Show nov new fuel may change world science finds a substance that beats gasoline to 1 NEW YORK pioneering physicists at columbia university have separated into pure form a natural substance so powerful that one pound of it will give off as much energy as pounds of gasoline or pounds of coal this discovery which is discussed in the current issue of the physical lie beliew view official publication of american physicists has brought from scientists the cautious forecast that if the substance can really be harnessed ri a revolution in power greater than the introduction of the steam engine impends im one step remains prof john R dunning who headed the columbia team whose research led to experimental proof of the potency of the newly isolated substance was said to have told a colleague that only one step remains before its use will be available to man that step is the improvement pro of methods of extracting it from ores other physicists agreed with dunning in the beginning only infinitesimal amounts were available in two months time these amounts increased fold tentatively the name U has been given to the substance which is a close relative of uranium it is reckoned that a 10 pound chunk of 0 it would drive an ocean liner around the world many times and that a piece the size of a mans hand would enable a submarine to cross any body of water in the world including the pacific ocean not much of it would be required to fly an airplane around the earth the report stressed the ease with which U can be made to give off its tremendous energy all that is necessary it was said was to put some of it in a tank and supply it with a constant stream of cold water Alinne minnesota sota successful first until a few months ago not even a drop of this substance had been extracted into pure form scientists fists were skeptical whether it could be done toward the end of february a minute fraction of a gram was isolated at the university of minnesota physics laboratory under direction of prof alfred 0 nier this sample was sent to columbia where prof dunning dr E T booth and dr aristid V grosse tested it in the ton cyclotron atom it worked well but the scale of the experiment was small and only after much larger quantities had been extracted did the experimenters become satisfied with the prospects they now entertain the hope that in a short time a way will be found to isolate the material in pounds instead of millionths of a gram it is known that large manufacturing companies are interested in the experiments peri ments and that research men for general electric have separated a bit of it and got results similar to those at columbia |