astronomy

J. W. A. Hickson

J. W. A. Hickson is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand J. W. A. Hickson rather than just read about it. In short: Joseph William Andrew Hickson (1873–1956) was a Canadian psychologist and mountaineer. As a mountaineer, he was the first to ascend 30 major peaks including Pinnacle Mountain, Mount St.

Key takeaways

J. W. A. Hickson belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect J. W. A. Hickson to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of J. W. A. Hickson from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Joseph William Andrew Hickson (1873–1956) was a Canadian psychologist and mountaineer. As a mountaineer, he was the first to ascend 30 major peaks including Pinnacle Mountain, Mount St. Bride, Mount Chephren, Mount Sir Douglas, Mount Fifi, Mount Joffre, Mount Spring-Rice, Mount King Edward, Mount Fryatt, and Mount Robertson. He was the son of Sir Joseph Hickson.

Education After graduating from McGill University in 1893 with the Prince of Wales Gold Medal for Moral and Mental Philosophy, he went on to obtain a masters degree in 1987. He then studied with Neo-Kantian Alois Riehl in Germany, earning his PHD in 1900. He taught at McGill from 1901 to 1924, latterly 13 years as professor of metaphysics and logic. In 1946, he assisted in the creation of The McGill University David Hume Collection.

Mountaineering Joseph was elected as President of the Alpine Club of Canada from 1924 to 1926, and was made an Honorary Member of the club in 1954. As President, he collaborated with American Alpine Club president Howard Palmer to complete 5 ascents.

References

External links The McGill University David Hume Collection

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with J. W. A. Hickson

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what J. W. A. Hickson claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to J. W. A. Hickson before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about J. W. A. Hickson ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of J. W. A. Hickson

In research: J. W. A. Hickson appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses J. W. A. Hickson in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: J. W. A. Hickson is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1873 births, 1956 deaths, 20th-century Canadian psychologists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for J. W. A. Hickson outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study J. W. A. Hickson in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what J. W. A. Hickson means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain J. W. A. Hickson out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is J. W. A. Hickson in simple terms?

Joseph William Andrew Hickson (1873–1956) was a Canadian psychologist and mountaineer. As a mountaineer, he was the first to ascend 30 major peaks including Pinnacle Mountain, Mount St.

Why does J. W. A. Hickson matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study J. W. A. Hickson?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on J. W. A. Hickson.