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Astounding Stories of Super-Science, November 1930, by Astounding Stories is part of HackerNoon’s Book Blog Post series. You can jump to any chapter in this book here . Vagabonds of Space - Chapter IV: Europa CHAPTER IV. Europa When Carr opened his eyes it was to the normal lighting of his own sleeping cabin. The Nomad was intact, though an odor of scorched varnish permeated the air. They were unharmed—as yet. He turned on his side and saw that Mado was moving about at the side of his couch. Good old Mado! With a basin of water in his hand and a cloth. He'd been bathing his face. Brought him to. He sat up just as Mado turned to apply the cloth anew. "Good boy, Carr! All right?" smiled the Martian. "Little dizzy. But I'm okay." Carr sprang to his feet where he wabbled uncertainly for a moment. "But the Nomad?" he asked. "Is she—are we safe?" "Never safer. What in the name of Saturn did you do?" Carr passed his hand across his eyes, trying to remember. "The D-ray," he said. "I turned it on and dived into the thing with full attraction. Then—I forget. Where is it—the thing, I mean?" "Look!" Mado drew him to the stern compartment. Far behind them there shone a misty wreath, a ring of drifting matter that writhed and twisted as if in mortal agony. "Is that it?" "What's left of it. You shot your way through it; through and out of its influence. D-ray must have devitalized the thing as it bored through. Killed its energies—for the time, at least." Already, the thing was closing in. Soon there would be a solid mass as before. But the Nomad was saved. "How about yourself?" asked Carr anxiously. "Last time I saw you you were flat on the floor." "Nothing wrong with me now. A bit stiff and sore, that's all. When I came to I put all the controls in neutral and came looking for you. I was scared, but the thing's all over now, so let's go." "Where?" "Europa." "Where's that?" "Don't you remember? The third satellite of the fifth planet. That's Europa, third in distance from Jupiter, the fifth planet. It is about the size of Terra's satellite—your Moon. We'll find the city of the golden domes." Carr's eyes renewed their sparkle. "Right!" he exclaimed. "I forgot the mental message. Poor devils! All over for them now. But we'll carry their message. How far is it?" "Don't know yet till I determine our position and the position of Jupiter. But it's quite a way. Jupiter's 483 million miles from the Sun, you know." "We're more than half way, then." "Not necessarily. Perhaps we're on the opposite side of the sun from Jupiter's present position. Then we'd have a real trip." "Let's figure it out." Carr was anxious to be off. Luck was with them, as they found after some observations from the turret. Jupiter lay off their original course by not more than fifteen degrees. It was but four days' journey. Again they were on their way and the two men, Martian and Terrestrial, made good use of the time in renewing their old friendship and in the study of astronomy as they had done during the first leg of their journey. Though of widely differing build and nature, the two found a close bond in their similar inclinations. The library of the Nomad was an excellent one. Thrygis had seen to that, all of the voice-vision reels being recorded in Cos, the interplanetary language, with its standardized units of weight and measurement. The supplies on board the Nomad were ample. Synthetic foods there were for at least a hundred Martian days. The supply of oxygen and water was inexhaustible, these essential items being produced in automatic retorts where disassembled electrons from their cosmic-ray hydrogen were reassembled in the proper structure to produce atoms of any desired element. Their supply of synthetic food could be replenished in like manner when necessity arose. Thrygis had forgotten nothing. "How do you suppose we'll make ourselves understood to the people of Europa?" asked Carr, when they had swung around the great orb of Jupiter and were headed toward the satellite. "Shouldn't have any trouble, Carr. Believe me, to a people who have progressed to the point of sending mental messages over five hundred miles of space, it'll be a cinch, understanding our simple mental processes. Bet they'll read our every thought." "That's right. But the language. Proper names and all that. Can't get