Newscripts
by Κ. Μ. Reese
Fiber optics kit checks taillights, stoplights The Electro Fiberoptics division of Valtec Corp., West Boylston, Mass., has developed an install-it-yourself fiber optics kit for monitoring the operation of taillights, stoplights, and the like on trailers, campers, boats, trucks, and autos. The company has been market ing its Fiberoptic Litechex kits for sev eral months in a preliminary way and now is launching a full-scale effort, in cluding mail order sales. The Litechex system is built around optical fibers t h a t pipe light from the bulb being monitored to an indicator jewel on the dashboard of the vehicle. If the light fails, the jewel blacks out. The normal idiot light, in contrast, is connected to the lighting circuit electri cally instead of optically and can con tinue to burn after the light itself has failed. The Litechex kits cost from $14.95 to
Letters Space technology spins off cuckoo clock SIR: The Aug. 7 issue of C&EN reports on page 27 some of the solutions offered at the recent Second Urban Technology Confer ence in San Francisco. The whole article deals with the transfer of space technology to urban applications: in particular the use of flywheels to power public transit vehicles. Some 20 years ago, a public bus line was operated for approximately three years with this type of vehicle. This experiment took place in the Swiss city of Yverdon and the power package had been designed and built by Swiss Brown Boveri Co. The technical performances were absolutely perfect, but the line was not economical. In fact, Yverdon had never had any public trans portation system before, so that a test of public acceptance of bus services was part of the experiment. Any American taxpayer will no doubt appreciate the results obtained by Lock heed Missiles & Space Co. after 10 years of unlimited support by NASA. With more time, and money, they may be able to offer us a cuckoo clock. Mercury, Nev. Robert Brunier
DOD in flavor research SIR: The letter of Jan Krouwer (C&EN, June 19, page 44) as well as the replies (C&EN, Aug. 14, page 52) concern a proposed amendment to discourage ACS members from engaging in research pertaining to war or destructive ends. However, the amend ment as published in C&EN is worded dif ferently. It wants ACS members to be dis couraged from engaging in research spon sored by the Department of Defense. Somebody is confusing things. As an employee of DOD for the past 18 years I can say without any qualifications that all my research has been confined to flavor and aroma of foods. Other chemists of the Army Materiel Command are working on 74
C&EN Sept. 11, 1972
$19.95, depending on the vehicle and the number of lights to be monitored. A kit contains 60 feet of light guides, a hous ing to hold the light guides in place, indicator jewels for the dashboard, ter minations, end fittings for the light guides, and plastic tie wraps to bind the guides to the vehicle frame. No electrical connections are required; a quarter-inch drill and a screwdriver suf fice to install the kit. The kits use Du Pont's Crofon light guides, which may contain up to 200 op tical fibers, depending on the applica tion and cost tradeoffs. The fibers are an acrylic material clad with methyl methacrylate and are bundled together in a black polyethylene sheath. Optical fi bers can be made of glass, too, but the plastic is more rugged and better adapt ed to a do-it-yourself kit. Optical fiber monitoring devices have been offered on some U.S. autos since about 1967 and currently are offered on some luxury vehicles. Electro Fiberop tics believes they are unlikely to be come standard equipment, however, unless their cost can be reduced.
Beasts, birds, bugs for sale
textiles, footwear, dyes, water and air pollution, nutrition, and many other non destructive projects. Are we to be urged to give up our jobs and join the swelling ranks of the unemployed because some few people rank all DOD research as destruc tive? Roslyn E. Kramer U.S. Army Natick Laboratories, Natick, Mass.
listed throughout industry. I don't believe that there is any place in ACS for these phantom revolutionaries. Perhaps an edi torial on this would be useful. You might be interested in knowing that Marcia Coleman of the Member Advisory Board wrote and asked me to become the fifth member of the MAB Executive Com mittee. I was happy to accept and look for ward to helping develop and implement some of the changes that the ACS members seem to want. Blacksburg, Va. Jonathan A. Titus
ACS should be flexible SIR: I believe that I am getting my $3.00) worth out of C&EN and believe also that you are quite correct in saying that a subscrip! r tion would cost much more if it were not for the rest of the dues; $10 or $15 is not at all1 unreasonable. My last published letter to you (C&EN,> May 22, page 39) mentioned many of the3 things that I think ACS should be doing. Iff we want to stay the technical organization1 that we are, that is fine, but I also feel that1 if the members want lobby-labor type re wards then we may have to change our or 3 ganization to meet their demands. It is up to the members. Since my letter was published in C&ENJ I have received a number of pieces of mail from a group that calls themselves the3 Secret Society or the Silent Society—I for. get which. I think other members have also3 received their information. They seem to3 be directed toward turning ACS into a laborr organization and wish to impose an artificialI limit upon the number of chemists trained in^ colleges and universities. Maybe they have aÎ 3 following in the ACS membership, but it has always been my feeling that one should putt his name on the line if he truly believes inι his cause. These individuals caution those3 replying to their flyers to use dummy namess and post office boxes to avoid being black-"t Please keep Letters to the Editor as short as possible, 400 words or fewer. Letterss should be signed (we do not publish anony mous letters), and address and affiliation,' if desired, should be included.
The Great British Natural History Co. will auction some 3000 animals and birds, often stuffed, and hundreds of cases of insects in an extravaganza set for Oct. 11 and 12 in London. The event is expected primarily to attract museum officials and private collectors. The pub lic will be able to preview the sale Oct. 9 and 10, however, "because of the con siderable general interest in natural history." The wide-ranging collection includes a glass-fiber-reinforced plastic rhinoc eros, 16 feet long, and a mounted bull elephant head that measures 10 feet from eartip to eartip. Also to be offered are extinct breeds such as Australian grand parakeets, swallow-tailed kites, Serow goats, and passenger pigeons. Up for grabs, too, will be a "simulated" dodo, 499 ostrich eggs, and representa tive work of several noted taxidermists of the 19th and 20th centuries: James Gardner, Eric Hare, three generations of Spicers, and a Dutchman by the name of Van Ingan.
Chemist centenarians rare SIR: Congratulations to Dr. E. Emmet Reid, who has done a lot for American chemistry and who celebrated his 100th birthday June 27 (C&EN, July 31, page 24). Chemist centenarians are very rare; only one comes to mind, Chevreul (1786-1889), who in 1886 [Life, 61, No. 26, 40 (1966) ] was the subject of "the world's first photographic inter view. . . . " Fred. E. Sheibley Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio
Small R&D firm conference SIR: I would like to commend C&EN for the very fine coverage (June 26, page 5) given to our recent Washington conference, "Survival and Growth: The Small R&D Firm." Our thanks go to Melvin J. Josephs, the managing editor, and especially to Fred Zerkel, whose article highlighted the important issues, points of interest, and resuits of the conference, In fact, the conference was considered by its sponsors to be so successful that a West Coast conference with the same theme is being planned. It will be held Sept. 27-29, 1972, at the International Hotel, Los Angeles, and will be sponsored by the Small Business Administration, the Depart ment of Commerce, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Samuel Z. Cardon Gênerai Technical Services, Inc., Upper Darby, Pa.
