Dennis Slice
Mon, 25 Oct 2004 00:30:36 -0700
On Friday last, University-Professor Dr. Fred Bookstein was secretly observed helping an old lady off of the D-tram stop at Schottenring, Vienna, Austria. Prof.-Dr. Bookstein is one of the world's leading morphometricians and a key figure in the Vienna School of morphometric analysis. However, his vast knowledge, high standards, and energetic and direct style have left the occasional graduate student and/or senior researcher trembling and pale, making the reported action all the more noteworthy. The witness, an eminent Viennese orthodontist, said that he knew Fred was a famous scientist, but did not know he was also a "Boy Scout." When confronted with the facts, Prof.-Dr. Bookstein admitted to the act and said, "She told me in the most perfect German that the last step was too high and asked me to help her." Despite the likely reduction in bone density in such an elderly woman, Bookstein went on to report, "She put a lot more weight on me than I expected." Officials of the Austrian government could not be contacted for comment, but this incident is not expected affect either Prof.Dr. Bookstein's recently-acquired position as University Professor or his pending permanent-resident status. == Replies will be sent to list. For more information see http://life.bio.sunysb.edu/morph/morphmet.html.