those over with thought waves." "No, but I'll bet they'll have some way of solving that too. You wait and see." Carr lighted a cigar and inhaled deeply as he gazed from one of the ports. He'd never felt better in his life. Always had liked Martian tobacco, too. Wondered what they'd do when the supply ran out. One thing they couldn't produce synthetically. The disc of the satellite loomed near and it shone with a warmly inviting light. Almost red, like the color of Mars, it was. Sort of golden, rather. Anyway, he wondered what awaited them there. This was a great life, this roaming in space, unhampered by laws or conventions. The Nomad was well named. "Wonder what they'll think of our yarn," he said. "And me. I wonder, too, what that ungodly thing was back there. The thing that is now the grave of some of their people. And what the golden sphere was doing so far from home. It's a mystery." They had gone over the same ground a hundred times and had not reached a satisfactory conclusion. But perhaps they'd learn more in the city of golden domes. "Another thing," said Carr, "that's puzzled me. Why is it that Europa has not been discovered before this; that it's inhabited, I mean?" "Rocket ships couldn't carry enough fuel. Besides, our astronomers've always told us that the outer planets were too cold; too far from the sun." "That is something to think about. Maybe we'll not be able to stand the low temperature; thin atmosphere; low surface gravity." "We've our insulated suits and the oxygen helmets for the first two objections. The G-rays'll hold us down in any gravity. But we'll see mighty soon. We're here." They had entered the atmosphere as they talked and the Nomad was approaching the surface in a long glide with repulsion full on. It was daytime on the side they neared. Pale daylight, but revealing. The great ball that was Jupiter hung low on the horizon, its misty outline faintly visible against the deep green of the sky. The surface over which they skimmed was patchworked with farm-lands and crisscrossed by gleaming ribbons. Roadways! It was like the voice-vision records of the ancient days on Mars and Terra before their peoples had taken to the air. Here was a body where a person could get out in the open; next to nature. They crossed a lake of calm green water fringed by golden sands. At its far side a village spread out beneath them and was gone; a village of broad pavements and circular dwellings with flat rooms, each with its square of ground. A golden, mountain range loomed in the background; vanished beneath them. More fields and roads. Everywhere there were yellows and reds and the silver sheen of the roads. No green save that of the darkening sky and the waters of the streams and ponds. It was a most inviting panorama. Occasionally they passed a vessel of the air—strange flapping-winged craft that soared and darted like huge birds. Once one of them approached so closely they could see its occupants, seemingly a people similar to the Venusians, small of stature and slender. "How in time are we to find this city of golden domes?" Carr ejaculated. As if in answer to his question there came a startling command, another of the mental messages. "Halt!" it conveyed to their mind. "Continue not into our country until we have communed with you." Obediently Mado brought up the nose of the Nomad and slowed her down to a gradual stop. They hovered at an altitude of about four thousand feet, both straining their ears as if listening for actual speech. "It is well," continued the message. "Your thoughts are good. You come from afar seeking the city of golden domes. Proceed now and a fleet of our vessels will meet you and guide you to our city." "Now wouldn't that jar you?" whispered Carr. "Just try to get away with anything on this world." Mado laughed as he started the generators of the propelling energy. "I'd hate to have a wife of Europa," he commented. "No sitting-up-with-sick-friend story could get by with her!" About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Various. 2009. Astounding Stories of Super-Science, November 1930. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved May 2022 from https://www.gutenberg.org/files/29919/29919-h/29919-h.htm#Page_244 This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org , located at https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html .

