Comments on: What Pluto Really Is

By: quixote

quixote — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 23:01:00 +0000

Well, yes, Sean and Linda, you’ve both brought up good points. Ideally, language keeps up with reality. But when there’s much emotion involved, as there seems to be with Pluto–(and as there often is with orchids. You think Pluto has caused a storm, you ain’t seen nothin yet. Really.)–then everyone can wind up further ahead by taking the cognitive changes more slowly. Eventually the language catches up, but the scientists don’t generate resentment that does neither them nor the thing involved any good. “Eventually” sometimes means a few generations. I didn’t say the language necessarily catches up fast…. (My personal preference in the Pluto debate was the definition that would have made Ceres, Vesta, and the big one in the Kuiper Belt all planets. And eventually who knows how many more would have joined the group. So what if we have to rewrite the textbooks every few years? Keeps things interesting.)

Sept 2, 2006

By: quixote

quixote — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 22:59:00 +0000

SeanH’s comment:

This attitude is convenient in the short term, but in the long term it has a damaging effect on the language. If we never bother to update English to reflect new knowledge and wisdom, it will become even more confused and full of potholes than it already is. The short-term disruption is worth it to avoid watering down the meanings of our words.

Aug. 31, 2006

By: quixote

quixote — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 22:59:00 +0000

Linda’s comment:

The whole affair reminds me of the resistance to the metric system in the United States. People just don’t like to be behind the times; I think they dislike losing arguments to their kids. It’s pitiful. Then again, I really never learned metric measurements, so I will slink back into my corner now…

Sept. 1, 2006

By: quixote

quixote — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 22:57:00 +0000

(I had problems with Haloscan, so these comments were replaced manually. That messed the links up.)