An exercise in classification

[Michael Gochfeld]

Years ago I presented a seminar to my fellow graduate students which
would probably have gone over better with 5 year olds. 

I collected some toys from my five year old and asked the students to
classify them. 

I don't remember the details, but there were: 

match box cars of various colors

plastic blocks of various colors and shapes

wooden blocks of various colors and shapes

rubber (or more likely pseudo-rubber) objects of various colors and
shapes. 

There were probably about 16 to 20 items which could be equally well
grouped by color, material, shape, or "function". 

The numerical taxonomists (pheneticists) liked to simplify
classification (first by color). 
The phylogenists tried to make sense of the "function" regardless of
meaningless differences in color and shape. 

The cladists insisted that it was a meaningless exercise. 

Soon it was time for refreshments.  A variable time was had by all. My
advisor was ticked off that I hadn't taken the assignment more seriously
(but that was because his kids were grown and no longer played with
these toys). 

MIKE GOCHFELD

"Tiser, Gene M" wrote:
> 
> First, thank you , thank you, thank you for a wonderful and enlightening
> discussion - I have enjoyed the points and counter-points enormously!
>

 
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