Astounding Stories of Super-Science, November 1930: Vagabonds of Space - Chapter IV

38 Lifehacks From "Tools of Titans" by Tim Ferriss

240 Stories To Learn About Astounding Stories

Hi, I’m Aaron Sankin, and I’m a reporter here at The Markup. Over the past year, I’ve focused on investigating and what you (other than shoot dirty looks at your modem, which doesn’t really care about your opinion). why the internet connection at your house is slow can do about it Tucked deep in the , signed by President Joe Biden in 2021, is a short provision giving the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) broad leeway to fundamentally reshape how America connects to the internet. Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Under a section titled “Digital Discrimination,” the legislation tasks the FCC with adopting “rules to facilitate equal access to broadband internet access service, taking into account the issues of technical and economic feasibility presented by that objective, including … preventing digital discrimination of access based on income level, race, ethnicity, color, religion, or national origin.” The section itself is short—under 400 words—and relatively light on detail, leaving it largely up to the FCC to decide how much power it wants to grab for itself to close the digital divide. Various actors have rushed into that void of legislative ambiguity, forcefully advocating for their own agendas. On one side are advocacy groups and some local governments who hope the FCC will take the opportunity to aggressively hold internet service providers (ISPs) to account for what they see as generations of inequitable broadband infrastructure deployment across the country. Some propose levying fines on ISPs guilty of discrimination or, as the agency did when it approved a merger between Charter Communications and Time Warner Cable in 2016, companies build out high-speed infrastructure in new areas. mandating On the other side are ISPs, the industry groups representing them, and ideologically aligned pro-business think tanks. They want nothing more than for the FCC to merely supplement its historic light-touch regulation of the broadband industry with generous subsidies—that make investing in high-speed internet infrastructure in marginalized communities more beneficial to the companies’ bottom lines. The crux of this fight is over a concept called “disparate impact” and whether the FCC should use it to identify whether an ISP has engaged in discrimination. The idea behind disparate impact is that discrimination isn’t always explicit. So, if an institution’s policies have created a situation where certain protected groups experience markedly worse outcomes than others, this impact matters just as much as any intentionally biased practices. For example: A company’s CEO decides that people should always physically look up to their managers, so only people over 6 feet, 3 inches get promoted to managerial roles. As a result, the management staff is entirely male, since men tend to be taller on average. Did the company engage in gender discrimination? Under a disparate impact standard, yes. But, under a standard where intent prevails, this discrimination is a lot harder to prove, because the rules that resulted in a management team where everyone can dunk said nary a peep about gender. “From my point of view, disparate impact is really just discrimination through the back door,” said John Yinger, a professor of economics and public administration at Syracuse University, who has disparate impact and wrote a about discrimination in mortgage lending. studied book “If you have a system that doesn’t recognize and address disparate impact, you allow people to, either on purpose [or] by accident, engage in a lot of discrimination.” The problem, Yinger noted, is that to assess disparate impact, the first step is determining which allocation of a certain scarce set of resources—be it broadband access or corporate promotions—is fair, and then determine if different groups’ receipt of that resource violates that standard of fairness. Intentions Matter, or Do They? Consider an we published last year showing how a quartet of ISPs consistently gave the worst deals for internet service to households in low-income, less-White, and historically redlined neighborhoods in major cities across the country. investigation When we were reporting that story, we certainly were curious these disparities existed, but that was less important than the fact that we could prove they existed in the first place. why why Last year, when we reached out to CenturyLink, one of the companies we found consistently charging high prices for sluggish service in marginalized areas, spokesperson Mark Molzen insisted at the time that the company was committed to anti-racism. “While we can’t comment on behalf of other providers, we can say we do not enable services based on any consideration of race or ethnicity, and the methodology used for the report on our network is deeply flawed.” Molzen never pointed to any specific inaccuracies in our data collection or analysis. The “flaw” he identified was in an inference the company read into the story about its motives. Our October 2022 investigation showed absolutely zero evidence that CenturyLink had partitioned cities into geographic areas based on race and used that to determine where to deploy high-speed internet infrastructure. And, honestly, it would be pretty wild if it actually had. Nevertheless, we found that CenturyLink offered addresses in the least-White parts of Des Moines, Iowa, slow-speed internet service 19 percentage points more frequently than the Whitest parts of the city—and all for the same price. In Las Vegas, Nev., that gap was 31 percentage points. In Omaha, Neb., 33 percentage points. A comment within a June 2022 FCC with Lumen, CenturyLink’s parent company, mentioned the company’s expectations “to deploy fiber to approximately one million new locations in 2022 and around 1.5 to 2 million new locations in 2023.” digital discrimination proceeding However, there wasn’t any specificity regarding how many of these new fiber deployments would go to low-income or predominantly non-White areas. When it comes to the FCC’s responsibility, the question is whether the FCC will look at the levels of access that different racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups have to affordable, blazing-fast internet, find substantial inequality, and then do something about it. Or, as the telecom industry would prefer, will the agency only intervene after finding direct evidence of an ISP making inequitable decisions about where to deploy infrastructure explicitly based on characteristics like race or ethnicity? “ ” In Some Circumstances, It Can Be Profitable The legal theory behind disparate impact goes back to , a 1971 Supreme Court case about how a company required all employees to pass a pair of intelligence tests if they wanted to move into higher-paying roles. Black people were far less likely to pass those tests, which were unrelated to the jobs’ responsibilities. Griggs v. Duke Power Co. The court ruled that these tests—which the company just so happened to implement on the very day the 1964 Civil Rights Act—prohibited race-based employment discrimination, and were illegal due to the effect they had on Black employees’ career advancement. The use of disparate impact to identify discrimination grew in the ensuing decades and was finally into law in 1991. “Because individual motives may be difficult to prove directly, Congress has frequently permitted proof of only discriminatory impact as a means of overcoming discriminatory practices,” reads a U.S. Department of Justice on the subject. codified manual “The Supreme Court has, therefore, recognized that disparate impact liability under various civil rights laws ‘permits plaintiffs to counteract unconscious prejudices and disguised animus that escape easy classification as disparate treatment.’ ” During the administration of President Donald Trump, who famously settled a in the 1970s over his family’s real estate company’s practice of not renting properties to Black tenants, the Department of Housing and Urban Development dramatically the government’s ability to use disparate impact, but the rules were shortly after President Biden took office. lawsuit weakened reinstated While disparate impact has been used by the government to regulate employment and housing, it hasn’t yet been used to assess the role ISPs are playing in the digital divide. As a result, when the FCC went about implementing the digital discrimination rules mandated by Congress, the agency specifically that the public weigh in on whether the standard should be used and, if so, how. requested The responses the agency received on the issue largely fell into two categories. The telecom industry argued in favor of using as a metric, which holds that discrimination occurs when people are explicitly divided up by a protected category (like race) and then treated worse as a result. Digital inclusion advocacy groups argued that is the only feasible metric. disparate treatment disparate impact “Rational, profit-seeking actors will discriminate because, in some circumstances, it can be profitable to do so. Whether this is intentional or not is beside the point,” argued the National Digital Inclusion Alliance and Common Sense Media, two nonprofit advocacy groups, in one . comment “The point … is that discrimination occurs and will continue to occur unless providers’ incentives are changed.” The groups’ comment urges the FCC to look for disparate impact in a plethora of ISP practices ranging from the prices customers are charged for a service, and under what contract terms, to the actual speeds different areas receive and how companies prioritize network maintenance. “For decades, the disability community has noted that discrimination occurs unintentionally and often results from seemingly neutral policies,” the American Association of People with Disabilities in another comment. concurred “Too often, disabled people experience discrimination not because of malicious intent or explicit exclusion within programs or policies but because the disabled people were simply not considered in the first place.” The Greenlining Institute, a California-based nonprofit that for digital inclusion efforts, insisted in its that applying disparate impact to broadband would be consistent with how it has been used across the government for decades. advocates comment “Adoption of the disparate impact standard in the wake of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 allowed for a whole-of-government approach that targeted discrimination in public goods such as education and housing,” Greenlining asserted. “It would be consistent to apply this similar treatment to digital public infrastructure and services such as broadband internet.” The tenor of comments from folks who might theoretically be held accountable if their actions were found to have treated some communities worse than others was, unsurprisingly, markedly different. A primary industry worry is that requiring ISPs to constantly weigh equity concerns may dissuade them from deploying new infrastructure widely in the first place. “Adopting a disparate impact test would cause carriers to choose between prioritizing deployment based on closing the digital divide, as required by Congress, and paralyzing deployment for fear that a regular, common business decision may disproportionately affect a minority community,” asserted the Lincoln Network, a free market think tank, in its . comment Another industry argument is that Congress didn’t really mean for the FCC to use disparate impact to identify “discrimination of access based on income level, race, ethnicity, color, religion, or national origin.” Verizon, for example, that the phrase “based on” in the legislation specifically means that discrimination has to be a direct result of company decisions made because of protected demographic characteristics of a particular area. asserted For its part, AT&T asserted in its that, even if a disparate impact standard were applied, the broadband industry wouldn’t be found to have delivered less connectivity to historically marginalized areas. comment While there have been localized studies showing inequitable deployment in places like , , , and , the company said that the only way to accurately assess deployment would be to look at a comprehensive, national picture of everywhere every single ISP offers service. Cleveland Dallas Oakland Los Angeles AT&T to an analysis from former FCC chief economist Glenn Woroch that showed that “broadband availability rates for census-based ‘non-white’ households are higher than for white households and that availability rates for households above and below the poverty line are nearly identical.” pointed Woroch’s research relies on data from a broadband availability map produced by the FCC that is supposed to show what service ISPs offer across the country. While a footnote in Woroch’s comment insists his data source doesn’t skew the results, that map has been for inaccuracies, and a 2020 Princeton found that “the FCC’s data disproportionately overstates coverage in rural and minority communities.” widely criticized study The FCC released a last year designed to rectify those issues, but that map has its own set of and is still effectively in its beta testing phase. As a result, obtaining data accurate enough to meet the standards pushed for by AT&T remains a tall order. new map profound accuracy problems The battle over the FCC’s potential use of disparate impact hasn’t been limited to the public comment process. In a recent , The Wall Street Journal’s historically laissez-faire editorial board used the specter of disparate impact to lobby against Public Knowledge’s co-founder Gigi Sohn, whom Biden unsuccessfully nominated to lead the agency, but withdrew following telecom industry opposition. op-ed “Public Knowledge, the outfit that Ms. Sohn co-founded and led from 2001 to 2013, has urged the FCC to interpret its regulatory mandate broadly to micromanage broadband competition and development,” the editorial charged. Now would be the time to mention that The Markup does, in fact, have a pack of dogs in this fight. Our newsroom is based on the idea that if you evaluate the inputs and outputs of a big, complex technical system, you can identify serious problems in how it treats different groups without having to know the precise intentions of the people who developed it. The technology does not yet exist to do a regression controlling for the vagaries of the human heart. In March, Markup reporter and freelance data journalist used data analysis to determine that an algorithm for deciding which patients got life-saving liver transplants people in a handful of states, almost all of which were in the South and Midwest. The day after that story was published, the Department of Health and Human Services major reforms to that very system. Malena Carollo Ben Tanen systematically disadvantaged announced One thing I’m working on—along with my colleague, investigative data reporter —is a step-by-step guide showing everyday people how they can evaluate whether ISPs have left a digital divide in their towns. It should be dropping sometime in the next few weeks. Leon Yin We’re hoping that if people use the guide and find something interesting, they can tell the FCC about it. And, who knows, depending on how this disparate impact proceeding goes, maybe the agency will even do something about it. Sincerely, Aaron Sankin Investigative Reporter The Markup By Aaron Sankin Also published here Photo by on Annie Spratt Unsplash

