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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 + * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ♦ * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ★ 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.