The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1879-04-04
Co,, a Dog Extract a Square r.,

can ~ DOg ESCf1uct a. Square D,e
The well known spectroscopist .
astronomer, DR. Huggens, had q g.
footed friend dwelling with him .
many years as regular member y,
his household, who was a mastiF
very noble proportions by descar.
and who bore the great name Of r.
ler This dog possessed many rs..
gifts which had secured fo- linn :,
admiration and regard Of LARGE r.r--
Der of scientific acquaintance srs
among these was one which be ~
always ready to exercise for the eur.-
tainmant of visitors. At the cIgss -
luncheon or dinner, kepler used J.
march gravely and sedate1y into m.
room and set himself down at his ma.
ter's feet. DR.. Huggens then I'M,
pounded to him n series Of ariibms,
ical questions, which the DOG inysrs
bly, solved without a mistake. Sou--.
roots were extracted of hand with rf-
utmost readiness and promptness D
asked what was the square root Of
Kepler replied by three barks OF p
the question were the square root 80
I6, bv four Then various question.
followed, in which much more cor.nr
Gated processes were inyolved-sprl
for instance. rs add I to 8, divide es
sum by and multiply by ,. To sp,s
questions as that Kepler gave mon
consideration, and sometimes hesitsia5
in making up his mind as to where
his barks ought finally TO stop. Sill
in the end, his decision was alwar.
right. The reward for each comes
answer was piece Of cake, which vas
held before him during the exercise
but until the solution was ariyeI S.
Kepler never moved his eve from Fs
mastef's face. The instant the Is.-
bark was given he transferred his a..
tention to the cake. DIR. Huggeus was
perfectly unconscious of suggest.1s
the proper answer to the dog, but ii f.
bevond all question that he did So
Fhe wonderful fact is that Kepe
had acquired the habit Of reading h
his masters eve or cOunteuauce s0us
indication that was not known 10 Qr
Huggens himself. The case was one
of the class which is distinguished b..
Psychologists as tLat of expectsut ST.
tention. Dr Huggins was himselfg
gagged in working out mentally Tie
various stages OF his arithmetjcal pl5.
cesses as he prOpOunded the number,
to Kepler, and being, therefore, aware
OF what the answer should be, exptc-
ed the dog to cease barking when tla
number was reached, and that exre
tation suggested to his own brain tie
unconscious signal which was caug..
by the quick eye Of the dog. The he
stance Is strictly analogous to the v5.
known case in which a button, susuel.
ded fIom a thread and held by fngc
near the rim of a glass, strikes t-.
hour OF the day as 1t swings, ana tlG
stops-that Is, provided the person
who holds the button himself knows
the hour The explanation Of this
occurrence is that the hand which
holds the button trembles in c0ns
quence of its constrained position. sl5
in that way sets the button swinging
and as the attention Of the eXptIu5l
ter is fixed upon the oscillation. ia .da
expectation that a definite number q
strokes upon the glass viii Occur
his own brain-cOnvolutious take cara
that the movements of the finger shs
be in accordance with that expectatio-
The mathematical training of poo,
Kepler has, unfortunately, come 10 81
untimely end. The Interesting mirt
metician died Of an attack of tyhp-
fever, to the great sorrow of his la-g.
circle of friends, at the beginning d
last year, and he now sleeps under t-
shadow Of the telescopes at Tulse Hill
The memory of his high at,aiUmfu.
and of the distinguished success wit
which he upheld the reputation Of B.
name. however, remains. His mos
intimate friends also enjoy the cons
lation of an excellent portrait OF b
thoughtful face, lit up with the exa.
expression which it bore when he va
engaged with his arithmeticsl pro.
lems.-Ihe Edinburgh RsUtsJC.