Disparate Impact: Who's Afraid of It?

অসম প্রভাব: কে এটা ভয় পায়?

Unterschiedliche Auswirkungen: Wer hat Angst davor?

Impacto dispar: ¿quién le teme?

Impacts disparates : qui en a peur ?

असमान प्रभाव: इससे कौन डरता है?

異質な影響: 誰がそれを恐れるでしょうか?

이질적인 영향: 누가 그것을 두려워하는가?

Impacto díspar: quem tem medo disso?

Несопоставимое воздействие: кто этого боится?

Farklı Etki: Kim Korkar?

Tác động khác nhau: Ai sợ nó?

不同的影响：谁害怕它？

Scientific American, Volume XXIV., No. 12, March 18, 1871 by Various, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . Silk culture. here SILK CULTURE. BY W. V. ANDREWS. A vague notion that silk culture ought to form one of the industrial pursuits of the American people seems to be prevalent enough; but it does not take practical hold upon anybody. The nearest approach to anything practical which we have seen, in late years—excepting, of course, what has been done in California—occurred in New York in July last, when a number of gentlemen pledged themselves, according to a report given in the of July 30, "to promote the native silk trade." Tribune The gentlemen present at the meeting represented the most prominent silk manufacturing and importing houses in this country. What these gentlemen have since done towards promoting the native silk trade, I do not know, but, having pledged themselves, it is presumed they have done something. At the meeting, of which the article is a report, dags, and other things, manufactured from California silk, were exhibited; and the report goes on to say that "Mr. Warren also exhibited samples of native and foreign cocoons, and of raw and thrown silk, together with the common and , species of silkworms which feed upon oak leaves. * * Also the which feeds upon mulberry leaves; also the , of which the cocoons are early as good as the cocoons of worms fed upon mulberry leaves." Tribune Cecropia Bombyx Cynthia Bombyx Yamamai Bombynx Pernyi I have given this extract, word for word, as it stands in the columns of the , because it contains more blunders of one kind or another than I remember ever to have seen in so many words. is certainly not very particular as to its food, but it is not an oak feeder. will thrive on nothing except ailanthus, though it will eat one or two other things, but not oak. The , on the other hand, will eat oak, indeed it is its natural food; but Mr. Warren errs greatly when he says that it will feed on mulberry. The last clause of the sentence, which says that cocoons of are nearly as good as those of worms fed on mulberry leaves, must be a sort of entomological joke, of which the point is not discoverable by me, so I pass it over. Tribune Cecropia Cynthia Yamamai Pernyi I do not, however, notice this report on account of its grammatical and entomological mistakes. It is because of the evil effects it may, and probably will, have on amateur silk culturists, that I notice it; for most assuredly, failure will be the result of all attempts to produce silk cocoons by feeding the caterpillars of the different moths on the food prescribed by Mr. Warren. Any patriotic, money making farmer, who believes in the , purchasing eggs and setting his worms to feed upon mulberry, which they refuse to eat, and consequently, all die, will probably give up silk culture as being nothing more or less than a humbug. And thus the cause is injured. Tribune Yamamai For several years past, I have made some experiments in the rearing of the silkworms, giving the result of my experience in the first year in Vol. II., page 311, of the ; and of a subsequent year in the , for November, 1869. American Naturalist Entomologist The paper in the is devoted to my experiments with the ailanthus silkworm, (G. & R.), a naturalized species from the East. In that paper, I have said all that is necessary to say at present, on that species, except perhaps that I am further convinced, from the inspection of samples of sewing and other silks, made from the cocoons of , that one day it will be reared very extensively in the United States. It is perfectly hardy, is double brooded, and may be reared by any one possessed of a few acres of land, which may be good enough for growing ailanthus trees, but not good enough to grow any thing else. The labor of a few old men, or women, or even children, is sufficient for the purpose. The cost is therefore trifling. Naturalist Samia Cynthia Cynthia The objection to the cultivation of is that the cocoon cannot be reeled. But it can be carded, and if the Chinese can make excellent silk goods from it, why cannot we? I suspect, too, that silk can be worked in with cotton, or, perhaps, woolen goods, adding to their beauty and durability (for it is indestructible in wear), and thus open up branches of manufacture hitherto unknown. Cynthia Cynthia For manufacturers of coarse goods, I have no doubt that the silk from our native silk moths, and , may be used. Indeed, I believe that M. Trouvelot is of opinion that may fairly enter into competition with , the ordinary mulberry silkworm. The worm, however, is rather difficult to rear. Cecropia Polyphemus Polyphemus Bombyx mori In reference, however, to , it is well known that the silk crop in France and Italy has been reduced greatly, and the price of silk goods consequently enhanced, by prevalence of disease among the worms. So much is this the case, that silk breeders have been obliged to look around for some silk-producing moths whose products may, at any rate, supplement the deficient crop. , as already mentioned as one of these, and two others mentioned by Warren in the reports above adverted to, are at present the subjects of experiment. Bombyx mori Cynthia Tribune My article mentioned before as appearing in the is mainly devoted to my experiments, and those of my correspondents, with , which, as I said before, is an oak feeder. In Japan, which is its native country, it feeds, in its wild state, on . Whether that oak be found in America, I do not know, but it is of little importance, as the worm will feed on almost any species of oak, although I think that it prefers white oak. The importance of acclimatizing new species of silk moths is of so much prospective importance, that I shall