I have just read two very excellent books on what I feel to be related subjects. The first book concerning the progress and problems of the American space race. The second book is concerned with the folklore of American weather. How related? Well, in sending man off into the wild blue yonder, it is extremely important that the scientists be able to chart the weather more accurately than they have in the past. At the present time, scientists at Stanford University are working on a computer that will digest millions of facts and figures about the weather and will be able to come up with a ‘rain or shine’ prediction for the following day. However, the scientists say there are some bugs in the machine. If what I read in the second book is true, they should be left there. Eric Sloane, who wrote Folklore of American Weather, says bugs can give you a good idea of what the weather will be, especially the Katydids and Crickets. Here’s the old Yankee formula. When the Katydid says “katy-didn’t”, the temperature is 87 degrees. When the Katydid says “katy-did”, it’s 72 degrees. When it just says “katy”, it’s a cool 65. When he cuts down to a brisk “kate” it’s 58, and frost is coming soon. An even better thermometer is the cricket. Sloan says, “Count the cricket chirps for fourteen seconds, add forty, and you will have the exact temperature where the cricket is." Will you tell me how come the Stanford University people don't have this important information?
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