Watching the World
Venus Yields Secrets
◆ Five probes from a spacecraft rained down on the planet Venus during a spectacular maneuver in December 1978. As they fell through the Venusian atmosphere, they radioed to earth remarkable findings about the makeup of our neighboring planet’s air. All the probes were said to have worked flawlessly. A small amount of atmospheric water vapor was detected and this, according to one researcher, was “enough to explain the greenhouse effect.” In other words, it cleared up the question as to why the temperature near the surface of Venus reaches 900 degrees Fahrenheit (480 degrees Celsius), hot enough to melt lead. According to the scientists, it appears that energy from the sun is trapped at the surface by some sort of atmospheric lid, similar to a greenhouse. However, one finding was baffling. The New York Times reported: “The discovery of what appears to be relatively large amounts of argon is one of the mission’s most puzzling surprises. It suggests that Venus has retained more argon-36, a gas presumably left over from the creation of the solar system, than has the earth or Mars. Scientists said they may now have to reconsider some of their theories about the origin of the inner planets.”
Influential Islands
◆ The world’s great nations are now eagerly courting favor with relatively tiny island specks in the South Pacific. The reason: Fishing rights for tuna. Until 1977, anyone who wanted to could fish in the area freely. But then the region’s 10 island governments “decided to hang out the world’s biggest ‘No Fishing’ sign,” says The Wall Street Journal, adding: “By last March, each had declared sovereignty over all resources—fish, minerals and anything else—for 200 miles in every direction.” This means that one little island group with just a 149-square-mile (385-square-kilometer) total land area actually takes in 1.2 million square miles (3.1 million square kilometers) of ocean! And the total Pacific area claimed by all the islands amounts to at least six million square miles (over 15,500,000 square kilometers).
Secret of Polar Bear Hair
◆ Despite its obvious appearance, the hair of the polar bear is not white. On examination by means of a scanning electron microscope, physical chemist Malcolm Henry found that the hairs were miniature hollow tubes that contained no pigment. The interior surface was rough; so it reflected visible light like transparent snowflakes. It is thought that warming ultraviolet rays from the sun are funneled down the tubes, which help to keep Mr. Polar Bear pleasantly cozy. There is hope that the same principle can be applied to clothing for humans.
Religion Returns to China?
◆ Some observers believe that the People’s Republic of China may be gingerly opening to religion again. They see significance in a recent Hsinhua News Agency release that mentioned completion of repairs on some fifth-century Buddhist temples. Additionally, “the new constitution adopted last March contained considerable religious tolerance and relaxation of laws,” says To the Point International. “It also guaranteed freedom to worship or not worship and to propagate atheism.” The article notes, however, that after a generation without openly authorized worship, it may take some time for any trend to make itself felt.
Bulletproof Golf Jackets
◆ “You’d be amazed how many people get shot on golf courses. Where else would you look for rich executives?” So the manufacturer of protective equipment explained the recent increase in civilian use of his goods. He also specializes in bulletproof cars. One of these has a windshield of plate glass several inches thick and the car is capable of repelling a military 7.62-millimeter (.3-inch) projectile, which he says is “pretty serious stuff.” The manufacturer added: “War is the great ally of the armormaker, but I was just talking with a retired Army guy the other day and he was saying that there’s never been a time when so much armor was being bought by non-military personnel. We’re opening up a plant in Italy . . . We can’t keep up with the demand there.”
Nothing Tops Mama’s Milk
◆ Recent developments have confirmed that breast-feeding provides “the optimum in human infant nutrition,” according to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Various antibodies from mother’s milk help protect baby from intestinal disorders. Babies also display a need for mother’s affection practically from birth. The “bonding” of mother and child, considered vital in the child’s emotional growth, is reinforced through breast-feeding. The report said: “[Pediatricians] advise a minimum of six months of breast feeding as an excellent nutritional start for the newborn. For the working mother, bottle-fed, hand-expressed breast milk, refrigerated daily for a period not to exceed 24 hours, is the ideal ‘surrogate’ method.” Additionally, it has been found that 50 percent of the iron in human milk is absorbed by the infant. This is in great contrast to results with cow’s milk. Rarely do breast-fed infants become iron-deficient or anemic.
A powerful growth-stimulating ingredient has been discovered in mother’s milk, according to a report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The milk first produced by the mother after delivery has 15 times the normal level of this growth factor.