devote the remainder of this article to the consideration of whether and may not be naturalized here. Any one, who happens to have the number of the containing the article above alluded to, may find it worth while to read it, but as many persons may not be able to obtain that number, I will here repeat the substance of my remarks, adding as much new matter as subsequent experience has afforded. American Entomologist Yamamai Quercus serrata Yamamai Pernyi Entomologist The silk from the being considered superior to that produced by any other of the substitute silk moths, great efforts have been made in Europe to acclimatize it; but, it must be confessed, hitherto with but slight success. There are exceptions, however, particularly among amateurs in Germany, sufficient to show that success is possible. The Baron de Bretton raises about 27,000 cocoons annually. Yamamai In this country but little has been done, or attempted, and that little has not been very successful. The fact is, that is a difficult moth to rear in a country like this, where in early spring the temperature varies so much; but that success is possible, I am convinced. Yamamai The moth emerges from the cocoon in the latter part of the summer, copulates, lays its eggs, and of course dies. And now the trouble commences; that is, with eggs laid, say in Japan, from whence we mainly get our supplies. As soon as the egg is laid, the young larva commences its formation, which in a short time (about one month) is perfected. It lies in the egg in a quiescent state till early spring. If the egg remain in the country where it is laid, and is kept at a pretty even temperature, and free from damp, the caterpillar emerges in a healthy condition. But if it be removed some thousands of miles, passing in the transit from heat to cold, and back to heat again: and if, in addition, it be closely confined in a damp place, with little or no circulation of air, the egg is attacked by a fungus which sometimes prevents the worm from emerging at all; or, if it emerge, it is in a sickly condition. That these conditions obtain in the transit of eggs, from Japan to Europe, and thence to America, is evident enough; and it may, therefore, require the efforts of many persons, continued for a long time, to enable us to acclimatize the . But this is all that is required, and I feel confident that ultimate success is certain. Yamamai On hatching out, the worm is of a brimstone yellow, and thinly covered with strong hairs; after the second month it is greenish, with black, longitudinal streaks, and the thread a dull coral red color. After the third month it becomes of a fine apple green, with yellow tubercles on each segment, from which issue a few black hairs. The head and legs are chocolate brown, the prolegs reddish, and the first segment edged with pinkish color. The greatest care is necessary, as the spring advances, to prevent the eggs from hatching before the oak buds are ready for them, and the temperature must be regulated with the greatest nicety. If the eggs can be kept somewhere about 50 deg. Fah., it would be quite safe; higher than that the mercury should not be allowed to rise, till you are quite ready for the worms, and, on the other hand, the eggs should not be allowed to freeze. On emerging from the eggs, the worms should be allowed either to crawl to the oak branches, or rather to sprigs obtained for that purpose, the end of which should be placed in a jar, or bottle, of water, or the worms may be placed on gently with a camel-hair brush. The leaves should be well sprinkled with clean water that the caterpillars may drink. From some cause, not well understood, the young caterpillars have a tendency to wander; and if care be not taken many may be lost. To prevent this, it is well to cover the branches with a gauze bag, tied tightly around the stems, and close to the bottle. Care must also be taken that the caterpillars do not find their way into the water, which they assuredly will if they have the opportunity, committing suicide in the most reckless manner. If the number of caterpillars be few, it is a good plan to place them at the outset with their food, in a wide-mouthed bottle, covering the mouth with gauze. The branches, particularly if the weather be warm, must still be occasionally sprinkled, so that the caterpillars may have the opportunity of drinking. It must be remembered that experiment is necessary in rearing , but one thing is ascertained, and that is, that the worms must not be exposed to direct sunshine, at least not after seven or eight in the morning. If the spring be warm, I am inclined to think that a northeastern exposure is the best, and we may sum up by saying, that comparatively cool and moist seasons are more favorable to success that hot, dry weather. In America the worms suffer in the early spring, from the rapid changes of temperature, 40° at 9 a.m. increasing to 70° in the afternoon and falling off to freezing point during the night. The worms cannot stand this. They become torpid, refuse to eat, and consequently die. To prevent this, if the nights be cold, they must be placed where no such change of temperature can occur. Yamamai It is scarcely necessary to say that an ample supply of fresh food must be always supplied, but it may not be amiss to say that it is well, when supplying fresh branches, to remove the worms from the old to the new. The best way of doing this is to clip off the branch, or leaf, on which the worm is resting, and tie, pin, or in some way affix the same to the new branches. If this be not done, they will continue to eat the old leaf, even if it be withered, and this induces disease. If the worm has fastened itself for the purpose of moulting, the best way is to remove the entire branch, clipping off all the dried leaves before so removing it. These remarks apply, in general, to the treatment of all silkworms, except . Bombyx mori The results of numerous experiments with go to show that it is, as I said before, a difficult worm to rear; but it has been reared near New York to the extent of eight hundred cocoons out of sixteen hundred eggs, and this, although not a remunerative result, is