Unlimited Scope Research Articles

Some Statistical Aspects of Non-Life Insurance

When invited to prepare a paper to the Students' Society I had in mind selecting a topic from each of the various branches to illustrate the types of problems that are inherent in non-life business. However, as my ideas took positive shape, I found myself drawn into a more active study of certain aspects which have received little attention in this country, although some considerable theoretical and a limited amount of practical work has been done on the Continent. Instead, therefore, of giving a general description of various features I have largely limited myself to techniques which could be used in practical application and thus endeavoured to bring into relief some problems which indicate the almost unlimited scope for practical and theoretical investigations.2. Initially the treatment is simplified; I hope that I have succeeded in picking out the spots where intuition rather than formal proof has been my guide, but if I have not I hope my critics will give me latitude in this exploration into largely unexplored territory.

Report by the Music Committee

An effort has been made to determine the desirable scope and nature of the Acoustical Society's official activity in the field of music. This effort involves three steps: (a) the establishment of a conceptual framework within which to develop policy; (b) the development of policy; and (c) a derivation of a plan to implement the policy. The field of acoustics embraces all physical aspects of music from the design of man-made sound generators and the understanding of the structure and operation of the mechanism of the human voice to the physiological mechanisms and facilities by which the auditory stimulus reaches the nervous system, and psycho-acoustics. Largely because of facilities in the field of acoustics, the art of music now has substantially unlimited scope. Music is currently employed in increasing amounts as an element in entertainment, and functionally in the sense of creating a pre-determined emotional atmosphere. However, the terminology of music is indefinite and inconsistent, the criteria by which music and its meaning to and effect upon people are measured, are diverse, and the extensity of the field of music is not generally understood by those concerned with its creation, use, or appreciation. It is proposed that the Acoustical Society, with the assistance of other professional groups concerned, initiate (a) the development of a common terminology for all people concerned with music, (b) the fixing of criteria for the measurement of music and its effect on people, and (c) the establishment of a facility for the exchange of information between individuals and groups engaged in research or development activities in various aspects of music, where no effective liaison exists at present.

The Night Sky in August

THE moon is new on August 6 at 12·6h and full on August 22h at 0·8h, U.T. Conjunction with the planet Venus occurs on August 3 at 9h, and from the northern part of England and in Scotland an occultation can be seen (see NATURE, July 17, p. 103). On August 18 at 23h, there is a conjunction with Jupiter, and on August 24 at 20h a conjunction with Saturn. On August 30, the moon occults the 5th magnitude star, o Tauri, the re-appearance at Greenwich taking place at 3h 20m at position angle 314° from the moon's north point. From sunset until sunrise during August, four bright planets are visible. Mars sets before midnight ; Jupiter is on the meridian at 21¾h in the middle of the month, followed by Saturn at 2¾ whilst Venus rises at about 1¼h and is a brilliant object in the early morning skies, passing between Procyon and Castor and Pollux towards the end of the month. Uranus is nearly stationary in Aries and may be picked out from the background of stars of similar magnitude (about 6m) with the help of the map given on p· 57 of the B.A.A. Handbook. At about 21h the constellations on the meridian offer almost unlimited scope for interesting 'sweeps', which should include double stars such as α Herculis, θ Serpentis, β Cygni, γ Delphini and δ Cephei. The latter star is a notable short-period variable giving its name to a class of variable which, recognizable in the nearer extra-galactic nebulæ, enables the distances of these remote systems to be determined. Of the nebulæ and star clusters to be viewed with binoculars or a small telescope, the 'ring' nebula in Lyra, the 'dumb-bell' nebula in Vulpecula and the star cluster in Hercules should be easily located by means of a star atlas. The general outline of the Milky Way may also be studied with binoculars, noting the bifurcation near the bright star, Deneb, and the star clouds near the southern horizon. It may be recalled that towards a point at R.A. 18h 4m: Dec. +31° the solar system is moving into space with a speed of 12 miles a second. Between August 10 and 12, in particular, the sky may be watched for meteors of the Perseid stream. An ephemeris for the comet Grigg-Skjellerup is given on p. 32 of the B.A.A. Handbook and also one for the comet Encke, which may possibly be picked up before long on its return to perihelion due next December. The periodicity of this comet, only 3·3 years—the shortest known period for a comet—was first recognized by Encke in 1819.