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science
Wednesday, July i:
THE BATTALION
News in Brief
Wednesday, July
Sil
Physicists explain the science behind the mysteries of the circus
Mathematician, .
Greek manuscri| Aggl(
to be restored
Stuart Hutson
The Battalion
They call it "the greatest show on Earth." The Ringling Bros,
and Barnum & Baily Circus may provide joy for children of all
ages, but for lovers of science, it may be the greatest physics
show on the planet.
From the Human
teach
the
Comet to the Globe of
Death, the circus per
formances that amaze
and entertain audi
ences across the coun
try are but simple
demonstrations of
principles physics
professors
every day
classroom.
"It's mostly pretty
simple stuff once you
take a look at it, but
you know it takes a
lot of practice to be
able to pull it off ...
and that's entertain
ment," said Texas
A&M physics profes
sor Glenn Agnolet.
tion outward, keeps it stuck to the bottom of the bucket, even
when the bucket is upside-down above your head. It's basical
ly the same."
Agnolet estimates the motorcycles would need to circle the
circumference of the globe a minimum of once every two sec
onds to keep from falling. This equates to a speed of approxi
mately 10 mph.
The ciixus advertises that the cyclists reach speeds of up to
60 mph.
"This is pretty unlikely," Agnolet said. "At that fast, they
would probably be experiencing about 30 G's, or 30 times the
force of gravity, pushing them against the walls of the sphere.
I think Air Force pilots have been known to black out at 10 G's.
At 30, it really would be the globe of death."
"This basically makes a little mistake to one side or another
have less effect on the position and balance of the person," he
said. "It's like sticking your arms out when you were a kid try
ing to balance on something like a curb."
The Globe of
Death is a 16-foot-
wide, stationary iron
sphere in which as
many as three per
formers speed their
high-octamemotorcy-
cles in circles that not only travel around the side of the globe's
gridwork, but along the top as well.
"This basically works on the same principle as a person
spinning a bucket of water around their head without spilling
any," Agnolet said. "The 'centripetal force,' or the water's mo-
vmwsmwm
One of the most common acts associated with a circus may
be those daring souls who walk across an inch-thick rope
dozens of feet above the audience.
"I think a big secret to that is probably the pole they carry,"
said A&M physics professor Joseph Ross, "it gives them a big
advantage in quite a few ways."
One such advantage is a lowering the tightrope walker's
center of gravity.
"If the ends of the pole bend far enough downward, it will
lower the person's center of gravity and make it closer to the
tightrope," Ross said.
The performer maintains his or her balance on the rope by
keeping his center of gravity directly above the rope. The low
er the center of gravity, the more stable the performer becomes.
For example, it is harder to push over a football player whose
center of gravity is kept low to the ground than it is to push
over a player who is standing upright.
"The pole in this case would act in a very similar manner to
one of those toys where a bird balances on its beak," Ross said.
"The body of the bird may be behind the beak, but the wings
stretch forward enough to balance it out."
Ross said the pole may also correct any small side-to-side
errors the performer makes while walking the rope,
"Well, the most obvious would be to move the pole a little
to the left or right to balance you out if you are going to fall in
the opposite direction," he said. "But I guess you could also use
it to torque (twist) against without shifting the weight."
Ross said the biggest advantage of the pole is its ability to
distribute more weight on each side of the rope.
The Human Comet is a man who dons a flame-retardant
suit and mask, covers himself with flammable liquids, ignites
and then dives from 40 feet in the air to a crew waiting to ex
tinguish him.
"Once my suit is ignited, I have
15 seconds before the fire will de
stroy it, and, with no auxiliary
breathing apparatus, if I inhale
while aflame, I burn my lungs and
die," said Jean Pierre Theron, aka
the Human Comet, in a circus press
release. "When I jump, my head
first 'suicide dive' is complicated
because the fire obscures my view.
And when l land, I still can't inhale
because of the carbon dioxide
from the fire extinguishers."
Agnolet said the performer has
more than adequate time.
"From that height, it would
take him about two seconds to
hit the ground," he said. "That's
a pretty good margin of error."
As for Theron taking the
heat, Agnolet said much of
the residual heat would be
left either in the comet's
wake or at his feet because
the heat tends to rise and the
heat is carried away from the
performer by the air rushing
past him as he falls.
"It still can't be a pleasant ext
perience," Agnolet said. "1 could
imagine that the worst thing happen
ing is him tripping or losing'control
somehow."
PHOTOS COURTESY OF RINGLING BROS. AND BARNUM & BAILEY CIRCUS
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP)-
entists at Rochester
Technology (RIT) are restorii
10th century manuscript
only known copy of the v
of Greek mathematic
Archimedes.
The text, which was damaj
by a monk who erased it 2i|
years after it was written,i
purchased anonymously at
1998 auction for $2 million,
Using digital cameras
processing techniques as
as ultraviolet and infraredfto'
the scientists captured imag|
of the original words and (to
ings that were washed away
then covered with a new
“There is always a residii;
traces of what was there," ss
Robert Johnston, an archaec
gist and RIT professor emeriti'
“It’s amazing what can cot
out. Soon, nothing will be sect
or hidden."
