Abstract
A GOOD story used to be told some years ago of a candidate, who, when undergoing the torture of a vivâ voce examination, was unable to reply satisfactorily to any of the questions asked. “Come, sir,” said the examiner, with the air of a man asking the simplest question, “explain to me the cause of the aurora borealis.” “Sir,” said the unhappy aspirant for physical honours, “I could have explained it perfectly yesterday, but nervousness has, I think, made me lose my memory.” “This is very unfortunate,” said the examiner, “you are the only man who could have explained this mystery, and you have forgotten it.”
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References
"The Altitude of the Aurora above the Earth's Surface." By Prof. Cleveland Abbe . ("Terrestrial Magnetism," vol. iii., 1898.
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The Height of the Aurora1. Nature 60, 130–132 (1899). https://doi.org/10.1038/060130a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/060130a0