There is an article (also a book actually) titled "On Being the Right Size," by J. B. S. Haldane. I first read it in a "Project Physics" supplemental reader. I found a book of the same title, by the same author a few years ago. The ISBN number of the book -- which is actually a collection of essays is: 0-19-286045-3
I don't know if this is the essay to which you refer, but I have always enjoyed it. He discusses such things as the difficulties experienced by both the Brobdinagians and the Liliputians invented by Gulliver. In his "Conceptual Physics" book, Hewitt addresses scaling and some of the same issues such as ratio of surface area to volume.
Be well all,
Cherie
Cherie Lehman
Physics/Mathematics Teacher
Science Department Coordinator
West Lafayette High School
West Lafayette, IN 47906
(765)746-0400 VM -- 444
lehmanc@wl.k12.in.us
-----Original Message-----
From: Oliver Ludwig [mailto:oliver.ludwig@VILLANOVA.EDU]
Sent: Fri 4/4/2003 1:33 PM
To: PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu
Cc:
Subject: Weiskopf on size of mountains?
I recall having read many years ago an article which I think was
written by Victor Weiskopf in "Science" on why things are the
size they are. The article would have appeared after 1960 but
was at least 12 years ago.
Humans couldn't be 10 times taller or ten times shorter;
mountains couldn't be ten times their height, etc.
I have tried searching JSTOR without success.
I remember copying the article and putting it in a "safe place"
which, after several moves, I cannot locate.
I would appreciate information on the location of such an
article. [Not my "safe place: that's asking too much! ;-) ]
---
Oliver Ludwig: Chemistry Dept, 214E Mendel Hall And gladly wolde
Villanova Univ., Villanova PA 19085 he learne, and
Phone: 610/519-4873, Fax: 610/519-7167 gladly teche.
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