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Mystery Monday: where and what is this?
By Mark Alden Branch ’86
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8:42am December 12 2022
Some of you will be able to say where on campus we found this piece of ornament, but we'll be especially impressed if you can tell us what it represents.
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Mystery Monday, ornament
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George Huthsteiner '74 TD, 2:22pm December 16 2022 | 
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The comment period has expired.<> Benjamin Franklin College 2017 <> North facade of Head of College's house -> Quincunx board aka Galton board, displays a Normal distribution curve or "Bell curve". <> As per Wikipedia, the Galton board [published 1889] is a vertical board with interleaved rows of pegs. Beads are dropped from the top and bounce either left or right as they hit the pegs, then collect into bins at the bottom, where the height of bead columns accumulated approximate a bell curve. As per Patrick Pinnell, the architect and designer, this honors the importance of statistics to the STEM and Social Sciences housed nearby on Prospect St., Hillhouse Ave. and on Science Hill... It also reminds me of the pinball machines in TD's basement back in my day...are they still there?