colspan="2" class="td1">Palingenesy

106 The Powder of Sympathy 111 A SMALL BUDGET OF PARADOXES, ILLUSIONS, AND MARVELS (WITH APOLOGIES TO PROFESSOR DE MORGAN) The Fourth Dimension 117 How a Space may be apparently Enlarged by merely changing its Shape 126 Can a Man Lift Himself by the Straps of his Boots? 128 How a Spider Lifted a Snake 130 How the Shadow may be made to move backward on the Sun-dial 133 How a Watch may be used as a Compass 134 Micrography or Minute Writing. Writing so fine that the whole Bible, if written in characters of the same size, might be inscribed twenty-two times on a square inch 136 Illusions of the Senses 149 Taste and Smell 150 Sense of Heat 150 Sense of Hearing 150 Sense of Touch—One Thing Appearing as Two 151 How Objects may be apparently Seen through a Hole in the Hand 156 How to See (apparently) through a Solid Brick 158 CURIOUS ARITHMETICAL PROBLEMS The Chess-board Problem 163 The Nail Problem 164 A Question of Population 165 How to Become a Millionaire 166 The Actual Cost and Present Value of the First Folio Shakespeare 168 Arithmetical Puzzles 170 Archimedes and His Fulcrum 171

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THE SEVEN FOLLIES OF SCIENCE

he difficult, the dangerous, and the impossible have always had a strange fascination for the human mind. We see this every day in the acts of boys who risk life and limb in the performance of useless but dangerous feats, and amongst children of larger growth we find loop-the-loopers, bridge-jumpers, and all sorts of venture-seekers to whom much of the attraction of these performances is undoubtedly the mere risk that is involved, although, perhaps, to some extent, notoriety and money-making may contribute their share. Many of our readers will doubtless remember the words of James Fitz-James, in "The Lady of the Lake":

And in commenting on the old-time game laws of England, Froude, the historian, says: "Although the old forest laws were terrible, they served only to enhance the excitement by danger."

That which is true of physical dangers holds equally true in regard to intellectual difficulties. Professor De Morgan tells us, in his "Budget of Paradoxes," that he once gave a lecture on "Squaring the Circle" and that a gentleman who was introduced to it by what he said, remarked loud enough to be heard by all around: "Only prove to me that it is impossible and I will set about it this very evening."

Therefore it is not to be wondered at that certain very difficult, or perhaps impossible problems have in all ages had a powerful fascination for