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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (May 7, 1959)
The Battalion College Station (Brazos County?, Texar Thursday, May 7,1959 PAGE 3 A&M Scientists Attempting To Use Static to Find Storms The static that fouls your tele vision or radio reception may some day save your life. A&M scientists—who three years apro this April showed the world how to track and forecast a tor nado’s strike—are now trying to translate the noise of static into information that can improve long- range forecasting of violent storms or weather fronts. Static is simply the noise made when the electrical impulses which all clouds carry is discharged or “swapped” around. A&M scien tists ard tuning in on this static with ground-based radio receivers, and depending on the static fz-e- quency or intensity, they can spot potential storm conditions at ranges far beyond where radar can now function efficiently. In the future, it is hoped static noises from far-off weather fronts will be analyzed by weather ex perts, who will determine if po tentially violent weather is build ing up. Radar will then check in formation as the storm moves closer. Warning Can Be Sent Once information from both ra dio and radar is gathered, warn ings can be sent to weather cen ters, which in turn will inform the proper agencies, and the public, by radio and television. Thus, the static that is simply an annoyance to Texans today may tomorrow give signals of storms thousands of miles away—and al low more time for warnings to be given. Texans have a prime stake in this work. For Texas is at the bottom of a trough that United States weather scientists call “Tor nado Alley.” This is a four-state area composed of Nebraska, Kan sas, Oklahoma and the Lone Star State, an area through which 251 tornadoes ripped last year. Residents of “Tornado Alley” are now in what is normally the “season” for violent disturbances of the tornado type. April, May and June are generally the worst months in these four states. Last year during this time Texas caught 104 tornadoes. Kansas was “sec ond best” with 62. Journal Accepts Paper by Biologist A paper presented at a recent meeting by an A&M scientist has been accepted for publication in “Experimental Cell Research,” a journal published in Stockholm, Sweden, by the International So ciety for Cell Biology. Dr. Frederick H. Kasten, assist ant professor of biology, presented the parer, “Feulgen-DNA Changes During Autolysis of Ascites Tumor Cells,” at the 10th annual meeting of the Histochemical Society in Atlantic City, N. J., April 12-13. The report deals with some of the chemical changes which occur in cancerous cells. Kasten’s research study is sup ported by grants from the National Cancer Institute and the Atomic Energy Commission. Mr? 4% the man who PAYS MORE asks you to COMPARE COMPARE — Jefferson Standard strength *— Jefferson Standard pre mium rates — Jefferson Standard interest income return to policyholders and beneficiaries. Let us give you full particulars. Judson C. Womble, ’40 2601 Texas Avenue Phone TA 2-0018 Representing LIFI INSURANCE COMPANY Home Office: Greeniboro, N.C. A&M Scientists Pioneers Radar forecasting and tracking, which was pioneered in the South west by A&M scientists, is limited in range. The big radar set now in operation at A&M sweeps up to 400 miles, but the really useful op erations are generally at ranges of 250 miles or under. Radio, however, offers possibil ities in terms of many hundreds of miles, and can be used to augment existing radar procedures. The principal scientist on cur rent radio research at the college. Dr. George Huebner, of the de partment of meteorology and Oceanography, explains the process this way: “All clouds carry electrical charges. As they build up or break up, electrical discharges occur, which, on your radio, you hear as static. As formations become more intense, the rate of electrical changes becomes faster and heav ier, and these changes are detect- Liz, Eddie Set Wedding Date HOLLYWOOD (A>) _ If Eddie Fisher can get the night off, he will marry Elizabeth Taylor next Tuesday in Las Vegas, Nev. They want Michael Todd Jr., son of the actress’ late husband, to be best man, so they had to set the date up two days. The wed ding date originally was May 14. Then they learned young Todd has to be in Spain by that date. able at ranges up to thousands of miles away. “By using radio receivers on the ground, with directional antennas, scientists beam in on the more ‘promising’ areas of static, and the clouds act as floating radio transmitters, sending their