78.
The “comic arithmetic” question set by Dr Bulbous Roots—
Divide my fifth by my first, and you have my fourth; subtract my first from my fifth, and you have my second; multiply my first by my fourth followed by my second, and you have my third; place my second after my first, and you have my third multiplied by my fourth—is solved by COMIC.
79.
If the earth could stand still, and a straight tunnel could be bored through it, a cannon ball dropped into it, if there is no air or other source of friction, would oscillate continually from end to end.
Taking air into account, the ball would fall short of the opposite end at its first lap, and in succeeding laps its path would become shorter and shorter, until its initial energy was exhausted, when it would come to rest at the centre.