The National Physical Laboratory

Abstract

THE report of the National Physical Laboratory for the year 1932 is an illustrated volume of 277 pages which gives a short account of the activities of each department of the Laboratory. Owing to the trade depression, the number of investigations carried out for industry and the number of routine tests have fallen off, and the resulting diminution of income has necessitated reduction of expenditure on materials and equipment, and leaving vacancies on the staff caused by resignations unfilled. The new tank for ship tests has been completed, the acoustics building is nearly ready and the new wind tunnel for high speed tests is well in hand. The erection of the photometry building has been postponed. A gift of £5,000 has been received from Sir James Lithgow for a propeller water tunnel in the Froude Laboratory. In addition to eighty reports and memoranda on aerodynamical subjects, ninety-one official and twenty unofficial papers on other branches of the work of the Laboratory have been published in scientific and technical journals during the year, and they afford ample evidence that the Laboratory is taking a prominent part in the advance of science and industry.