Re[2]: ka and k^a [was: [tied] *kW- "?"]

At 8:24:47 PM on Friday, September 23, 2005, Patrick Ryan
wrote:

> Thank God that the obvious flatness of the earth was
> eventually researched.

It didn't have to be: despite popular myths to the contrary,
the fact that the earth is roughly spherical was obvious at
a rather early date to those who cared about such things.

> I do not have a tin ear, and I have not noticed it among
> GA speakers of middle class or better.

> It was also obvious that the sun went around the earth.
> "Obvious" has no weight whatsoever in a discussion that,
> at least, pretends to be scientific.

When, as here, it refers to readily available evidence, it
does in fact carry some weight. You are confusing 'evidence
sufficient to establish that the phenomenon not only exists
but is quite common' with 'precise quantitative evidence of
the extent of the phenomenon'.

Brian