News-scripts
1
ΥοιιΈ get accurate readings and low blanks in both infrared and ultraviolet regions—and that's not all. Merck Spectro Grade Solvents eliminate tedi- ous purifications . . . afford re- producible results month after month. See your local distribu- tor for any of the following: Acetone, CarbonTetrachloride, Chloroform, Methyl Alcohol Anhydrous, Methylene Chlo- ride, Iso-octane, Isopropyl Al- cohol. Merck & Co., Inc. Rail- way, New Jersey. Let It Alone Reading our story about the poten- tial hazards of the atomic age (C&EN, June 25, page &1€2), A. R. Patton of Colorado A&M's chemistry department reached far back in his memory to re- call an item which appeared in The Ν etc Yorker on June 30, 1934. He thinks the comment particularly ap- propriate for these days: One scientist has an idea that it might he fun to dig a hole down into the earth deeper than anybody has ever gone before and poke around down there. He says there's some swell gas in the earths core and we ought to let it out because it would be such a great supply of power. Well, pardon us, but we have a counterplan calling for the formation of a nonpowerloving organization called the Society for Letting Well Enough Alone. The SLWEA would be founded on the notion that Science is a busybody, and that some day, thanks to Science, we'll hear a loud noise, see a stream of yellow flame in the sky, and zippo, there won't be any more earth, any more sky, any more science, or any more coconut oil. Hereafter, any scien- tist who wants to try an experiment in- volving the whole earth is going to have to get permission from the SLWEA. That goes for side trips into the strato- sphere, chemical twiddling of all sorts, and boring holes into the center of the works. The earth is the property of all of us; scientists have got to quit claiming her as their oyster. The earth, just as she stands, has a lot of qualities which we cherish: \\r e like the climate, we like the food, and we like the view from the porch. Nobody is going to let the gas out of her, if we can prevent it. If scientists have to let the gas out of something, let em buy a nickel balloon. Department of Obscure Information • The purple fruit of the passion flower produces more "ripening gas" (ethylene) for its size than any other fruit, studies at the University of Cali- fornia reveal; ethylene production is thought to be a result of the ripening process, and artificially added ethylene hastens ripening. • The average American family of four uses 888 cans of food in a year. • Thirty times more man-made light was produced last year than 30 years ago, say Westinghouse engineers. /?E/*T'/JL/Z£:&S 1 ΚΓ/β "I forget the name, but it's 4795- of one thing, S3 r A of another, and 209^ of something else." COMING NEXT WEEK LP-Gas Blossoms Forth Rising consumption for chemical manufacturing and synthetic rubber made a big '55, point to a bigger '56 Economies in Fertilizer Production Short prilling tower is key modification of Sengel process to making cheaper ammonium nitrate 4120 C&EN AUG. 2 0, 19 5 6 Superior Transparency *7^&4?<sis~^<3**^e>Zïs
Transcript of News-scripts
ΥοιιΈ get accurate readings and low blanks in both infrared and ultraviolet regions—and that's not all. Merck Spectro Grade Solvents eliminate tedious purifications . . . afford reproducible results month after month. See your local distributor for any of the following: Acetone, CarbonTetrachloride, Chloroform, Methyl Alcohol Anhydrous, Methylene Chloride, Iso-octane, Isopropyl Alcohol. Merck & Co., Inc. Railway, New Jersey.
Let It Alone Reading our story about the poten
tial hazards of the atomic age (C&EN, June 25, page &1€2), A. R. Patton of Colorado A&M's chemistry department reached far back in his memory to recall an item which appeared in The Ν etc Yorker on June 30, 1934. He thinks the comment particularly ap propriate for these days:
One scientist has an idea that it might he fun to dig a hole down into the earth deeper than anybody has ever gone before and poke around down there. He says there's some swell gas in the ear ths core and we ought to let it out because it would be such a great supply of power. Well, pardon us, but we have a counterplan calling for the formation of a nonpowerloving organization called the Society for Letting Well Enough Alone.
The SLWEA would be founded on the notion that Science is a busybody, and that some day, thanks to Science, we'll hear a loud noise, see a stream of yellow flame in the sky, and zippo, there won't be any more earth, any more sky, any more science, or any more coconut oil. Hereafter, any scientist who wants to try an experiment involving the whole earth is going to have to get permission from the SLWEA. That goes for side trips into the stratosphere, chemical twiddling of all sorts, and boring holes into the center of the works.
The earth is the property of all of us; scientists have got to quit claiming her as their oyster. The earth, just as she stands, has a lot of qualities which we cherish: \\re like the climate, we like the food, and we like the view from the porch. Nobody is going to let the
gas out of her, if w e can prevent i t . If scientists have to let the gas out of something, let em buy a nickel balloon.
Department of Obscure Information
• The purple fruit of the passion flower produces more "ripening gas" (ethylene) for its size than any other fruit, studies at the University of California reveal; ethylene production is thought to be a result of the ripening process, and artificially added ethylene hastens ripening.
• The average American family of four uses 888 cans of food in a year.
• Thirty times more man-made light was produced last year than 30 years ago, say Westinghouse engineers.
/?E/*T'/JL/Z£:&S
1 ΚΓ/β
"I forget the name, but it's 4795- of one thing, S3rA of another, and 209^ of something else."
C O M I N G N E X T W E E K
LP-Gas Blossoms Forth Rising consumption for chemical manufacturing and synthetic rubber made a big '55, point to a bigger '56
Economies in Fertilizer Production Short prilling tower is key modification of Sengel process to making cheaper ammonium nitrate
4 1 2 0 C & E N A U G . 2 0, 19 56
Superior Transparency
*7^&4?<sis~^<3**^e>Zïs
