Sir
Jorge Hirsch's index for measuring research achievement, as described in your News Story “Index aims for fair ranking of scientists” (Nature 436, 900; 2005) was used by the geophysicist Harold Jeffreys for recording his cycling prowess, n being the highest number of days on which he had cycled n or more miles. I think he told me, some 35 years ago, that his n was 70 and that he first had the idea from his fellow cyclist, the astrophysicist Arthur Eddington.
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Edwards, A. System to rank scientists was pedalled by Jeffreys. Nature 437, 951 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/437951e
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/437951e
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