Omaha daily bee., 1910-01-30

planned the construction OF some fourth
dimension figures hitherto unknown to the
professors. He said that the new thories
advanced by him at the lecture would rev.
olutionize the study OF geometry.
Young Sidis was II years old when, two
years ago, he first applied for admission
to Harvard, His youth was a bar at that
time.
Recently he made his second appearance
at Harvard.
What. you sgain7' exclaimed the au-
thorities.
Eyes, and this time am going to get
in" said the child.
And he got in. For two years he had
been studying at Tufts college, which
opened it's doors when Harvard refused,
and he proved himself more than merely
prepared. In mathematics, for instance.
instead 1f offering the usual requirements
Of simple algebra and plane geometry, he
will begin his course with uuartenions-
which is a pinnacle few ever attain. In
Greek he would be required to know his
Z%enophon and some Homer; he not only
fills this, but can declaim in Greek with
the utmost familiarity. He knows twlce as
many languages as are called for, and he
is familiar with half a dozen sciences. He
begins, therefore, with more knowledge
than many students acquire during their
entire course; he will be graduated at H.,
when most boys enter college, and then he
will go abroad for his degree Of doctor OF
philosophy.
His father has from the earliest years
trained the boy to reason, and then has
gratifted the child's natural desire to study.
William has taught himself a large part Of
what he knows. Books have always been
within his reach and he has only had to
read a volume to grasp It. He learned
French In this way when ne was no more
than Z years old. with no teaching from
any one. Logic, too. he acquired a short
time after the French episode. 1t was
merely a matter Of finding a book.
ID you know he said to a friend at
the time, TIN sorry / put off logic so
long. II l had studied It sooner It would
have helped me a great deal"
When he was 5 years old william could
read, write and spell, and from that time
on It has been only a question OF letting
him use his mind. At 9 years he entered
the grammar school and In less than a year
had completed the seven grades. At 8 he
was in the high school and at II he was
more than ready for college. Latin ana
Greek he seemed to have absorbed with
the air he breathed and his record in
mathematics is absolutely dazzling.
The parents of young Sidis are Russian
and have played their part, like most edu-
Gated Russian Jews, In the revolution. Both
father and mother are physicians. DR..
Sidis has made a name for himself in the
field Of medical psychology. The boy has
always heard clever talk and earnest dis
cussion from the time he could ask a aues-
ton and could find some one ready to
listen and explain. DR.. Sidis lays to this
a large part of the child's marvellous de-
velopment. He claims. too, the law Of
reserve energy" has much to do with It..
Prof. James set forth this theory some
time ago, when he explained that the power
of getting what is properly called second
wind might be controlled at will and
enable us to accomplish daily and regularly
what we can all do under stress OF circum-
stances. DR.. Sidis thinks his boy has
learned how TO use his hidden energy"
He has given much thought to educational
questions and criticises modern methods
with great ~frankness. He thinks the whole
point lies in teaching a child, when very
young. how to use his faculties Alright, and
1t is his belief that he has SO taught lis
marvellous boy.
DIR. Sidis is, IN fact, rather impatient Of
the theory that the boys heredtty accounts
for HIS development, and will have It that
his system of education has more to do
with the matter,-Philadelphia Ledger.