signals to the scientists at the receivers. Use of Triangulation “By triangulation, using three sets at different locations, areas of heavy weather can be spotted at great distances. By learning to ‘read’ the differences in intensities and frequencies of static, as they relate to different formations, the weather scientists can then tell what is coming up and prepare other scientists for further obser vations by radar as the formations move closer. Huebner explains that A&M sci entists are trying to learn to trans late the differences in strength and rapidity of static noises into terms that will tell other scientists what type of weather condition is build ing up, where, and how it’s devel oping. The range of frequencies covered is a broad one, going from 10 kilocycles to 200 megacycles. The work is being done for the U. S. Air Force’s Cambridge Re search Center, Cambridge, Mass. “The present Air Force nets are used primarily in location of se vere storm centers,” Huebner says. “We’re investigating methods that can augment radar observations, and provide more detailed infor mation and can, consequently, give more time in forecasting,” he said. Floral Group Helps Finance Scholarships One of A&M’s many projects is the Student Floral Concession which was started in October, 1941, and has become a money-making function of the Department of Floriculture to help pay for a scholarship in the department. “The concession was granted to the club by the college and is strictly a student activity,” said Horace R. Baker, sophomore flor iculture major and manager of the club this year. Besides the money being used to benefit the department, the work also teaches the students how to buy flowers and select the differ ent styles and types. The group has the option to sell corsages at all major school dances and balls as well as the home foot ball games. All the flowers that are used are bought through a lo cal florist. The students that work on the yearly project are paid on the size of the event. Representatives work in every dorm and are au thorized by the college to sell the corsages. “In past years the profits have bought needed supplies for the de partment such as a photo-copying machine, two- microscopes, multi copy reference books used in flori culture and a microscope project or,” said Baker. “This year we paid for the train ing of a flower judging team and made posisble a field trip to Penn sylvania,” Baker said. Oh, to be in Elba... now that Winston 9 s there!’ 9 ITS WHATS UP FRONT THAT COUNTS The mystery is solved! Napoleon’s famous gesture was just to reassure himself that he had plenty of cigarettes. His army may have traveled on its stomach, but the old boy himself wouldn’t have been caught at Waterloo if he hadn’t been checking the Belgian bistros for a spare carton of Winstons! There’s a rare smoking treat that comes from Winston’s famous Filter-Blend — which means a careful selection of fine, mild tobaccos specially processed for filter smoking. Try a pack real soon, and you’ll agree that... Winston tastes good— like a cigarette should! U.-J. REYNOLDS TOBACCO CO.. WINSTON-SALEM. N. C. Liles Receives Insurance Grant Henry F. Liles, instructor in the Division of Business Administra tion, has received a fellowship with Trinity Universal Insurance Co. of Dallas. He will be with the Dallas firm from June 1 to July 15, studying and observing the different de partments. This fellowship is one made pos sible by the cooperation of the American Association of Univers ity Teachers of Insurance and in surance companies. Cape Cod, Mass., is surrounded by water and is connected with the mainland by bridges. OLD AGE CHECKOUT PENTICTON, B.C. (A>)_The B.C. Old Age Pensioners’ Assn, voted to ask the federal government to end the “unjust discrimination” which does not permit pensioners to collect their checks while out side Canada. The annual conven tion asked that checks be for warded. BETTER FOOD FOR LESS Xeing&tterik These prices good May 7 -9 in Bryan only. We reserve the right to limit pieces. FLORIDA ORANGES 4 c EACH SUNDAY MAY 10TH IS MOTHER'S DAY! Mel-0 SWEET CHOCOLATES $1.89 Elmer’s Chocolates from $1.25 to $2.25 Whitman’s Chocolates from 98e to $4 ROSE-in-SNOW CAKE ’"IsKr 89c Jumbo Mother’s Day Cake 2 10-in. Silver Layers ASSORTED MUMS ASSORTED CAIAD1UMS 1 Bloom 2 Blooms 3 Blooms $1.75 $1.99 $1.99 1.99 2.99 : 3.99 llTSAB ,mp<,ri!i ' Lb - Pure Cane Bag V* g J. W. = L 47 c BAKE - RITE • 55° Miracle Whip«49° HAMS HENS Armour Star FRANKS Samuel’s Mohawk Shank Portion Fresh Tender Chicken 12-Oz. Pkg. 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