150 POSERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 168, 16 July 1921, Page 26

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 epOchmaking discovery, but because, needing young college men to assist him in his work, he 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 find to be amazingly ignorant. They don't seem to know anything." Naturally the question suggested by the verdict is "What did the wizard ask?" and the following list of queries, typical of the whole, give an idea of the nature of the test:— What countries bound France? What city and country produce the finest china? What coxmtry consumed the most tea before the war? What city in the United States leads in making laundry machines? Is Australia greater than Greenland in area ? In -what country, other than in Australia are kangaroos found? Who was Bessemer, and what did he 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 it from New York to Buffalo and Liverpool? 'What is the name of a famous violin maker? What is artificial silk made from? What is a 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? AVhat 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 be of enormous size? What is the Taj Mahal? Who wrote "Home, Sweet Home?" What is copra? What ingredients are in the best ■white paint? In what part of the world does 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 estaffs on the job, and with the help of books and authorities gave a * nswers » though even they had to *v j , ° abiut y satisfactorily to supply the desired information, and differed 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 take the criticism kindly, for he made this explanation in reply: "The newspapers have got the wrong idea, entirely out of this questionnaire 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 are. "A man who can pass the questionnaire test can, on general principles, take a job an3 r where. I 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 off. And if that young man can make good on that job he can make good anywhere."