October 15, 2024
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November 2024: History of science 50, 100, and 150 years ago
Computer chess champion. dental chloroform killer
1924, Total Eclipse: “The shaded area marks the “shadow path” where the total solar eclipse of January 24, 1925, was visible. At the western edge, the sun rises already half eclipsed. On the thick line along the path, the sun will rise just as the eclipse begins. East of this midpoint, the entire eclipse will be visible from start to finish. ”
scientific americanVol. 131, No.5; November 1924
1974
Spatial relationship between boy and girl
“The cognitive trait known as ‘spatial ability’ can be assessed by specially designed tests. Findings suggesting that men perform better have long persisted in the psychological literature. Children Harvard psychologist Jerome Kagan, who was interested in the development of the They designed a simple test for 222 boys and 223 girls in first, second, third, and fourth grades in Lexington, Massachusetts, and seventh graders in Newton, Massachusetts. Boys outperformed significantly in the low- and medium-ability categories of seventh-grade math classes, Karnofsky and Kagan concluded that men and women are potentially equally capable. Karnofsky attributes the low scores of some seventh-grade girls to cultural conditioning.
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computer chess champion
“The first World Computer Chess Championship, held in Stockholm, was won by a Russian program called Kaissa with 4 wins and 1 loss. Each of the three programs lost one match, resulting in a draw due to a low total number of moves. , which was a playoff game. Second place went to four-time national champion Chess 4.0 from Northwestern University. Third place went to Canadian champion Ribbit from the University of Waterloo, and fourth place was written by a programmer at Sperry Univac. There were 13 entries from 8 countries.
1924
gems in plants
“Sometimes a substance very similar to opal or pearl is found inside giant tropical bamboos. In the young stages of growth, the hollow stems are filled with a jelly-like substance. Over time, this dries out, forming an interesting deposit known as tabashir. Some of this serves to make the stem hard and strong, but in some cases the excess forms more or less round lumps at the stem joints. They are pale blue or white in color and are closely related chemically to opal, with almost the same overall color and way of reflecting light.
Apology thrown around
“One of our readers, Mr. G.H. Tabor of Pittsburgh, was good enough to point out an error that had crept into the article about fused silica in the July issue. On page 59, the clock says, “The weather is warm. “The longer the pendulum swings, the faster it moves.” Of course, the longer the pendulum swings, the slower the clock will run. We are grateful to Mr. Tabor. I’m sorry. We will try our best to prevent this from happening again. ”
1874
Dental patient dies from chloroform
“Another patient who was sitting in a dental chair while under the influence of chloroform has died again and is again in the public eye. This latest accident occurred in Boston. A coroner’s inquest heard The jury found that the use of chloroform as an anesthetic was completely unjustified due to current lack of knowledge; however, they also recommended the enactment of legislation to prevent its administration. Experts are increasingly favoring pure ether, or mixtures of chloroform, ether, and alcohol, as alternatives, which we understand provide good results without causing dangerous depressant effects. There doesn’t seem to be a need for chloroform or ether nausea.The use of nitrous oxide in dental surgery has also expanded significantly and is unique because it is both a harmless and a pleasant anesthetic. It has advantages.”
Barn explodes in flames
“Many farmers experience sudden and destructive fires in their hay sheds. Barns have been known to explode and burst into flames with little warning.” Abbe Moinho, lemonshows the following theory. When hay is wet and stacked in large quantities, it ferments and turns black. During decomposition, sufficient heat is generated and steam begins to be released. The hay gradually carbonizes, and the carbonized part becomes a kind of ignitable substance like peat. The charcoal concentrates on the surface and reaches a temperature that causes the mass to burst into flames. ”
