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MEDICINE, SCIENCE & THINGS
By Peter Thomas
NU FLU-The national Center for Disease Control
Atlanta, Ga., predicts that Influenza will strike again
this Winter. The virus has been named the Port
Chalmers flu, after the New Zealand city where it
was first isolated. Dr. Lawrence Corey of the In
fluenza Section at C.D.C. said it is similar to the
London Flu which caused outbreaks in the U.S. two
years ago, but is not likely to be as serious as the
Hong Kong virus back in 1968, which caused 33,800
deaths. Dr. Corey advised that there is an influenza
vaccine for Port Chalmers that “should be reason
ably effective”, ami it is strongly recommended for
people with chronic diseases, and persons over 65.
The Port Chalmers flu has caused outbreaks in Au
stralia, the Far East, and South America, and already
a few isolated cases have been reported in Georgia
and Mississippi.
ROBOT ON MARS?-Distant planets may soon be ex
plored by robots with built-in artificial intelligence
and TV-laser eyes, according to scientists at the
Jet Propulsion Lab at Caltech in Pasadena, Cali
fornia. The robot, a N.A.S.A.-sponsored project,
would be equipped with metal arms and hands, wheels
for legs, arid a computer brain, and according to Dr.
William Whitney, would be able to analyze a scene
optically, extract information from it, and make
choices of its own such as picking up rocks and
skirting boulders. Successors to the prototype robot
could also work on Earth in environments hostile to
man like fire-fighting, radioactive situations, and
mining the sea- bottom.
LOVE THAT TREE!-U S. air is literally the dirtiest
in the world, with 12 million tons of particles such
as dust, grit, and cinders, being released into the
atmosphere each year. The simple answer to the pol
lution threat may be-A TREE! The plants and trees
we take for granted have the amazing ability to act
as dust traps, catching the particles on the hairy
surfaces of leaves until a rain or hosing-down wash
the pollutants into the ground where they are no longer
dangerous to our health. For a free and colorful
publication on the fascinating subject send a self-
addressed and stamped envelope with your request
to the American Association of Nurserymen, 230
Southern Bldg., Washington, D.C., 20005.
NEW MARIJUANA DATA-Preliminary data from a
thought, according to Dr. William Pollin, Director of
the National Institute of Drug Abuse-Possible effects
could range from lowering disease-resistance to birth
defects. Last year a Department of Health, Educa
tion and Welfare report to Congress had indicated'
that little evidence existed that infrequent marijuana
smoking was harmful, though dangers of long term
use were still unknown. The draft of the new report
states that a series of studies in the past two years
incicate that delta nine THC and possibly other mari
juana constituents have an effect on certain basic
cellular mechanisms and studies are listed which
describe possible adverse immunologic and genetic
implications. The report continues that while such
possibilities exist there is no clinical evidence con
firming them, and no human research has been re
ported which demonstrates that disease resistance is
significantly impaired, and studies of possible genetic
damage thus far shown contradictory results of mari
juana use. The National Commission on Marijuana
and Drug Abuse, in the meantime, figures that 26
million Americans, or 16% of the adult population,
have tried marijuana, and that another 13 million
smoke marijuana regulary.
N-OZONE-The fragile Ozone layer, 15 to 30 miles
above the Earth, which protects us from a lethal
overdose of the Sun’s ultraviolet light is being threat
ened by the World’s modernization. Ozone, a form of
oxygen with three instead of the usual two atoms of
oxygen, is far from stable, and will readily surrender
its third atom, turning into ordinary oxygen which
does not protect us from ultraviolet radiation. We will
see a greater incidence of skin cancer due to reduc
tion of the ozone layer, and the problem could also
affect food crops, and might have severe consequen
ces such as changing the Earth’s weather patterns. A
Massachusetts Institute of Technology study shows
that a fleet of 500 SSTs flying regularly in or near
the Ozone layer would deplete it by 12% in 25 years
aircraft exhausts. Another threat to the Ozone layer
exists in the testing of nuclear explosives, and now
U. of Michigan physicist Ralph Cicerone has announ
ced that the aerosol sprays already used would cause
a 10% reduction of the protective ozone layer by 1990.