encouraging. Yamamai The Chinese silk moth, , also an oak feeder, has been successfully raised by me and by others, for several years. Eggs have been sold to persons in States widely separated, and the results show that this worm is perfectly hardy. Aulterea Pernyi The moth winters in the cocoon, emerges early in May, if the weather be warm, pairs readily, and lays from 150 to 200 eggs. These hatch out in about fourteen days, and like , always about 5 or 6 o'clock in the morning. It is necessary to be on the alert to catch them on hatching only, and to remember that they are vagabonds, even to a greater extent than . Consequently similar precautions must be taken. Yamamai Yamamai The worm on emerging from the egg is large, and of a chocolate-brown color. After the first month it becomes of a yellowish green; head, pale brown; feet and prolegs of nearly the same color. The body has numerous reddish tubercles, from which issue a few reddish hairs. At the base of some of the tubercles on the anterior segments are silvery patches. The worm is much more easily reared than that of , but still great care is needed; fresh food of course is essential, and a slight sprinkling of the branches and worms in very warm weather is advisable; although it is not so necessary as with . It is remarkable that worms, fed in the open air, on oak trees, do not, at present, thrive so well as those fed in-doors, but this, doubtless, is a question of acclimation. I advise white oak ( ) as food, if it can be readily obtained, but failing that, pin oak ( ) will do; and I have no doubt that they will feed on any kind of oak. They will, indeed, feed on birch, and on sweet gum ( ), but oak is the proper food. It is worthy of remark that bears a strong resemblance to our , but it is more easily reared in confinement, and double brooded; an important fact for the silk culturist. From American reared eggs, I obtained cocoons as early as July 4th, the perfect insect emerging on July 31. Copulation immediately ensued, and the resulting eggs hatched only on August 12, ten days only from the time of laying; and as the worm feeds up in about four or five weeks, this affords plenty of time for rearing the second brood. It must be remembered that on the quantity and quality of food, much depends, not only with but with all caterpillars. By furnishing food sparingly the time of feeding would be much prolonged. Pernyi Yamamai Yamamai Pernyi Quercus alba Quercus palustris Liquidambar Pernyi Polyphemus Pernyi I have already said that both and should be fed under shelter for the reasons given, but there is another reason of less importance. The young worms are liable to be attacked by spiders and wasps, and even after the second month, they are not safe from these enemies. I have seen a wasp bite a large caterpillar in two, carry off the anterior section and return for the posterior, which had held on by its prolegs. Did the wasp anticipate this fact, and therefore carry off the anterior part first? As to the spiders, they form a series of pulleys and hoist the caterpillar off its legs, sucking its juices at leisure. Yamamai Pernyi And now I must devote a few words to the advisability of silk culture from a pecuniary point of view. , or the ordinary mulberry silkworm, is, of course, the best to rear, if you can obtain healthy eggs. But this is the difficulty, and thence arises the necessity of cultivating other silk-producing species. I imagine that silk can be produced in most of the States of the Union, and manufactured from the cocoon at a large profit; but for the present, we will leave the manufacture out of the question, and consider only, whether it will not pay to rear eggs and cocoons for sale? It must be remembered that European manufacturers are at this moment largely dependent on foreign countries for the supply of both eggs and cocoons; and this, because of the general prevalence of disease among all the races of . And now, to what extent does the reader suppose this dependence exists? Of cocoons I have no returns at hand, but, of raw silk, European manufacturers purchase, annually, not less than $160,000,000 worth; and of eggs ( ) to the value of $10,000,000. This, then, is a business of no trifling amount. California seems to be alive to the fact, and, I am informed, raised, this last season, $3,000,000 cocoons; and, for sale, about 4,000 ounces of eggs, worth at least $4 per ounce, wholesale. Now, there is no earthly reason why California should monopolize this business. Why are not companies formed in other States for this purpose? or if private individuals lack the enterprise or the means, why do not the legislatures, of those States most favorably located, do something by way of starting the business? A few thousand dollars loaned, or even donated, may prove to be a valuable investment for the people at large, and, even supposing a failure, would not be a very great loss to any body. Bombyx mori Bombyx mori Bombyx mori So far as farmers are concerned, it may interest them to know that one man in England, Capt. Mason, clears $50 per acre by rearing silkworms ( in this case), and I much doubt whether any crop raised here pays as well. Bombyx mori By way of commencement, then, let everybody that has sufficient leisure set to work, and rear as many silkworms, of the above-named species, as he possibly can; and if the process be not remunerative in a pecuniary sense, it most assuredly will be in the amount of pleasure and knowledge obtained. One caution I must give to those who cultivate . Although requires sprinkled branches, does not; nor must the leaves be furnished to them while wet with rain or dew. Bombyx mori Yamamai Bombyx mori .—The article upon this subject, giving experiments of Fairbairn and others, referred to in our editorial upon the same subject, in our last issue, was crowded out by press of matter. The reader will find it in the present number. Effect of Cold upon Iron About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Various (2006). Scientific American, Volume XXIV., No. 12, March 18, 1871. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/19180/pg19180-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

