May 14, 2024
3 min read
June 2024: Science History from 50, 100 and 150 Years Ago
Walking barefoot on hot stones; what makes bluebirds blue
By Mark Fischetti
1974
Pleistocene Humans Found in Ukraine
“The systematic study of Pleistocene humans was first focused in France. Yet the first occupation sites to be discovered in central and eastern Europe, many of them spectacularly rich, were unearthed almost as long ago. The information they contain is vital to understanding how early humans survived and perhaps even thrived under ice-age conditions in Europe, perhaps best demonstrated by nearly 100 Pleistocene sites in and around the Ukraine. The earliest sites are between 80,000 and 75,000 years old.”
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1924
Walking Barefoot on Red-Hot Stones
“In some parts of Asia the priests, in order to show their magical powers, walk on red-hot stones spread over a fierce fire, without any protection to their feet. This achievement has always puzzled scientists. Many times the feet have been closely examined and have not shown any signs of being burned. The real explanation has only just come to light. A shallow pit is dug and in the bottom is placed the wood. This is overlaid with several layers of round stones, and the fire is lighted. When everything is apparently at a great heat the priest walks across. It has been discovered that one kind of stone, basalt, is used. This is of volcanic origin, is extremely porous and is one of the worst conductors of heat known. It is quite possible to have a lump of basalt red-hot at one end and yet cool enough to hold in the hand at the other end. Thus the cunning priest knows exactly where to put his feet.”
What Makes Bluebirds Blue?
“The average person is apt to think that all the color effects seen in nature are produced by certain substances, dyes or the like. This is true to a certain extent, as has been found in flowers. But the feathers of the bluebird, the kingfisher and other birds are colored blue due to the dispersion of the light striking minute air cells in the horny structure of the feathers. So far no blue pigment has been extracted from these feathers.”
The Largest Map in the World
“Showing all natural and man-made features, the largest map in the world is being erected in the Ferry Building in San Francisco. The map, about two thirds completed, is 600 feet long, a ‘working model’ of the state of California, made to scale. All the rivers, bays, lakes and coastline are modeled on data from the United States Geodetic and Geological surveys and various state departments. The mountains were colored according to survey reports, and volcanic craters were formed. The lowlands were put in, including depths of water. Cliffs, marshes and beaches were reproduced in exact colors. Forests of redwood, oak and pine were made from carved fragments of sponges, painted the natural shades. Paved and unpaved roads, railroads and all the mountain trails were carved out as trenches, and filled in with magnesite, white-surfaced for every mile of the 6,000 of paved highways. No railroad is too small to be shown. Ties and rails were laid, tunnels were cut through the mountain walls, and trestles and bridges put in. Mine shafts were bored. Steamers and barges are placed on the rivers to indicate directions and limits of inland water traffic.”
1874
Statue Wanders Atop the U.S. Capitol
“The iron dome of the Capitol at Washington is 300 feet high, and is surmounted by a metallic statue. It has a motion resulting from the unequal expansion of the opposite sides of the dome. The length of the oscillation from the eastern limit to the western limit is four and a half inches. In the morning the east side of the dome is rapidly heated, while the west side is chilled by radiation through the night. As the sun passes to the western side, this side is heated, but because the east side still retains a good portion of its heat, the expansion is more nearly equalized. [Overall,] the statue inclination to the west is a little greater than that toward the east.”
