>Thank you Piotr and Glen for your forthright views on >glottochronology. As
>a non-academic I was rather diffident about being >too dismissive of a
>methodology whose bases and mathematics I have >never been able to fathom.
Erh, me no "academic". Me just poor slob with time on hands. I'm actually a
webdever. You know, like graphic design, order forms, shopping cart systems,
e-commerce solutions for online biz? I work for food and if I'm good I get a
free cupcake. :) I just happen to be obsessed with linguistics but I'm no
full-time "academic". I think Piotr said he was, though. :)
>As for talking computers, I hadn't thought of Prof.Hawkins' speech
> >synthesiser. I was thinking more of the work being done to have your >car
>nag you about buckling your seat belt, or (for you Glen, from the
> >Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) doors saying "Swish, thank you" when
> >you walk through.
Hmm. Much to the betrayal of my computer programming roots, I have little
knowledge of HGG other than a vague reference to a number as the solution to
everything. I may be too judgmental but I suspect, with having only heard
small clips here and there, that the book is about as clever as a certain
Hollywood movie starring Everett and Madonna. (Talkin' about a plot that
goes NOwhere!) If only Madonna could get some plastic surgery for those
nasty acting skills of hers.
As for glottochronology, in connection with the mainstream American film
industry, if we used glottochronology to determine when John Travolta
seperated from the rest of the homo sapiens we'd conclude some two billion
years... erh, wait that's a bad example.
I guess what I'm saying is that statistics and computer programming are good
in consort with linguistics only if the partnership is justified and lurking
variables are not a concern to the solution of the problem (such as
algorithms to mimic human voices and doors that go "Swish, thank you") but
neither glottochronology, nor Madonna's right to be a respected actress, are
logically justifiable. :)
- gLeN
________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at
http://www.hotmail.com