Pinsent gained a first-class honours degree in Mathematics at Cambridge University, where he was described by George Thomson, future master of Corpus Christi College as "the most brilliant man of my year, among the most brilliant I have ever met." He met Wittgenstein at Cambridge in 1912, where he acted as Wittgenstein's subject in psychological experiments on rhythm in speech and music, and struck up a rapport based on shared interests in music and mathematics. This led to holidays together, including trips to Iceland and Norway. During World War I Pinsent was deemed unsuitable for active miliary service, but he trained as a test pilot and worked at the Royal Aircraft Establishment in Farnborough. He was killed in a flying accident in 1918. Wittgenstein dedicated his first book, the Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, to his memory.
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Last updated on Wednesday July 23, 2008 at 12:27:54 PDT (GMT -0700)
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