FEATS OF MEMORY

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19625, 20 October 1933, Page 7

FEATS OF MEMORY

FORMER DUNEDIN RESIDENT’S PROWESS. Dr. A. C. Ait ken, who was mentioned in a recent, cable for a remarkable feat of memory in being able to supply the names and numbers, and even the addresses of next-of-kin, of all the men in his battalior is a Dunedin boy. He was dux of the Albany Strc:t School at the age of 11, and was one of the most distinguished cf ill t! * old boys of the Otago Boys’ High School, of which he was d . in 1912, and of the students of the University of Otago. He wen his doctorate of science degree at the University of Edinburgh for some specially brilliant research work in mathematics. Although not yet 40 years of age he has already published over 30 articles em bodying original research in mathematics, and for some years he has been on the mathematics stall of the University of Edinburgh He l also an eager student of literature and languages. and is not only a brilliant executant on the violin, but has composed voluminously for that instrument. On Gallipoli he carried his violin with him throughout the camMany stories of Dr. Aitkcn's feats of

memory aie tola oy men who served with him at the war. Not only did he know the names and numbers of all of the men under his command, but it is also related that he knew the numbers of their rifles. He was able to ceil when carrying out an inspection whether a man was carrying his own rifle or that ol another member of His company. A; the end of a long march he was able to recall exactly the names of all the men who had dropped out and the stage at which they had left the ranks. When for some years after tin war he was on the staff of the Otago Boys' High School it was possible for him to know five minutes after an entirely new class had entered his room at tne beginning of the year the name of every member. He would ask the boys to call out their names quickly in order, and immediately after could address any boy by his name On at least one occasion he asked a boy to write on a blackboard a series of numbers reaching from one side of the board to the other After a brief glance at the numbers he turned away from the board and recited them to the class without making a single mistake He could also multiply the numbers of two passing motor curs and give the answer befote tin y v.i ii- out of sight.