At Richmond

Last week in Richmond, Va., chemists from all over the U. S. gathered at the convention of the American Chemical Society to gossip, talk shop, exchange news of knowledge gained in research and experiment. To these scientists in their meetings, many a talk was made, many a learned paper was read, including:

Fruit Ripener: Sunshine often takes weeks to ripen green oranges, bananas, lemons. A small quantity of ethylene gas (C2H4) was released in a closed chamber containing green fruit. The fruit ripened in a few hours, was sweet, succulent. Ethylene gas may be produced cheaply in unlimited quantities. Result: Fruitgrowers may extend the season for their product, save money, avoid the dangers of disease to ripening fruit.--Dr. R. B. Harvey, College of Agriculture, St. Paul, Minn.

Rays for Rapid Drying: Dr. William D. Coolidge recently produced powerful cathode rays (TIME, Nov. 1). To show a possible use for them, wet paint was exposed to rays from the cathode tube. It dried rapidly.--Professor J. S. Long, Lehigh University.

Egg Inducer: Hens fed limestone (calcium carbonate) lay more eggs. --G. Davis Buckner, University of Kentucky.

Potent Moonlight: Light vibrations given a definite direction are said to be polarized. Sunlight reflected by sea, snow, sky is partially polarized; moonlight is largely polarized. To find the influence of polarized light on living organisms, it was played on yeast, bacteria, sick rats. The growth of yeast, bacteria was stimulated. The sick rats soon died.--Dr. David I. Macht, Johns Hopkins University.

Mummy Germs: Tubercular bacilli found in Egyptian mummies are just like those that infest human bodies today. The characteristics of living matter change only as environment changes. Primitive living molecules were and are proteins. There is no life save in protein. The first evidence of life is metabolism or trading in energy. Biologists say the origin of species is due to changes in the formation of cells. In fact it is due to changes in types of proteins based on differences in environment.--Dr. Victor C. Vaughan, National Research Council.