Disease Revived by Homosexuals
◆ Amebiasis, an infection of the human colon with amoebas, is suddenly beginning to reappear in large American cities. According to a report in the Medical Tribune, this disease has reached disturbing levels among homosexuals. Amebiasis was thought to have been put under control by improved sanitation methods, but the sexual practices of homosexuals, coupled with their promiscuity, have brought it to life again. In 1977, 80 percent of the male cases reported in San Francisco were among homosexuals. No sooner is the amoeba diagnosed and treated than the doctors discover that yet another parasite in the colon has entered the picture. What investigators find “is that the patient has had another encounter and picked up another parasite. Treatment is now commenced to deal with the second parasite, and the patient has to be instructed to change sexual habits if he or she wants to remain infection free.” According to Dr. Selma Dritz, director of disease control, the problem is not limited to San Francisco but “is a feature of every city with a sizable gay population.”
Running Away
◆ According to 15-year-old Mary Vincent, who left home because of “a few problems with my family,” running away definitely is not the answer. She was attacked by a man with whom she hitchhiked a ride, and after raping her, he cut off both her arms with a hatchet and left her for dead. During a news conference after her recovery, she pleaded with other teen-agers: “I’ve known a lot of kids who run away from home and I just pray that they go back home where people love them, instead of going out and finding what the world is like when they’re so young.” Standing before the crowd with a stump of one arm and an artificial limb attached to the other, she added: “People told me hitchhiking was dangerous, but I didn’t pay any attention. It went in one ear and out the other.”
The Slow and the Fast
◆ The slowest walkers in the world are the 364 villagers of Psychro, Greece, according to Princeton University psychology professor Marc Bornstein. He clocked them at three feet (.9 meter) per second. He checked the walkers in 15 cities around the world. The fastest? New Yorkers. They were clocked at five feet (1.5 meters) a second.
Body of Baptizer Found?
◆ Two bodies discovered two years ago in an ancient monastery in Egypt were recently reported to be those of John the Baptizer and the prophet Elisha. However, one body examined by a reporter was said still to have the head attached but was “not decomposed.” Reportedly high officials of the Coptic Orthodox Church have reacted cautiously to the “discovery” and have set up a committee of experts to investigate. The Bible could help those “experts”; it says that John was beheaded. (Mark 6:25-27) The Mormon Church, on the other hand, has absolutely denied the identification as John, “because,” they claim, “he [John] appeared on earth as a resurrected being as recently as 1829.” During this ‘appearance’ he is claimed by the church to have visited with its founder, Joseph Smith, and an associate. But from where could this “John” have come? The Bible says that John the Baptizer did not go to heaven.—Matt. 11:11.
Pulling “Dragon’s Teeth”
◆ In 1938, Adolph Hitler had 185 kilometers (115 miles) of concrete antitank fortifications built along Germany’s border with France and Belgium. In just 15 months, about 450,000 men built the line of pyramid-shaped antitank barriers called the “dragon’s teeth.” Since the war, over 30 years of blowing them up and clearing still leave about 100 kilometers (60 miles) to go. However, now preservationists are urging that part of the barrier remain untouched because of its place in history, much to the anger of the local populace. To finish “pulling” the “dragon’s teeth” could take until the end of the century.
New Glaucoma Drug
◆ A Canadian research laboratory, in what has been termed “a major breakthrough in glaucoma treatment,” developed a new drug to treat this dreaded eye disease, a disease that can cause blindness. The drug, timolol maleate, has now been approved for use in the United States. Reportedly, it is simple to use (as are eyedrops). Yale University conducted tests of over 1,000 patients earth wide, with “numerous” cases showing amazing improvement.
Chicken Soup for Colds
◆ Some mothers have been saying it all along. But now proof exists from the laboratory that chicken soup can help to fight a cold. How? According to Dr. Marvin A. Sackner, a specialist in pulmonary disease, chicken soup increases the flow of mucus in the nose better than other hot liquids do. This speeds up the removal of the organisms that cause colds before they have time to penetrate the mucosa. Even though all hot-water vapors increase the flow of mucus, chicken soup does “something extra.”
Sheep Ships
◆ Two unused oil tankers are now ferrying sheep from Australia to markets in the Middle East. An enterprising Japanese firm converted the large ships to carry 30,000 sheep on the 20-day voyages. Pens 100 meters (330 feet) long were built on the upper decks in eight 1.5-meter (4.9-foot) layers. “The former oil storage tanks now take fodder, water and waste,” reports Britain’s New Scientist. “Fodder is distributed to the sheep via a conveyor and excrement piped directly to the sewage tanks.”
Malaria from Transfusions
◆ In areas where malaria is no longer viewed as a threat, it is now “a well-recognized complication of transfusion therapy that is being encountered with increasing frequency.” One 57-year-old woman suffering from leukemia received a transfusion of platelets, a blood fraction. She unexpectedly developed malaria. A check was made with the local blood product center, which revealed that the donor had made a trip to Africa and, upon returning, had offered his blood. The next day he came down with malaria. Since his blood had been fractionated, the blood bank personnel felt that the components not containing red blood cells could not transmit the disease. How wrong they were!