The spray contains gases, mostly chlorine compounds
such as Freon, are highly stable under ordinary
circumstances, and therefore build up in the lower
atmosphere, gradually rising toward the ozone layer
and converting it into non-protective oxygen. Inde
pendent calculations by Harvard atmospheric physi
cist Michael McElroy indicate that the projected 10%
annual increase in the use of aerosols would reduce
the ozone layer by 10% in 20 years, and 40% by 2014
A.D. bringing destruction to terrestrial life.
PEACHES’-STARDUST
60 Fifth St. N W.
Peaches f Backdoor
Is Open Again
We are the only telephone
har in -At (a nta
featuring. ‘2b i a i-a.-23rich
Live entertainment, dancing
and reduced pricesi
COCKTAIL HOUR:
4P.M. toBP.M.
ALWAYS AMPLE
LIGHTED PARKING
Coming soon:
Special Grand OpeningParty!
★ a
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pres'e nts
BAZZAZZ '74
NOV. U-NOV. 23
2 SHOWS NITELY
11:00 PM and 1:00 AM
FOR RESERVATIONS
CALL 875-3891
1184 W. Peachtree St., N.W.
The Barb 9
The Galloping Gay
Continued from Page §’
Prudential Center. * The _
nighttime view is spectacu
lar and our dinner was su
perb. Janice and I had
Chateau Briand for two,
served with fresh (and cor
rectly cooked) petit pois,
broiled tomatoes and broc
coli. Charles had steak au
Poivre. The dinner salad
was terrific (an excellent
roquefort dressing), the
drinks the same, the wine
(a “70 vintage Mouton Ca
det-Chateau Phillippe
Rothschild) perfect, and the
entrees--what can I say?
Perfection. I highly rec-
commend this establish
ment, not only for the food,
but for the service ' as
well. The meal was per
fectly paced. The whole
idea seemed a rather
touristy thing to do, but was
well worth it. The prices
are moderately high.-
After dinner it was time
to hit the Boston nightlife.
Our first was the 1270
CLUB, located at 1270
Boylston Street. I had been
urged to visit this bar by
several people, and they
seemed to be right. Al
though Tuesday is a slow
night in Boston, there was
a healthy crowd there. A
feature I particularly liked
were two bars on two dif
ferent levels.
Next the OTHER SIDE, at
78 Broadway (very near the
Greyhound and Trailways
bus station). This was my
favorite . bar in Boston.
Very dance-y with a young
ish crowd, the atmosphere
is perhaps the freest I
found in the city. Lots of
wild people and clothes,
too. We danced there until
2:00 A.M., unfortunately
closing time in Boston,
then headed for Tufts with
a crew of people we had
acquired during our flit-
Jtings.
That night we had dinner
at Anthony’s Pier 4, a
beautiful seafood restau
rant that is on the water
front. Lobster was the or
der for everyone that eve
ning, including Pal Snappy,
who had never eaten one
before, and who we turned
on to Escargots, as well.
Boston without PIER 4 is
just not Boston. Thanks to
dear Florence, our
waitress, who put up with
us.
On to more bar-hopping,
with friend Roland Schuyler
driving this time. We hit
the AFTER DARK/CABA
RET, which I found rather
less than exciting. It is lo
cated at 15 Lansdowne. An
other place we hit that
night was JACQUE’s, at 87
Broadway (directly across
from the OTHER SIDE).
Here we saw the only drag
show of the trip. Also hit
NINETIES which is a very
mixed crowd. Then back to
the OTHER SIDE, where we
met Larry. Vitale, a charm
ing guy who led me through
more of Boston the next
day.
For Gays on the Go, I
think Boston is ’ one of the
most exciting places to
visit. I loved it, but as al
ways, was glad to see our
own skyline from the plane,
and know I was home.