Fraternity-Testvériség, 1965 (43. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1965-02-01 / 2. szám
FRATERNITY 5 HOW TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE WEATHER Whether you live North or South, the weather outdoors affects the interior climate of your home — as well as your good humor. How to do something about the weather is a round-the-calendar problem with many families, and one that’s mighty easily solved. Of course, in the great outdoors, scientists are busily seeding clouds with dry ice and salt particles to change the weather from dry to wet, and both American and Russian satellites are roaming around up there to keep, well, a weather eye peeled for changes in the atmosphere. Several hundred years ago, residents of our planet would have scoffed at the idea of going to such trouble to forecast the weather. A sailor need only buy a knotted thread from a witch, and undo them one at a time, if he wanted winds to fill his canvas. He also stayed clear of the albatross, which was sure to bring bad weather while at sea. (Ony four years ago, the Calpean Star docked at Liverpool, carrying an albatross for a European zoo, and the crew swears that the rough voyage was due to its feathered passenger.) In the 17th Century, burning ferns was a sure-fire way of bringing rain. So much so, that when Charles I of England was planning to visit Staffordshire for a holiday, he had his chamberlain drop a note to the sheriff of the county, asking that no one in the neighborhood play with matches while he was there. Another way of forecasting the weather was to sit around and wait for July 15th. If it rained on St. Swithin’s Day, then there were 40 more wet ones to come, and a lot of unhappy farmers. Likewise, the groundhog, who ordinarily romps freely with his fellow woodchucks, is carfeully observed on February 2nd. If he comes out of his burrow, doesn’t see his shadow and runs back in again, groundhog watchers will solemnly predict six more weeks of biting cold. Until the Ides of March, these superstitious Peeping Toms will be keeping their red flannel underwear and fur earmuffs ready for action. They probably would be surprised to know that it’s neither the flannel nor the fur — but plain, everyday air that keeps them warm during those six long weeks. Air is the most useful and simplest form of insulation for keeping the warm air in and cold air out. The air becomes trapped in the many fibers of wool or cotton, and this forms a protective layer between the body and the world outside. Ladies who long for a mink coat will undoubtedly be disappointed to learn that last year’s suit, an ordinary sweater and the old cloth coat are a greater protection than America’s most famous status symbol. In fact, survival experts in the Army have happily scampered around in several layers of light clothing while the mercury almost dropped out of the bottom of the thermometer. The same principle of trapping air is now used for insulating homes. Two sheets of glass, such as Pittsburgh Plate Glass’ Twindow, are sealed together with a fraction of an inch of air in between. Result? In hot weather, much of summer’s heat stays outside where it belongs; in cold weather, the heat stays inside. When the air conditioner is on,
