50, 100 & 150 Years Ago: July 2023

1973

Crater Mystery Spelled out

“Why is the earth not coated with meteorite-impact craters as the moon is? Presumably, most of the craters shaped in the earlier have been obliterated by erosion and the dynamic processes of the earth’s crust. There are even so at least 14 fantastic-sized craters on the Canadian Defend, some of them dating again nearly 600 million a long time. In accordance to a speculation set ahead by Brian Dent of Stanford University, the explanation these craters have survived is that they were made in historic material that was subsequently lined by sediments, which have been then planed off by glaciation in comparatively recent times to expose the craters anew.”

1923

Mosquito Menace

“Using minnows as mosquito policemen, digging substantial drainage ditches, combating the moment parasitic pests with oil and Statewide cleanup pursuits, mobilizing each company of modern science to reduce a menace and peril which jeopardize the rapid settlement of the land of our very last frontier—these are the successful steps that the Florida Point out Board of Overall health and manifold civic and personal worries are training most vigorously in releasing Florida of a single of her most unwelcome guests, the objectionable, omnipresent mosquito, the minute musketeer of the insect environment who delights in poking its prickly bayonet into human flesh. Floridans [sic] have now arisen and united means in the most determined marketing campaign against the pestiferous ‘bloodsuckers’ ever waged in Dixie.”

The Accidental Thermos

“Sir James Dewar, whose demise was lately declared, is popularly recognised as the inventor of the thermos bottle. Having said that, he was not consciously doing the job for that, but somewhat for some thing to maintain liquid gases, with which he was experimenting. The use that his ‘Dewar tube’ is now primarily place to arrived as an afterthought. It is accurate that Dewar made use of his invention himself for this sort of needs, but experienced no intention of commercializing it. He was later equipped to liquefy hydrogen and he froze it at minus 438 levels Fahrenheit. He also isolated hydrogen, helium and neon from the air.”

Ro: A Common Language

“Ro is a language, but there is no Land of Ro. It is a tongue produced up out of full fabric. With a awareness of it, the entire world would develop into one country, for language is a barrier that begets many misunderstandings amongst peoples. If Ro, or any other of the numerous equipment-manufactured tongues, could be ‘put over’ in a day—if we could all go to bed declaring ‘Good Night’ and wake up expressing ‘Good Morning’ in Ro—this would before long be a far better globe to live in. If we could all communicate anything like this: ‘El ye ni cikno uq zad faz ov riceler al kiwap ov temeler ap azod ro,’ how considerably sweeter daily life would be! But folks will not. The fact is, one more ‘Ro’ is staying designed now. The entire world is turning more and additional to it as a language of business and commerce: English. There will be a ‘universal language,’ not so best, not so mathematically produced as Ro. But it will not be Ro.”

1873

Initial Underground Railway Is In …

“The city of Baltimore now boasts a splendid underground railway, the initial ever produced in the U.S. Two distinct strains of tunnels have been created, at an expenditure of some 5 million dollars, whereby practically all of the several railways now getting into in the city have their tracks united. The Underground Railway consists of the Baltimore and Potomac tunnel, beneath some twenty-9 streets and avenues. The Union Tunnel extends below some thirteen streets and avenues.”

Bunsen’s Burner

“In 1852 Robert Wilhelm Bunsen was nominated professor of chemistry in the University of Heidelberg, which place he even now retains. We owe to him essential contributions relative to the combustion and diffusion of gases. He is the discoverer of the galvanic battery which bears his identify, and which is now most frequently in use. He is also the inventor of that fantastic instrument known as Bunsen’s burner. Herr Bunsen, while now in his 62nd yr, enjoys excellent wellbeing and is still unceasing in the pursuit of his investigations. His design of lecturing is very satisfied, and has constantly captivated a massive audience.”

Bunsen died at the age of 88 in 1899.