"Schon der siebzehnjährige Helmholtz hatte großes Interesse an der Physik.
Die Naturwissenschaften, insbesondere die Physik, galten jedoch als Fächer der brotlosen Kunst"
HH was told by his professor that it would be impossible to measure
the speed of nerve conduction. It would be too fast.
But, like all good students, he ignored this advice.
In 1852 he was able to measure the speed...it was rather slow"
Chris Frith: Making up the mind