150 POSERS

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 2309, 30 July 1921, Page 1

150 POSERS

EDISON’S BRAIN HUNT

“IGNORANCE” OF COLLEGE MEN.

Edison has been the most-talked-of man in America recently—not because of some startling and epoch-making discovery, but because, needing young college men to assist him in his work, lie submitted a list of 150 questions to test, the intelligence of applicants, and then gave the uncomplimentary verdict that “men who have gone through college I lind to he amazingly ignorant. They don’t seem to know anything.” Naturally the question suggested bv the verdict is: “AYliaf did the wizard ask?” and the following list of queries, typical of the whole, give an idea of the nature of the lest : What countries hound France? Wlial city and country produce the finest china ? What country consumed the most tea before the war? What city in the Ujylod Slates leads in making laundry machines ? Is Australia greater than Greenland in areu ? In what country, oilier limn Aus - Iralia, are kangaroos found Who was Bessemer, and wlial did lie do ?

Who was Hannibal, ditto John Hancock, Solon, Leonidas. Pizarro, Boliver?

Who invented logarithms? What is the greatest known depth of the ocean? How far is ir from New York to Buffalo and Liverpool ? What is the name of a famous violin maker?

What is artificial silk made from? What is caisson? Who reached the North Pole? What is the speed of sound? What country produces the most wool ?

What cereal is used in all parts of the world ?

Why is cast iron called pig iron ? What is the weight of air in a room 20 x 30 x 10 ?

How is sulphuric acid made? What is the price of 12 grains of gold? How is window glass made? Who discovered the Pacific Ocean? What star was recently measured and found to he of enormous size? What is the Taj Malml? Who wrote “Home. Sweet Home?”

What is copra? What ingredients are in the best white paint? In what part of the world docs it never rain? What is the heaviest kind of wood? The list created enormous interest, and the wonderful old man was attacked right and left over it. The New York Times and other papers put their staffs on the job, and with the help of books and authorities gave the answers, though even they had to admit inability satisfactorily to supply the desired information, and differed in regard to several of the queries. Dante and John, Milton, the New York Times said, would barely escape Mr Edison’s black mark.

Mr Edison did not lake the criticism kindly, for lie made this explanation in reply:— “The newspapers have got tlie wrong idea entirely out of litis questionaire plan. My purpose is not to discredit college men. Why, hang it, that’s what I’m trying to get—college men for the work down at my plant.

“But I want college men, men who keep their eyes open, and when they walk along see things as they arc, “A man who can pass the questiouaire test can, on general principles, take a job anywhere. T put one of the men who answered the questions correctly right on a job which involved responsibility for a highly-involved chemical process, and he made good right oil'. And if that young man can make good on that job lie can make good anywhere."