if all
the meter sticks and yardsticks in the
world were destroyed
The human body adapts itself to star
vation, just as it has been shown in the
past to adapt itself to the extremes of
temperature or to thinness of air.
This is the conclusion reported to the
American Association for the Advance
ment of Science by Drs. Henry L. Taylor
and Ancel Key of the University Of
Minnesota from an experiment with
30 conscientious objectors who volun-
teered.
They were kept on a semistarvation
diet for six months. This provided about
half the normal amount of calories 1t
consisted chiefly of turnips cabbage.
potatoes and cereal. 1t was very low in
proteins and fats and generally was
equivalent to that obtainable in famine
areas. The men lost weight rapidly.
easily grew tired, and complained Of
feeling old.
Their condition did not become as
bad as might have been expected.
Analyses of the results show that when
their bodies began to feed on themselves,
as is inevitably the case in starvation.
those tissues which disappeared first
were the most active ''metabolants. the
tissues with the greatest demands for
food and oxygen. The automatic result
was that not so much was needed for
the individual to perform efficiently.
There was a slight decrease in body
temperature. which also lowered the
amount of nutrients required.
Brain Holds Its Own.
In drawing upon its own resources,
the Minnesota eXperimenters report, the
body used selective Judgment and made
little demand upon those organs neces-
sary for life. The brain is good ex-
ample. 1t lost almost no weight. The
same applied to the skeleton and to
some of the essential proteins in the
body makeup.
The volume of the heart decreased by
about II per cent. But in compensation
the work required of this organ decreased
about so per cent.
Man can achieve a not inconsiderable
adaptation to food restriction, the ex-
perimenterS conclude.
THE life of the organism. they say
sis prolonged or maintained closer to
normal by the rather desperate expedient
of reducing its mass activity. This
mechanism, it seems to us, is entirely
massive +"