Just observations on stuff...

[Dave]

The BBC are broadcasting a five part serial version of Asimov's "I Robot" (things robotic are a theme at the moment on the Beeb and there is an exhibition at the Science Museum).

But they are using British actors. Somehow British voices do not work for me in this context - "Hey, get your godamn metal butt back here!" does not sound quite right in an English accent . . .

We may both speak forms of English but Brits and Americans have usages, forms and constructions of that language that are well separated. Oscar Wilde wrote, in one of his books, that we are "... two nations divided by a common language".

The divide is getting wider.

[Davin]

Can you imagine an American saying, "Get yer bloody metal arse back here!"

[Dave]

Can you imagine an American saying, "Get yer bloody metal arse back here!"

Nope! There is a program in my head that automatically translates that into a British accent and "grates" if I try to "hear" it in an American one.

Dunno why Auntie did it, not as if we are not used to American accents in plays on the radio - though often voiced by British actors! We can't tell the difference but I bet you could!

Though I have a fairly good ear for "micro-pronounciation", the unique sound of single letters or syllables. I can pick out, say, a Scottish speaker who has virtually lost their accent through living in England most of their life. Vowel shifts usually give them away.

[Dave]

Just out of interest I looked up the etymology of "butt".

It has referred to the backside since the 15thC, so well before any British colonies were established that side of the Pond. Some American uses are 17thC English ones.Origin of butt seems to have been Dutch meaning, "thick end, dull, blunt". Well, never seen a "sharp" butt!

Shapely - yes...

[Arturo]

I see shapely butts at the gym all the time.

[Dave]

Fascinating programme on BBC on the history of maths, how it started in Babylonia snd India, spread to Greece (where it was basically text based), was taken up and advanced by the Arabs then - because the Arabs preferred hand written script to the printing process - was brought to the beginings of its current form in Europe.

And the Arabs did not give us the concept or symbol for zero, as I had been taught. The Babyloniahs left a gap as a place keeper and the Indians had a symbol.

It also highlighted the historical importance if Baghdad again for me, thst benighted city seems to have been a centre of intellectual excellence iver a millennia or so. Pity relligion has to ruin so many good things.

I may post a link later but I don'tvthink it will be available across the Pond.

[xSilverPhinx]

Interesting.

Have you ever thought what is must be like trying to do maths using Roman numerals? They don't have a symbol for zero.

[Dave]

Interesting.

Have you ever thought what is must be like trying to do maths using Roman numerals? They don't have a symbol for zero.

They did not need one, not as a place holder anyway. But they did have fractions.

On phone, looking for refs too difficult.

[Icarus]

 A couple years back I read a book; Finding Zero or some such title. It was the quest to find the origin of zero.  The searcher was a college prof on paid sabbatical.  He traveled all over India and parts of southeast Asia exploring old temples, manuscripts, clay tablets and any other thing that he thought might provide a clue to the origin of zero.  He found lots of evidence in India but none that made it certain that the Zero originated there. His final belief was at least partially supported by ancient artifacts, archeological digs, and legends. He did a scholarly job of filtering and assessing the evidences.  At the end of the quest he believed strongly that the Zero was first conceived and used in Cambodia.

He spent a lot of time, energy, money, and perspiration exploring ancient temple ruins in dense forests, far from any population centers.   Though he was looking for mathematical origins what he found also interesting was the preponderance of carvings and crude sculptures of humans engaged in sexual activities.

[Dave]

A couple years back I read a book; Finding Zero or some such title. It was the quest to find the origin of zero.  The searcher was a college prof on paid sabbatical.  He traveled all over India and parts of southeast Asia exploring old temples, manuscripts, clay tablets and any other thing that he thought might provide a clue to the origin of zero.  He found lots of evidence in India but none that made it certain that the Zero originated there. His final belief was at least partially supported by ancient artifacts, archeological digs, and legends. He did a scholarly job of filtering and assessing the evidences.  At the end of the quest he believed strongly that the Zero was first conceived and used in Cambodia.

He spent a lot of time, energy, money, and perspiration exploring ancient temple ruins in dense forests, far from any population centers.   Though he was looking for mathematical origins what he found also interesting was the preponderance of carvings and crude sculptures of humans engaged in sexual activities.

All for nothing, eh?

[Recusant]

I wonder if his publisher said, "Yeah, it's not a bad story, but we need something that will sell. Was there anything you came across that people who don't care about mathematics would find interesting?"

[Arturo]

Was it like, one of the guys who was popular with women, but like not an alpha male, did they refer to him as zero?

[Icarus]

I wonder if his publisher said, "Yeah, it's not a bad story, but we need something that will sell. Was there anything you came across that people who don't care about mathematics would find interesting?"

I am a library hound. The book I read came from the library and I rather doubt that it would be found on the shelves at Barnes and Noble or other shrewd bookseller. It is fortunate that libraries are not constrained by the prospect of selling books.

And No! I do not suppose that the great unwashed would give a rats ass about the origin of zero. In fact it is doubtful that they would understand or care that that was one of the few  most important inventions of all time.