The manuscript is the or
copy in the original Greek
Archimedes’ theory of flotati
of bodies. The text anddiagra
also detail his mathematic:
treatises and mechanical
rems and contain the roots
modern calculus and gravil
tional theory.
The team is working
pages from the text as part of
competition that will determi
who will analyze the entire ms’'
uscript, which contains
than 170 pages.
“This book is Archimedei
brain in a book,” said
Noel, curator of the WaltersM
Gallery in Baltimore, wheretlie
manuscript is kept,
need to do is X-ray thaMrat
RIT’s scientists plantofw
their work by September 1
gallery expects to makeas®
tion by the end of the year
Biochemist fights malnutrition in Mexican villages
Patrice Pages
The Battalion
George Bates, a professor of biochemistry at
Texas A&M, began his career 31 years ago
much like other professors — working in labo
ratories and teaching in classrooms. But doing
laboratory science did not satisfy him. Instead,
he sought to use his research to fight the dev
astating level of malnutrition facing children in
Mexico.
Bates first worked with Otorni Indians in
villages in the state of Queretaro, north of Mex
ico City, where 85 percent of the children were
malnourished. As a result, the children suffered
from various diseases and diarrhea, most had
stunted growth, others were mentally retard
ed, and others had eye damage, including par
tial blindness caused by a lack of vitamin A.
"In Mexico, there are many children, espe
cially Indian children, who may eat only
corn tortillas and beans, and maybe a lit
tle piece of chicken once a week, but no
fruits and vegetables," Bates said. "That is
the normal diet. There are also very few
milk-based products in their diet."
Bates said that malnutrition is caused
by the lack of any one of six types of nu
trients: proteins, carbohydrates, fats, wa
ter, vitamins or minerals. Bates' research
was to determine what the children were
lacking, and how those lacking nutrients
could be supplied.
David McMurray, an immunologist at
A&M and a colleague of Bates', said mal
nutrition increases susceptibility to infec
tious diseases. Correcting nutritional im
balances can be as crucial to preventing
illness as using conventional treatments
such as vaccination or drugs.
Professor Bates sits with Otomi Indian children
outside a shelter in the state of Queretaro, north
of Mexico City.
Bates supplants the missing nutrients
by distributing food, in particular of forti
fied corn flour, which has minerals, pro
teins and vitamins. Food distribution is
done in collaboration with the National
Nutrition Institute, a government-financed
hospital and research institution, based in
Mexico City.
"This is a paradigm shift," McMurray
said. "You think of dealing with infections
by vaccination or antibiotic therapy. In fact,
you can reduce the infectious disease prob
lem indirectly by improving the nutrition
al status."
Though the results of existing efforts are
visible, expansion of the efforts are slow to
come.
"Now Mexico has excellent nutrition
surveys, but to provide 30 million meals a
day — which would be needed — repre
sents a tremendous amount of money that
Mexican government just is not able toffii
take," Bates said.
The death rate of children in Mexico ha;-
dined from 130 per thousand children to3C|
thousand children during the last 20yeafi
Severe malnutrition has also decreased
less severe malnutrition leading to sW
child growth has not changed, Bates said
Bates said he will continue tostrivetc
prove the conditions.
"George has a very humanistic approai
life," McMurray said. "He began to spend!
and more of his time taking his student:
Mexico], and looking for students whose
ests were not working at the bench, but"
ing with people, doing human nutrition.'
Bates said he has taken many student:
See Mexico on l
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JULY 10 -
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CARTER BLOODCARE
Locations/Dates/Hours:
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July 10 -14
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Fish Pond
July 10- 14
Bloodmobile
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Rudder Fountain
July 10- 14
Bloodmobile
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
AMERICAN RED CROSS Locations/Dates/Hours:
Recreation Center
July 10-14
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3:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
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July 10- 14
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10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Spence Street
July 10 - 12
Bloodmobile
10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Wehner Bus. School
July 13 - 14
Bloodmobile
10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Ag Students Go Global!!
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• Earn unique degree in Agriculture with international
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• Study abroad! Exciting immersion courses in Mexico
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if Tap into variety of ongoing TAMU activities in
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• For more information, contact:
International Office of the Agriculture Program
at 845-0706
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Chris Nelan
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because Nelan
Texas A&M so]
team and has
United States
(DWG) held in
At the June
Nelan placed f
freestyle, 200-r
the 100-mefer 1
Gr<
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The Texas
ended its first
with a fifth
finish at nati
and two rider
tured three in
ual national i
pionships -
without the
ance of a
coach.
Even witl
success, Texai
Wally Groff a
fessor of anin
the Equine Sc
it was time f
reins and sel
the position.
Buckner s
being A&M'
coach and shi
mg new grou
"There's i
set in stone,"
Net
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