The Popular Science Monthly, August, 1900: Vol. 57, May, 1900 to October, 1900Various
Science
The Popular Science Monthly, August, 1900: Vol. 57, May, 1900 to October, 1900
Various
Science -- Periodicals; Technology -- Periodicals
* * * * *
The committee on anthropometry is undertaking to make measurements of
the physical and mental traits of members of the Association, and to
encourage such work elsewhere. At the present time there exists but
little exact knowledge of how people differ from each other and of the
causes and results of such differences. Much has been written regarding
men of genius, criminals and other classes, but without an adequate
foundation of fact. The members of a scientific society are a fairly
homogeneous class, regarding whose heredity, education and achievements
correct information can be secured. The measurements made at the New
York meeting, determining such traits as size of head, strength,
eyesight, quickness of perception, memory, etc., will supply the
standard type for scientific men and their variations from this type.
When other classes of the community have been measured, comparisons can
be made and we shall know whether scientific men are more variable than
others, have larger heads, better memory and the like. Work of this
character has been carried on at Columbia University for some years.
The freshmen, both the men of Columbia College and the women of Barnard
College, are measured and tested with care, equal attention being paid
to mental and physical traits. Then the measurements are repeated at
the end of the senior year. Anthropometric work has also been done in
Great Britain under the auspices of Dr. Galton and Professor Pearson,
and we may perhaps hope that the time will come when we shall have as
exact knowledge about human differences as we now have about different
kinds of butterflies.
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