POPULAR SCIENCE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 3693, 30 November 1912, Page 4

POPULAR SCIENCE.

GIRL BABIES STRONGER

The “weaker sex” is really the stronger sex, according to a communication made to the Academy of Sciences by Prof. Dantan, a French naturalist. He points out that the male is feebler than the female in infancy, and for this reason Nature has ordained that more males shall be born than females. But the proportion at birth dwindles. The female is stronger, and does not succumb as easily as the male. Director Carvalho, of the Polytechnic School, concurs in this theory. V He says girl babies are stronger than boy babies.

AX ACCIDENT PREVENTER. In view of the long roll of accidents caused' by motor-cars, an experiment tried recently with a device for safeguarding the public is of special* interest. The apparatus consists of a bar between the front wheels, covering th.c front of the car, and as soon as this catches against a pedestrian it springs back and a seissor-shaped jaw * grasps the person struck under the knees, forces him to sit down in a not,, and holds him until released. The trial was carried out satisfactorily, as follows: A man was walking along the path, when he suddenly started to run across the road. A short distance away a motor-car was coming along the road at a speed of at least twenty miles an hour. The car dashed straight into the man. but, instead of knocking him senseless, picked him up and carried him ten or fifteen yards until the car stopped. The’ device, which can be fitted to a mtor-bus, tramcar. or -anv other motor vehicle, is not at all unsightly in appearance.

A MECHANICAL PARCEL TVER

A remarkable little tape machine which has revolutionised despatch work in many business houses in tue United States, has just been shown in this country. It is claimed that this machine, which measures five inches by eight inches, and is simple in construction, will make the use of string and sealing wax for tying and sealing packages, bundles, and boxes as antiquated as sand for blotting letters. The device is the Demon gummed tape machine, which is a lathe-like revolving disc, a cylindrical moistener, a saw knifes and a roll of specially prepared gum tape. All that is necessary in order to tie and seal a parcel is to draw an inch or two of the gummed tape over the moistener. cut the tape on the saw knife, dab the wet piece of tape on the package, bundle, or box, and it is tied and sealed in a fraction of a second —tied and sealed so securely that heavy mam Ha wrapping paper will break before the tape gives way. This gummed tape is capable of resisting a pressure of about twentv-four pounds to the square inch. .Heavy parcels tied and sealed with it have been sent safely to India and the Far East without a suggestion of coming undone.

A NEW AERIAL GUN. Captain Charles de F. Chanler, chief of the Aeronautical Division of the United States Army Signal Corps, has made some interesting experiments with a new aeroplane machine gun. Flying at a speed of about fifty miles an hour., the aviator fired half a hundred shots at a space three by twelve feet. Captain Chanler handled the gun, while Lieut. Thomas de W. Milling navigated the machine. The gun is the invention of Colonel J. x". Lewis. It weighs twenty-five and a half pounds. It was lashed to the machine in such a manner that the breech rested almost in the lap of the gunner. Fifty shots were fired. Of the first ten, five hit almost in the centre of the target, while the remainder were within the target field. Fifteen shots followed, and five of these struck the centre of the target, rive shots were fired at a pond some distance away and hit the mark.

A DUST COLLECTOR. A Manchester engineer has patented an apparatus which it is claimed will prevent the clouds of dust raised in dry weather by motors and other vehicles. The device, which is simple and inexpensive, collects the dust as it rises. The dust is drawn into conduits which are funnel-shaped a't the mouth and which runs from the rear of the front wheels to the rear of the back wheels. These conduits are connected with a. box into which the dust is driven bv the pressure of air, or this end can also he accomplished by the aid of a centrifugal fan geared to the driving shaft of the motor. The content's of the dust-box can be discharged by pulling a lever-at the front of the vehicle.