The Science Society

world with the atomic and hydrogen bombs which many feared as a menace to the very survival of the world. C. R. Clough opposed, stating that the true purpose of life was the furthering of civilisation, which presupposed the advance of knowledge. R. B. Wilson and I. Wilson, the respective seconders, both distinguished themselves with fine speeches. All four speakers from the platform were giving their farewell speeches and acquitted themselves in excellent fashion. It is a sad thought that unless next year finds Clough still with us, or one to follow in his footsteps, the minutes will go unquestioned. The standard of the speeches from the floor was also high; in fact the standard of the whole debate was much higher than that of perhaps any of the previous debates of the season. The motion was carried by 62 votes to 41, with 26 abstentions.

An interesting experiment was made one evening when a debate was held, concurrently with that of the Society, for non-members. This proved highly successful and a number of boys took the opportunity to pass through the ordeal of making their first public speeches. The main speakers were Butland, Beevers, Dornan, and Shearsmith, and the meeting rejected by a considerable majority a motion advocating the abolition of capital punishment. This meeting was encouraging as an experiment, and it is felt that more of the same kind would greatly strengthen the Debating Society itself.

This term saw a slight innovation in that on "House Nights" a senior member of the House concerned may now act as Chairman. So far, P. J. Netherwood, of Queen's, and R. D. Beckitt, of Temple, have acted in this capacity. There were four meetings this term, all of them "House Nights".

The Manor provided the speakers for the first meeting. I. Wilson gave a talk on "Tobacco", in which he described the long series of processes between the harvesting of the tobacco, and the production of the cigarettes. He emphasised that the accurate control of water content at all stages is essential for the production of good tobacco. D. R. Procter lectured on the various types of "Microphones". He outlined the advantages and disadvantages of each type, while his assistant, J. M. Lennox, spoke through the various microphones to demonstrate their quality. T. M. Jenkinson explained the principles underlying the choice of "Colour in the Home". The basis of a good colour scheme is the colour circle, on which are arranged twelve colours. The relative positions of two colours on the circle decides whether they will harmonise or clash.

Owing to illness at the last minute Queen's were able to produce only one speaker, C. R. Clough, and Mr. Burgon, a student master, kindly stepped in and gave a lecture on "The Moon". He expounded 22

the modern theory that the earth and moon were not originally one body. Then he described what it would be like to live on the moon. The landscape is very rugged, mountains and craters being present in large numbers. There is a temperature variation of 900°F. on the surface of the moon. The force of gravity is so small that a man could jump 25 feet off the ground. There is no air or water on the moon, and hence there can be no sound, weather, or life. C. R. Clough spoke about the "Yorkshire Ouse". He described the geography of the Ouse and its tributaries, telling us which parts were navigable. Then he proceeded to the industries carried on along its banks. The main portion of his lecture dealt with navigation on the Ouse. His experiences gained while sailing qualified him to speak on this subject. He has made a special study of barges, and gave a very detailed account of these craft.

At the third meeting lectures were given by two members of Temple. D. A. A. Lamb lectured on "Electronic Computors". Computors are constructed of valves, which are so connected that they can carry out complex calculations in a fraction of a second. There is a fundamental difference between the computor and the human brain. The human brain uses the denary system of numbers while the computor uses the binary system. Then Lamb demonstrated very briefly the interesting features of the new film projector. E. C. Sedman gave a lecture on "Tropical Fish". He described briefly the setting up and maintenance of a tropical tank. His main theme was the classification of the commoner tropical fishes according to their breeding habits. He grouped the different species into four main categories, the live-bearers, the egg-layers, the labyrinth fishes, and the cichlids.

Three members of School House spoke at the final meeting of the season. A. G. Hall spoke about "Better sight without glasses". He described the structure of the eye, and explained the causes of long and short sight. He told us that these defects could be remedied, either by glasses, or by a series of exercises, which cause the eye muscles to relax and change the shape of the eyeballs. Bad eyesight can sometimes be completely cured in this way without the use of glasses. L. T. Beaumont gave a talk entitled "From the sheep to the man's back". He told us how the wool is scoured after shearing, and how it is eventually spun into threads which are woven together on a loom to make the cloth. He described how clothes were manufactured. R. G. Le Pla talked about "Smoking and Cancer". He gave a balanced account of the evidence for both points of view, and suggested that the rise in lung cancer might also be connected with pollution of the atmosphere. He did not commit himself into drawing any definite conclusions.

Throughout the year D. A. A. Lamb and K. Brown have operated the epidiascope and film projector at meetings. It is fitting that here, at the end of the season, the sincere thanks of the Society for their willing assistance should be recorded. D.G.B.

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