Evening star., 1933-01-02

Nine. Picard with her Ave children
diagrams caricaturing the real fact he
is trying to drive home because laugh
ter will do the trick when all else fails, :"
and anything else noisy and not too
much beside the point
Once after a demonstration OF ex-
perimental physics conducted in an air
plane he brought this craft into the
spacious class room and discourSed
upon the varying degrees of atmospheric
pressure encountered by the propeller at
different attitudes. With character
istic gest he started the engine going,
filling the hall with its deafening roar.
AS the speed increased his voice lifted
to make itself heard, giving his audi
ence much of the thrilling illusion of
being above the clouds where the de-
scribed experiment took place.
For 20 minutes he made this motor
serve as an accompaniment to his re-
marks. and while the students ears
were fairly split. they went away with
all the. satisfaction of having seen a
good show, and what is more they will
tell you lessons thus dramatized are
not easily forgotten.
Favorite Story OF Professor.
One Of his fayorite stories is about
the biology professor who. while Speci-
hunting on the edge of a lake,
found a frog and held it in one hand,
with watch in the other, counting the
pulsationS Of its heart. The counting
finished, he pockets the frog absent
mindedly and throws his gold watch
into the lake, returning home happy
for having accomplished such q sue
cesSful days work.
Another is about the biology professor
who comes onto the platform to lecture
on the toad. After a few preliminary
remarks which he intends to illustrate
with live specimen, he takes q small
package from his pocket and appears
nauseated as well as surprised when he
sees this contains two ham sandwiches.
Prof. Picard also delights in recalling
that Amprere, who discovered the unit Of
electrical intensity, was of the absent
minded ranks. Ampere left his house
early one morning intending to be gone
all day, and left note pinned to his
door saying he would be back at sun
down. Once In the town he learned it
was national holiday and all business
places were closed, so, unable to carry
Seeing the notice he would not be back
until sundown, he went of and sat on
the ground. waiting until such time
when he could return and find him
self in
That Prof. Picard intimidates hi;
students is not denied, not even by
himself He is not the professor who
pals around" with his students like a
big brother. Far from it. They admire
and respect him, stand convinced Of his
greatness and feel keen pride in hay-
ing man Of his eminence as their
intellectual guiding star, but they fear
him with awe and trembling, knowing
that when the searchlight OF his mind
turns upon their inaccuracies and
blunders they are going to be shown to
the world.
Humiliates Students.
Students will tell you a feature Of his
method OF teaching is to humiliate them
so that they will 60 to any painful
limits to learn the next lesson rather
than go through such an embarrassing
experience again. He asks questions OF
students, and while the replies given
may be obviously wrong, from the be-
ginning the professor listens attentiyely
Encouraged by this, the student ex-
pands his view to the limit.
Then when he has hanged himself
properly and hasn't Chinaman's
chance OF acquitting himself, the pro-
fessor pounces upon him and spares no
effort TO persuade the unfortunate of
his unworthiness to enjoy the hoSpi-
tality of an alienist's retreat. The de-
rision OF fellow students is brought in
to support his own and the guilty stu
dent holds his tongue for many a day,
but in the meantime remembers the
lesson learned.
Prof. Picard does not insist on a
student memoriztng great number of
formulas, but those they knew must
be known thoroughly. His examina-
tions are cheat-proof as he asks ques-
tions out OF the beaten track and set
down IN no pony.
You are a perfect example-and one
feel most thankful for having an op-
portunity Of observing" he told a
student who expanded his chest proud
| ly on hearing all this unexpected praise
in the presence of his classmates, you
| illustrate better than anybody ever
saw how physics should not be learned" T"
CIumsiest of Men.
| A clumSier man never existed. His
arms and legs are incredibly long, and
| his enormous hands and feet seem con-
stantly in the way. Their size is ac-
centuated by the most awkward poses
which are initiated by the students at
every opportunity. A favorite pose is
to walk to and fro before the class with
the left forearm passed behind the
back and the left hand tightly clutching
the right arm just above the elbow
4 the lIYholieVa hlP gtilntS
with his feet, too, literally wrapping
them around his legs.
Every time the students hold ar
amateur theatrical Prof. Picard is carl
catured and these peculiarities are fully
exploited, as well as the famous Pic
card haircut. The proverbial absent
mindedness of the great professor Is
also brought out in all its glory. A
StratoSpheric cabin is rolled onto the
| stage, the caricature of the professor
gets in and then the flight is delayed
while numerous attempts are made tc
push his feet in afterward Then uI
goes the balloon bound for the strato-
sphere. It bounces about. sputters and
then falls with great crash.
J "Ah," sighs the professor" amons
1 the ruins of his unlucky craft "I must
have made a slight error in my calcu-
must have figured on Is feet!"
Again he was featured by carica-
turist who represented him as being
approached by his friend EinStein, who
said In tremendous excitement: "Ah
Auguste. old dear. the world is comint
to end in five minutes: l have ius
made q calculation that shows beyond
any doubt the earth win cease imme'
diately to exist"
i've Just time TO make q few fna
measurements" said the professor
taking out his rule.