11 OCT 2013 by ideonexus
The Meaning of "We" in Science and Mathematical Texts
I request a last indulgence from the reader. The introductory material,
thus far, has been written in the friendly and confiding first person
singular voice. Starting in the next paragraph, I will inhabit the first
person plural for the duration of the mathematical expositions. This
should not be construed as a “royal we.” It has been a construct of the
community of mathematicians for centuries and it traditionally signifies
two ideas: that “we” are all in consultation with each other..."We" refers to the collaborative effort of problem solving.
02 JAN 2012 by ideonexus
You Are Speeding Around the Sun
Thou art speeding round the sun
Brightest world of many a one;
Green and azure sphere which shinest
With a light which is divinest
Among all the lamps of Heaven
To whom light and life is given;
I, thy crystal paramour
Borne beside thee by a power
Like the polar Paradise,
Magnet-like of lovers’ eyes;
I, a most enamoured maiden
Whose weak brain is overladen
With the pleasure of her love,
Maniac-like around thee move
Gazing, an insensiate bride,
On thy form from every side ..."Brightest world of many a one," ... prescient words from Shelley.
24 JUL 2011 by ideonexus
The Word Explosion in Infants
Babies first bridge the gap between sounds and meaning as early as nine or ten months of age. They learn the names of family members and pets, the meaning of no! and perhaps a few general labels like shoe and cookie. By his first birthday, the average child understands around seventy words, mostly nouns like people's names and terms for objects, but also certain social expressions, like hi and bye-bye. Of course, he cannot say nearly that many. The median number of words spoken by a one-year-...When children learn about four-dozen words, they suddenly begin to learn many more at an accelerated pace.