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appeared and who are more or less concerned with them in their present work
and who I think would come. . . .
Besides yourself, Ashby [see the next chapter] and Shipton [Walter's col-
league and collaborator at the Burden], and Dawson and Morton from here, I
suggest the following:-
Mackay
-
computing machines, Kings Coll. Strand.
Barlow
-
sensory physiologist—Adrian's lab.
Hick
-
Psychological lab. Camb.
Scholl
-
Statistical Neurohistologist—U.C. Anat. lab.
Uttley
-
ex Psychologist, Radar etc. T.R.E.
Gold
-
ex radar zoologists at Cambridge
Pringle
I could suggest others but this makes 13. I would suggest a few more non
neurophysiologists communications or servo folk of the right sort to complete
the party but those I know well are a little too senior and serious for the sort of
gathering I have in mind.
We might meet say once a quarter and limit the inclusive cost to 5 / - less
drinks. Have you any reactions? I have approached all the above list save Uttley
so far, and they support the general idea.
Walter replied the next day to this “exciting letter”—“We also have been hav-
ing some pretty free
cybernetic
discussions and your notion of a sort of Dining
Club attracts me very much. I agree that it will be nice to keep the gathering
rather small, about the size of a witches coven owing to the shortage of broom-
sticks.” Walter also mentioned that Warren McCulloch was visiting Britain in
September 1949 and suggested that this would provide a good occasion for the
first meeting of the group.
26
And thus it came to pass. McCulloch addressed
the first meeting of the Ratio Club on 14 September 1949 on the topic of “Fi-
nality and Form in Nervous Activity.” Sixteen member were present, includ-
ing Ashby but not Walter, “owing to the delivery of a male homeostat which I
was anxious to get into commission as soon as possible.” Expenditure on food
was £1-4-0; on beer and wine, £7. Thereafter, the club met at least thirty-four
times up to 1955 (with decreasing frequency after 1952) before being wound
up at a reunion meeting on 27 November 1958.
27
There is much that might be said on the Ratio Club, its membership, and
their doings, but this would easily carry us too far afield, and I will confine
myself to a few observations.
28
We should note first Ratio's interdisciplinar-
