May 1957

THE SCIENCE SOCIETY Grove were responsible for the first meeting of the term. R. A. Field spoke about "The Organ". He described the reed and flue pipes with which the organ produced sound by means of compressed air at a pressure of three inches of water. After dealing with the mode of action, which today was becoming electrical, he showed a film in which a complete organ was made, and finally played. C. J. Quickfall then gave the Society an insight into the work of a veterinarian. Veterinary science had four main branches : Anatomy, the study of structure; Pathology, the study of the derangement of structure; Physiology, which concerns the function of organs; and Symptomatology. A film illustrating mastitis, and its effect on the cow, followed. G. V. Plester took as his subject "The Development of the Jet Engine". The first jet engine had been made by Hero two thousand years ago in Alexandria. The early attempts in this century to produce a jet had been unsuccessful for designers had tied themselves to the internal combustion engine which was incapable of adaptation. Eventually the most practicable jet, the turbo jet, was developed by an Englishman, Sir Frank Whittle.

The next meeting was arranged by the Rise, and two lectures were given. D. J. Oldman gave an informative talk on "Colloid Chemistry". Colloid particles were intermediate in size between molecular particles and particles in a suspension. He differentiated between lyophylic, or solvent-liking colloids, and lyophobic or solventhating colloids. After explaining the structure of a colloid, he demonstrated the manufacture of various examples, including a silver "sol" and a calcium acetate "sol". J. S. Ibberson came next with a talk entitled "Cutlery through the Ages". With the aid of lantern slides he showed examples of cutlery from a stone age flint knife to a modern sportsman's pocket knife. The great period in cutlery's history lay between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries. At this time blades were beautifully chased, and it was fashionable to have handles of a colour fitting to the season; thus black for Lent, and gay checkered handles for Easter.

At the third meeting the Society was privileged to hear Mr. E. S. Jeffs lecture on "Nuclear Energy". With the aid of film strips the structure of the atom, and nuclear reactions, were explained. The bombardment of lithium by protons produces two helium atoms; it was found, however, that the use of neutrons instead of protons produced even better results, for a neutron entered the atom more easily by virtue of its electrical neutrality. When this reaction was applied to isotopes of the heavy metals, enormous quantities of energy were liberated because of nuclear fission. Thus the bombardment of Uranium 235 resulted in the splitting of the atom, and the formation of barium and krypton. There were practical difficulties in exploiting this source of energy, natural uranium contains only .7% of uranium 235, and the preponderant 238 uranium isotope absorbed the neutrons 33