100 YEARS AGO

We learn from the Athenaeum that a Norwegian expedition, commanded by Captain Roald Amundsen, left Christiania a few days ago with the object of fixing the exact situation of the magnetic North Pole. The party are expected to be absent for four years, the route taken being by Lancaster Sound, Boothia Felix, where a magnetic observatory will be established for a period of two years under control of two members of the scientific staff, and back by the North-West Passage, Victoria Land, and the Behring Straits.

ALSO...

A Paris correspondent states that on May 8, a balloon built for MM. Lebaudy made a notable performance. The balloon left the Moisson Aërodrome in the morning and returned to it after having navigated round Mantes at a distance of 10 kilometres... The length of the air-ship is 56 metres, and the volume 2300 cubic metres. The engine is a 40 horse-power. There were two persons on board, M. Juchmès, a well-known professional aëronaut, and a mechanician.

From Nature 21 May 1903.

50 YEARS AGO

Sometimes, after heavy and prolonged onshore storms, great masses of foam are drifted in from the sea on to local rocks and beaches. A curious feature of these lather-like masses is the way in which they persist for relatively long periods even when blown about by the wind. Ordinary lathers soon revert to their former unlathered state: but sea foams may persist for a day or more when the weather continues moist and stormy and no sun shines. It is possible that the foam is 'held' by the presence of some protein material, and Miss E. M. Moore suggests that this protein material might be found in the alginate products of sea-weeds. This, however, does not explain how the surface tension of sea-water could be so lowered that the whipping action of storm waves could create a frothy mass... A likely explanation of the phenomenon is that, during storms, large numbers of planktonic organisms are destroyed and broken up because of the battering they receive in choppy seas. The surface tension-lowering chemicals which are thus released into the sea-water would allow the waves to whip up a froth and, if there is also present enough protein matter released from the alginate, a foam with lasting qualities might result.

From Nature 23 May 1953.