"History is profuse with abuses of some of the best thoughts and discoveries that have come to the human race," according to F. T. Ives in "Cranks." Reader-chosen topics in Vol. 109 include science, exploration, innovation, and investigative reporting: Forgetfulness; Punishment and Reward; Overlearning; A Shoal of Porpoises; Dreams as Omens; Experimental Farms; Onset of a Year Without a Summer; a New Hybrid Rose; and Wild Apples. Rounding out the volume are an essay on the Tarzan Tales; a eulogy to Beethoven; and Thoreau's playful description of a kitten. Summary by Sue Anderson
