100 YEARS AGO

The War of the Worlds.

By H. G. Wells. Pp. 303. (London: William Heinemann, 1898.)

Many writers of fiction have gathered material from the fairy-land of science, and have used it in the construction of literary fabrics, but none have done it more successfully than Mr. H. G. Wells. It is often easy to understand the cause of failure. The material may be used in such a way that there appears no connection between it and the background upon which it is seen; it may be so prominent that the threads with which it ought to harmonise are thrown into obscurity; or (and this is the worst of all) it may be employed by a writer whose knowledge of natural phenomena is not sufficient to justify his working with scientific colour. Mr. Wells makes none of these mistakes. Upon a groundwork of scientific fact, his vivid imagination and exceptional powers of description enable him to erect a structure which intellectual readers can find pleasure in contemplating.

From Nature 10 February 1898.

50 YEARS AGO

A new high-altitude research laboratory for cosmic ray work at a height of 11,500 ft. on the upper slopes of Monte Rosa was opened by the Italian Centre for Research in Nuclear Studies on January 11. The laboratory portion of the station at present consists of one large experimental room, and a small fully screened room for a Wilson cloud chamber. The equipment is very complete, and includes a three-phase 30 kW. power supply, a separate lighting supply, and two high-capacity battery sets with a petrol generator in case of main power failure. The station is also equipped for two-way direct radio contact with the parent laboratory at Rome, a useful facility at all times, but particularly necessary when the Laboratory is likely to be cut off from the outside world for days at a time in midwinter. ⃛ The work at present going on in the Laboratory includes the exposure of nuclear plates, which in suitable weather can also be carried out up to 3,000 ft. above the Laboratory. Experiments on meson decay are also being carried on, and it is expected that later some Italian geneticists will be undertaking work at the station on mutations induced by cosmic rays.

From Nature 14 February 1948.