Silk culture

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On the Magnitude of the Object of the War, and the Efforts to be Made

The spirit of emigration crept in among the few survivors

Photo credit: , view from El Poblado rooftop looking southward Ruhana Rahman Note: This was originally written in 2019. As I decide to enjoy deep breaths of the warm 'eternal spring' air after my all-nighter on the plane, I notice a man running towards me. Before my first solo trip, my friend , a seasoned traveler, imparted upon me that the best part of travel is the people you meet. In Medellín, you feel welcomed by the people who live here, which becomes contagious amongst travelers, creating a small-town feel in an international city. Waj Due to my lack of sleep, or poor Spanish skills, I was waiting in the airport parking lot for my Uber. The man running is Juan, from Uber. I realize as Juan and I run through the parking that he has abandoned his car in the pick-up loop. In most cities, an Uber would drive away after a short wait, and an unattended car would be confiscated by police. Not here, Juan came to find me. Why here This marks my first solo adventure. My last trip abroad was with a group in Israel eight years ago. I read (T4HWW) when I was 20. During a college job, standing in the weight room waiting to spot frat bros, I vigorously annotated T4HWW. Tim Ferriss' The 4-Hour Workweek Long-term travel being possible and affordable while working was a mindset shift. Tim's led me to , a book with practical advice, anecdotes, and insight on viewing the world was the launch pad for my travel. podcasts Rolf Pott's Vagabonding Being stressed with work leading up to the trip, I thought about a favorite stand-up comedian and , , and his global stand-up adventures. I asked myself, 'What would Ari do?', allowing me to take the leap. podcaster Ari Shaffir For reasons such as its accessibility from San Francisco, Medellín is a great choice for my first solo adventure out of the wealth of places I haven't visited. My plan was to explore for a week, and then work remotely as the creator of , the first cryptocurrency news audiocast app. Coinverse Reasons to come here Balance of city and nature Sitting on the beach is great for a few days, but I prefer an active approach to exploring via running, hiking, eating, drinking, and wandering. Medellín is a balance of a vibrant city with unique culture and history, nested in the valley, between the mountains and rainforest. Parts of the city, like El Poblado, contain natural greenery and flowing streams throughout the neighborhood, while hiking opportunities are only a short rideshare away. Culture Everyone I know who has traveled here shares how welcoming and joyful the people are. It's inspiring how Medellín has transformed in the last two decades. There are many markets to explore for food, crafts, and art, as well as unique buildings spanning many time periods and outside influences. Tech Theoretically, I can work on Coinverse from anywhere. However, Medellín has growing nomad and local developer communities. These communities are easy to access with platforms such as and Facebook. Meetup Once connected to a few like-minded individuals, you begin discovering other groups. For example, after working at for a week, I was part of an informal lunch club with a diverse group of people. Selina coworking Affordability Medellín is relatively affordable compared to most cities in the US, especially San Francisco, where a meal in a restaurant may cost one-half to two-thirds more. The city of coincidences As Juan drove down into Medellín, he sensed my excitement as the panoramic views of the city emerged from the valley. Without asking, he stopped three times in order to take my picture. A less-than-rigid schedule leads to opportunities to make unique connections where you may meet someone and end up talking for hours. I planned my trip not knowing anyone in Medellín. Right before leaving, I saw a post from someone I met twice, Mary Evans, looking for a roommate starting the day I left the hostels. This set the theme for the coincidences. The second week, at , I saw a potentially familiar face. is the co-founder of one of . After Derek caught me studying his website on my laptop, he introduced himself, and we had lunch, brainstorming ideas for hours. Urbania Café Derek Pankaew my favorite Kickstarters Discovering how cryptocurrency is having real-world impacts is important to me. I had not found such projects online when a guest of the apartment arrived my second to last week. I mentioned the project I've been working on. This led to my new friend teaching me about how Medellín is a major city for crypto, using , a project creating financial freedom for everyday people. As I continued to ask questions, we talked the whole day, and I was invited to dinner with a developer working on Dash, which led me to meet other people in the Dash community. Dash Lastly, when shopping for pull-up rings, I was confused when Google led me to a residential building. Upon realizing I accidentally went to ' corporate office rather than the store, I assumed they would send me away. Sports Fitness After communicating my desire to acquire $30 pull-up rings, we talked for over an hour, and I left with an offer I couldn't refuse, free pull-up rings in trade for sharing e-commerce insights. Originally, I planned to be in Medellín for a month and then ended up extending it to two and a half months. You'll see why in my posts on the best food, local activities, and working remotely. Follow me to stay tuned. Next up, exploring the classic foods, activities, and how to work effectively. Medellín —  A taste of classics and the best cacao Medellín —  Discover the local appeal Medellín —  Work remotely enjoys sharing and is a researcher and product consultant. Adam Hurwitz travel open info

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