|
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757
Carpal Tunnel
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757 |
or how to count in all languages: One, two, three, lots...Mark Changizi and Shinsuke Shimojo of the California Institute of Technology have been investigating the relationship of our visual recognition system to how we have developed language scripts. They have studied 115 different alphabets, and found most languages average three strokes per character. This is no coincidence as three is the greatest number our brains can recognise without counting, they say. Their comments are also interesting on inbuilt redundancy and other aspects – see New Scientist of 12th Feb http://www.newscientist.com/channel/being-human/mg18524865.000
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,529
veteran
|
veteran
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,529 |
Maverick I don't get it. What constitutes a "stroke". Print English manages with only a two strokes average per character. Are we the shorthand language of human script? blushchatcoolcrazyexclamationfilefrownidealaugh linkmadnotequestionribbonshockedsmile tonguetrophywink "three is the greatest number our brains can recognize without counting" Do you believe that? That line in black just came up when I copied and pasted the line in blue. Have our machines gone mad? Scary. Ssssh!
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296 |
I don't believe that. How 'bout when someone holds up five fingers. We instantly think 'five' without counting because we have internalized the appearance of five fingers. Same with holding up ten fingers. We don't have to count to ten. We know its ten unless something looks wrong with the configuration and, after counting, we realize the person had an extra finger or sumfin' like that.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757
Carpal Tunnel
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757 |
> five fingers. We instantly think 'five' without counting because we have internalized the appearance of five fingers.
Don't agree. Our visual quick recognition pattern is "ONE hand" which we then mentally translate as "I know that always means 5 fingers, unless there's an obvious clue to the contrary".
If you doubt this logic, try people's reaction times when offered a range of signals of between three and say eight fingers. I believe the reaction time on three or fewer is much quicker, suggesting a short-cut that is different to managing larger numbers.
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,529
veteran
|
veteran
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,529 |
Yeah,well maybe so, Maverick, but your studing people end human recognition at count "three". Why? I guess I'll have to ask you once again...What the hollow vainglory contrivance constitutes a "stroke" to these academic airheads anyway? Huh?
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
exactly what is it that you folks don't understand about "making the screen go wide"?
I'm just askin'.
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,529
veteran
|
veteran
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,529 |
TSUWM. WHAT DID I SAY? I DID NOT MAKE YOUR SCEEEN GO WIDE. GO KISS A DUCK. THE MACHINE MADE YOUR SCREEN GO WIDE.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
milum, lower your tone of keyboard, and count the number of characters in your "line in black" above.
now count the width of my (and many a nother) screen, in characters. a simple <NL> in that string would enourmously lessen the aggregate total of scroll bar clicks required within this thread, without terribly inconveniencing the author; and, I daresay, without losing too much of the meaning of said "line in black". this would also be an enabler for the speedreaders amongst us (whose number, alas, does not include me).
-joe (lightening the burdens of the many) friday
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,529
veteran
|
veteran
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,529 |
For God's sake, tsuwm, take time and read the White!
]white[ That line in black just came up when I copied and pasted the line in blue. Have our machines gone mad? Scary. Ssssh! ]/white[
Geez!
Edit: Oh, now I see...sorry.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
>take time and read the White
Jumping Jehosephat milum, where do you think I got the "line in black" quote?
Edit: oops.
|
|
|
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,363
Members9,182
|
Most Online3,341 Dec 9th, 2011
|
|
0 members (),
529
guests, and
0
robots. |
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
|