50 Years Ago

'The sign of the constant of gravitation'. By Prof. W. H. McCrea — A speaker in a recent broadcast asserted that, were the gravitation-constant negative instead of positive, Newton's apple would have soared away into the sky instead of falling on Newton's head. However, had that happened, Newton also would have soared away and there would have been no legend to record. In fact, there cannot be a world for which gravitation is not attractive ... We shall see that the sign of the gravitation constant is essentially a matter of convention.

From Nature 8 May 1965

100 Years Ago

It may be remembered that the Royal Commission on Whisky, which in 1908–9 gave a lengthy consideration to the matter, did not find a very satisfactory answer to the query “What is whisky?” The Government of Western Australia ... issued regulations under which certain chemical standards for “pure pot-still whisky” were proposed for adoption. The proposals met with some criticism. It was alleged, in fact, that many pot-stills employed in Great Britain could not produce whisky which would comply with the requirements ... the proposals, as now modified ... are that, as regards Scotch whisky, it shall have been distilled at a strength not more than 35 degrees above proof and matured in wood for not less than two years; and that “standard pot-still whisky” shall contain at least 45 grams of esters, 3.5 of furfural, and 180 of higher alcohols per 100 litres of absolute alcohol ... For Irish whisky no furfural standard is proposed at present, but the proportion of esters is required to be not less than 35 grams, and of higher alcohols 200 grams, per 100 litres of absolute alcohol.

From Nature 6 May 1915 Footnote 1