Science and TechnologySource: The Scientific Monthly, Vol. 75, No. 3 (Sep., 1952), pp. iv-vPublished by: American Association for the Advancement of ScienceStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20460 .

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Jr Science and Technology - (From the Month'.s News Releases)

Surface Protection A cold-galvanizing compound may be used under any

oil-base paint on iron and steel to insure complete rust protection. When applied to a ship's hull, it will pre- vent sea growth, corrosion, and electrolysis. Applied onto adhering rust, it induces the rusted area to create its own nonflaking coating, thus preventing rust creep. Within 40 minutes after application, it will be tackfree and within 48 hours will be completely dry.

A transparent liquid applied to stucco, glass brick, or cement is claimed to be the only exterior wall waterproofing compound that will withstand hurricane- driven rain. It has also proved resistant to acids, alkalis, and temperature extremes.

A ready-mixed aluminum paint will add a protective and decorative finish to furnaces, pipes, boilers, ovens, and other metal surfaces that must withstand up to 16000 of heat. The paint may be brushed, sprayed, or dipped, and air-dries within 30 minutes. Although best results are obtained when application is made on clean, dry surfaces, it may be applied to surfaces that are rusty, moderately greasy, or oily.

An enamel containing a nontoxic fungicide, for use in creameries and meat, food-processing, and poultry plants, has remained mildew-free on panels tested for more than 18 months in rooms where ordinary paint is profusely covered with mold within two months.

A plastic-spray coating is based on Vinylite resins and may be sprayed directly on interior walls of cinder or concrete blocks, completely sealing the surface. The coating may be applied in several thicknesses without change in appearance, thus giving extra protection for areas exposed to heavy wear. It is resistant to moisture, mold and mildew, oils, inks, salt spray, and most chemi- cals. Another type of resin-based coating may be used inside malt grain-steep tanks for long-lasting protection.

Horticultural Research

S. L. Emsweller, of the USDA's huge Plant Industry Station at Beltsville, Maryland, has developed three new varieties of chrysanthemums that will be listed in nursery catalogues as soon as a sufficient quantity of stock is available. Thor, a semidouble dark lavender, is a dwarf plant with flowers 2V2 to 3 inches across. At Beltsville it blooms from mid-September into Oc- tober. The double, lemon-yellow flowers of Glorious are borne on stems 36-42 inches high, and those of White Cap, a semidouble white, on stems 20-26 inches high. Flowering period for both is early October.

While mums are being encouraged to grow higher, sunflowers are being developed that will stand only 4-6 feet off the ground, instead of 8 feet. Object of sunflower variety trials at the University of California's Imperial Valley Field Station is to grow a commercial sunflower with the usual big, seed-laden heads but short

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Make Movies in the Dark Eastman Kodak, in tests conducted at the University

of Rochester with its new Spectroscopic I-N Film, has made successful motion pictures of audience reactions when house lights in a theater were dimmed to 1/70th normal room illumination. The film can be used in any standard 16mm or 35mm motion picture camera ac- cepting roll film or 16mm magazines, but lengths over 100 feet will require the acceptance of spliced rolls.

The Day and the Date

Not that the day is important, but the Declaration of Independence was signed on a Thursday, and the next President of the United States will be inaugurated on a Tuesday. Questions about any day and date from 1753, the year the Gregorian calendar was adopted, to 2059 can be answered in a matter of seconds with the help of a perpetual calendar invented by Arthur A. Merrill, a G-E engineer. The Merrill calendar is so simple that the 3684 months represented can be compressed to fit on the front and back of a wallet-sized card and still be clearly legible.

British Radiochemicals Nuclear Instrument & Chemical Corporation has

signed an agreement with the British Ministry of Supply to distribute in this country radioactive compounds produced in Britain. The agreement covers such special compounds as DL-3-phenylalanine-2-C14 and 2:4 di- chlorophenoxyacetic acid-1-C14.

Dual Recorder Without actually mixing the sounds, a new type of

machine permits synchronous recording of two differ- ent sounds on the same tape, either simultaneously or at different times. Each may be erased, corrected, changed in relative volume, or copied without affecting the other. Among suggested uses are practice in re- sponding to cued situations and in playing to an accom- paniment. Or a language instructor may prepare a master recording of selected phrases on one track, leaving pauses for student response. While listening to the recording, the student records his imitation or trans- lation; then, playing both tracks together, he hears the teacher's voice, followed immediately by his own re- sponse. In conference recording the machine is useful in separating conflicting voices, thus increasing trans- scription efficiency.

Less Friction Ball-bearing devices, in sizes from 5/8 to 1/8 inci

Address a post card to Science and Technology, 1515 Massachusetts Ave., N.W., Washington 5, D. C., for further information about any item on pages iv and v.

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in diameter and from 5/8 to 1 13/16 inches in length, which can be glued into woodwork, will do away with frictional drag on sliding surfaces. A flanged type per- mits the unit to be set at a predetermined height above the surface. Prices range from 20 to 45 cents.

Testing A method of bending up the corners of steel sheets

mechanically and making an accurate measurement of the drawing quality of cold-reduced steel has been worked out by Jones & Laughlin metallurgists. Their Flex-Tester requires no specimen preparation or cou- pon cutting and will reduce costs of labor and material. In strip mills the tester may be used to determine stretcher strain characteristics.

Thermocolors, developed in the late thirties by I. G. Farben Industries, are now available in this country for the testing of temperatures on solid bodies in a range from 1040 to 15080 F. Each color comes as a powder which is stirred with ethyl or methyl alcohol and very thinly coated on any surface either by brush or spray gun. Fourteen of the colors make a single change at

designated temperatures, and 12 others are capable of two, three, or four color changes at different tempera- tures. Three other colors will shortly be available to test temperatures from 1500?F. to 20000 F.

A petroleurn-based type of ink for nondestructive detection of both subcutaneous and surface flaws in ferrous metals requires magnetizing the test piece and pouring the ink over its surface. A fluorescent crack detection ink for use with light metals, nonferrous alloys, and stainless steels shows up cracks in a brilliant green when they are examined under ultraviolet light.

Bausch & Lomb Optical Co. is offering a free con- sulting service to demonstrate how various models of its new industrial stereomicroscope can be built into ma- chine, assembly, and inspection setups to speed process- ing, reduce rejects, and diminish employee fatigue.

Double Action Squeegee-Scraper has one hard scraping edge for

removing ice, sleet, snow, bugs, and mud from glass and a soft rubber edge for removing fog, frost, steam, water, and splatter. Inexpensive.

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English Electric-built Canberra twin-jet light bomber over new Chesapeake Bay Bridge, recently opened to traffic. Bridge connects eastern and western shores of Maryland.

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