Bill has the Kelvin quote, which I said the questionable Thorndike quote, 
"sounds like."  I also heard a physicist, whose name I can't remember, on and 
some educational program, which I can't remember, say, "Anything worth talking 
about can be measured."

I wish my memory was better but, as William Shatner said, "That's the second 
thing to go."




Michael T. Scoles, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Psychology & Counseling
University of Central Arkansas
Conway, AR 72035
501-450-5418
>>> "William Scott" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 04/02/07 5:24 PM >>>
I have always attributed this quote to Kelvin, but I guess I have been wrong. 
Based on this challenge I have tried to find the Kelvin quote and I can't. The 
closest I can find is:

"In physical science the first essential step in the direction of learning any 
subject is to find principles of numerical reckoning and practicable methods 
for measuring some quality connected with it. I often say that when you can 
measure what you are speaking about, and express it in numbers, you know 
something about it; but when you cannot measure it, when you cannot express it 
in numbers, your knowledge is of a meagre and unsatisfactory kind; it may be 
the beginning of knowledge, but you have scarcely in your thoughts advanced to 
the state of Science, whatever the matter may be." [PLA, vol. 1, "Electrical 
Units of Measurement", 1883-05-03]

This is really not the pithy Thorndike quote.

Bill Scott


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