14 JUL 2025 by ideonexus
Abstraction is a Necessity for Communication
The English words "man," "fish," "star," "Hower," ·run," "grow," all denote classes of objects or events which may be recognized as members of their class by very simple attributes, abstracted from the total complexity of the things themselves.
Abstraction is thus almost a necessity for communication, since it enables us to represent our experiences with simple and rapidly made "grasps" of the mind. When we say that we can think only of one thing at a time, this is like saying that the Paci...Folksonomies: zen
Folksonomies: zen
13 NOV 2015 by ideonexus
Technology Enables IA, but Culture Must Evolve for It
Look at what intellect would be without writing or the printing press—these primitive technologies already make such a difference. Just think of what the latest computer technology will be able to do to further augment the intellect!
But this is a non-sequitur: what makes writing and paper powerful is technology to some extent, but it is mostly the rich culture that grew up around it.
Let’s look at writing first. The earlies extant samples of writing are Babylonian clay tablets contai...13 MAR 2015 by ideonexus
Phonetic Spelling Saves Time and Effort Through Fewer Let...
Simplified spelling means shorter spelling. Of the
32 Rules printed in Part 3 of this Handbook, 27 drop
letters from words as now speld; 3 involv trans-
positions of letters to reconcile conflicting analogies;
and 2 involv substitutions of one letter for another,
with the same object. In no instance has the Board
recommended a change involving the addition of a let-
ter to a word. Further simplifications wil result in fur-
ther abbreviations. A completely fonetic sistem of
notation, ...13 MAR 2015 by ideonexus
Changing Spelling has Happened in the Past
Objection to simplified spelling has been made on the
supposition that it "wil cut us off from the literature
of the past," meaning that those taught in the new way
wil be unable to read the books red today. This can
not be so, because the present spelling wil be no more
difficult to read by one who has learnd to spel the new
way, than is the new spelling by one who has learnd
the old way. Children who hav learnd to spel in the
simplified way wil, in fact, read the books printed
toda...Technology, translation services, will make migration even easier.