DEFINING A SPIRAL.

Waipa Post, Volume XXIV, Issue 1399, 31 May 1923, Page 6

DEFINING A SPIRAL.

There is a number of tilings which we know well enough and yet are totally unable to describe accurately. In some cases, to give a description ■ ;o f an ordinary common object may ! require special scientific knowledge, in others it seems as though it ought to he simple enough to anybody and - yet nobobdy can do it. An example of the former class, we are reminded ; by a writer in a Canadian journal, is j shown by the joke which was commoi a little while ago, of asking people | what a spiral staircase is. It L.kes a j mathematician to define a spiral, and the average person finds it easiei to trace one with his fingers, Brit sup- j pose someone is asked how he distinguishes between beef and mutton! That requires no specialised knowledge. but the chances are that he will lie hopelessly floored. Aet when he pees them both lie will know each In a minute. Even then he will probably still he unable to explain exactly how he recognises them. A man was once asked to describe (without making any diagrams, of course) the appearance of a violin. He soon go I | into difficulties and gave it up. The j reason for this curious inability to j explain ,-Minmoii things is Dial we are ( never called upon In do it.