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Watching the World

Peace Eludes UN

Although the United Nations recently celebrated its 40th anniversary as an organization for peace, its 40 year existence has been stained by the blood of approximately 100 wars, some 40 of which have been major conflicts. It is estimated that the death toll from these wars exceeds 30 million. In his anniversary statement to the General Assembly, President Mauno Koivisto of Finland expressed concern over the fact that the UN organization has failed to meet the expectations of its creators, stating: “Do we live today in a better world than we did 40 years ago? Is there now less violence and warfare? Is there less human suffering in the world? Do the nations feel more secure and confident in their future?” Commenting on the stockpile of nuclear weapons worldwide and their capacity for world destruction, he added: “How much is enough?”

Overdone

Most Japanese homes now have so much electronic gadgetry that there is no room for anything new. Unless the new item is very small, the average Japanese person would have to discard something to make room for it. That, says New Scientist, is the feeling of Matsushita of Japan, the world’s largest manufacturer of consumer electronic products. According to the company’s vice president, Akira Harada, “Japanese homes are now so crowded that the only place to put something new is on top of the refrigerator​—or even inside it.” That is “bad news,” says the magazine, because Japanese firms “have traditionally developed products for the gadget-hungry home market, and then exported the most successful products overseas.” Emphasis is now being put on industrial products.

Playing With the Unborn

‘Play with your child through the abdominal wall even during the early stages of pregnancy,’ advises Dutch scientist Frans Veldman. The German medical journal selecta reports on Veldman’s claim that speaking or singing to the unborn child will cause it to react. For example, Veldman asserts that the mother’s tender embrace and invitation with light movements to answer will cause the child instinctively to move toward her hands, almost nestling into them. In the article, even the father was encouraged to share gently in this playing, thus strengthening his relationship with the child.

Ancient Air

What was the air like 4,600 years ago? That is what scientists are hoping to discover when they penetrate an underground chamber on the southwest side of the Great Pyramid of Giza. The 96-foot-long (29 m) chamber, covered by 4- to 6-foot-thick (1.2 to 1.8 m) limestone slabs, is thought to house a second ancient funerary boat for the “soul” of Pharaoh Cheops. The first​—only 12 feet (3.7 m) away from the current site—​was discovered in 1954. That wooden vessel, 130 feet (40 m) in length and excellently preserved, is on display in a museum built for it. The two pits, some 30 feet (9 m) deep and covered with 10 feet (3 m) of rubble, escaped the ravages of time and tomb robbers. It is expected that the second will be like the first​—hermetically sealed by gypsum cement, thus trapping the ancient air. Space-age technology will be used to penetrate the chamber without introducing outside air. This will enable the scientists to measure particularly the carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide in the interior air, compare them with present levels, and perhaps throw some light on the question of whether the earth is really warming up as is believed by some scientists.

Smallest Mammal

“The sole member of a newly recognised 18th family of bats” is the world’s smallest mammal, says Asiaweek. “The pygmy shrew had to relinquish that honour in 1974 when zoologists investigating limestone caves in Thailand discovered the BUMBLEBEE BAT.” Weighing less than 0.07 ounces (2 g), it is about half the size of a man’s thumb. ‘How many would it take to equal the world’s largest mammal, the blue whale,’ asks the magazine? “Answer: at 530 or so to the kilo, 85 million.”

Largest Telescope

Mount Mauna Kea, on the island of Hawaii, will be the site of the world’s largest telescope. The 13,000-foot (4,000 m) mountain was chosen because of its splendid astronomical viewing conditions. Ground breaking took place in September 1985 for the $87 million project. The 33-foot-diameter (10 m) mirror will exceed the largest current telescope, located in the Soviet Union, by 13 feet (4 m). Since a single-piece mirror that size is considered impractical, it will be constructed of smaller segments, each piece having its own support and control for positioning.

Cholera Outbreak

The ancient disease cholera has resurfaced in Africa. News reports indicate that thousands in some countries have already died from the disease during 1985. Yet some countries have refused formally to acknowledge the outbreak, possibly fearing the loss of customers who may think that cholera could be transmitted by export products. Unlike the ancient epidemics, the death toll from cholera can now be greatly restricted by prompt medical attention with antibiotics and intravenous replacement of body fluids. Ignoring the outbreak of the disease hinders such treatment and, it is feared, will result in the death of thousands of people who could be saved.

Turnabout

“Prior to World War II, American consumers avoided Japanese goods on the grounds that the Japanese exercised no quality-control in their manufacturing,” states Parade Magazine. “Today, 45 years later, the Japanese contend that much of the same criticism holds true of some American-made products.” Japan’s trade surplus with the United States was $37 billion last year. “This year, Japan will easily sell more than 2.2 million cars in the U.S., but sales of American cars in Japan will drop below 2000,” says Parade.

Airship Comeback

Giant airships appear to be making a comeback. Their ability to remain aloft for days at a time and hover at a fixed location, as well as their fuel economy, is a factor in the renewed interest. It is foreseen that they can be used to advantage in search and rescue missions, in detecting and tracking drug smugglers, and for military surveillance. They could also deliver food and other relief supplies to remote areas that are cut off because of natural disasters. While they do not need runways, they do need to moor in order to unload and take on ballast. This may be solved by temporary mooring masts that can be carried by the ships themselves and lowered over the side. A number of companies are working on designs that will incorporate up-to-date technology.

Nigeria’s Population Problems

Nigeria’s population, now just under a hundred million people, could increase to 148 million in just 15 years at the present growth rate. The birth rate is so high that The Guardian of Nigeria portrays the typical Nigerian woman as “pregnant . . . with a child roped on her back and two or more other kids clinging on her.” This has resulted in overcrowded cities with the majority of families accommodated in single-room apartments. Lagos households average 3.8 persons per room and, in many cases, 5 or more. Apart from the obvious economic pressures, analysts see a direct correlation between the crowded city population and the growing crime rate and other social problems.

Computerized Help for Diabetics

German medical specialists have devised a computer program that enables diabetics to determine their insulin needs quickly, reports The German Tribune. After they key into a vest-pocket computer what they will be eating and when they will be eating it, the computer recommends the correct amount of insulin to be taken. The computer is also said to note the patient’s reactions to the recommended dosages and later to make whatever adjustments may be necessary. Diabetics are thus offered greater independence. Also the danger of taking incorrect and possibly dangerous dosages is greatly reduced.

Figures Also Missing

Their faces have appeared on television, billboards, grocery bags, utility bills, and milk cartons throughout the United States. They are missing children. But just how many are missing is the subject of increasing controversy. About 95 percent of the figure of 1.5 million a year, put out by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 1983, are said to be runaways​—most of whom return home within a few days. The majority of the rest are snatched by estranged parents engaged in custody battles. “Only a tiny fraction fall into the category parents fear most​—abductions by strangers—​and even that figure is in dispute,” states Newsweek magazine. “The FBI logged only 67 such abductions last year.” A Justice Department advisory board is working on settling the statistical dispute.

High Risk to Smokers’ Wives

Married women whose husbands smoke tobacco run a higher risk of lung cancer than the spouses of men who do not smoke, recent studies show. The Globe and Mail of Toronto, Canada, reports that a Japanese study conducted among 1,400 people between 1971 and 1980 concluded that the risk was 50 percent greater in such cases. According to Dr. Suminori Akiba, an author of the study, a woman’s chance of contracting lung cancer increased in proportion to how much and how often her husband smoked. Dr. Akiba’s findings showed that “spouses of men who smoked 30 cigarettes a day were twice as likely to get lung cancer as women married to abstainers,” the newspaper said.