Re: [MORPHMET] Trying to trace a quote
According to wikiquote it was John von Neumann: https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/John_von_Neumann except they have it as: "With four parameters I can fit an elephant, and with five I can make him wiggle his trunk." Abby *Abby Grace Drake, PhDDepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyCornell UniversityPhone: 508.981.2783Skype: abby.drake* On Wed, Oct 19, 2016 at 1:10 PM, Bill Sellers wrote: > Dear All, > > I wonder if anyone can help me. I'm trying to trace a quotation that a now > long retired colleague of mine used to use. He doesn't remember where he > got it from but it is very apt, and since it relates to animal shape I'm > hoping someone on this mailing list will recognise it (particularly since > I'm probably not remembering it quite properly and google is being > unhelpful). The quote as best I remember it is: > > "Give me 4 parameters and I can build you an elephant. Give me 5 and I can > make it wag its tail." > > I've always imagined it was something that a 1930s developmental biologist > or mathematician would have said when discussing the utility of > developmental models at the time. > > Can anyone help? > > Cheers > Bill > -- > Bill Sellers, Tel: 01612751719, Mobile: 07857655786, > http://www.animalsimulation.org > University of Manchester, D1239 Michael Smith Building, Manchester, M13 > 9PT. > > -- > MORPHMET may be accessed via its webpage at http://www.morphometrics.org > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "MORPHMET" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to morphmet+unsubscr...@morphometrics.org. > > -- MORPHMET may be accessed via its webpage at http://www.morphometrics.org --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MORPHMET" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to morphmet+unsubscr...@morphometrics.org.
Re: [MORPHMET] Trying to trace a quote
Hi Bill, did you try to google it? It seems it is from John von Neumann https://stevengoddard.wordpress.com/2011/04/18/with-four-parameters-i-can-fit-an-elephant-and-with-five-i-can-make-him-wiggle-his-trunk/ http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2011/06/21/how-to-fit-an-elephant/ ciao paolo 2016-10-19 19:10 GMT+02:00 Bill Sellers : > Dear All, > > I wonder if anyone can help me. I'm trying to trace a quotation that a now > long retired colleague of mine used to use. He doesn't remember where he > got it from but it is very apt, and since it relates to animal shape I'm > hoping someone on this mailing list will recognise it (particularly since > I'm probably not remembering it quite properly and google is being > unhelpful). The quote as best I remember it is: > > "Give me 4 parameters and I can build you an elephant. Give me 5 and I can > make it wag its tail." > > I've always imagined it was something that a 1930s developmental biologist > or mathematician would have said when discussing the utility of > developmental models at the time. > > Can anyone help? > > Cheers > Bill > -- > Bill Sellers, Tel: 01612751719, Mobile: 07857655786, > http://www.animalsimulation.org > University of Manchester, D1239 Michael Smith Building, Manchester, M13 > 9PT. > > -- > MORPHMET may be accessed via its webpage at http://www.morphometrics.org > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "MORPHMET" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to morphmet+unsubscr...@morphometrics.org. > > -- MORPHMET may be accessed via its webpage at http://www.morphometrics.org --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MORPHMET" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to morphmet+unsubscr...@morphometrics.org.
[MORPHMET] Trying to trace a quote
Dear All, I wonder if anyone can help me. I'm trying to trace a quotation that a now long retired colleague of mine used to use. He doesn't remember where he got it from but it is very apt, and since it relates to animal shape I'm hoping someone on this mailing list will recognise it (particularly since I'm probably not remembering it quite properly and google is being unhelpful). The quote as best I remember it is: "Give me 4 parameters and I can build you an elephant. Give me 5 and I can make it wag its tail." I've always imagined it was something that a 1930s developmental biologist or mathematician would have said when discussing the utility of developmental models at the time. Can anyone help? Cheers Bill -- Bill Sellers, Tel: 01612751719, Mobile: 07857655786, http://www.animalsimulation.org University of Manchester, D1239 Michael Smith Building, Manchester, M13 9PT. -- MORPHMET may be accessed via its webpage at http://www.morphometrics.org --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MORPHMET" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to morphmet+unsubscr...@morphometrics.org.
