Re truth in science

[Plank]

Thank you, Edith, and to continue along these lines, this is from the science quiz (apologies for the four-letter word) in last week's Observer or Guardian -- the newspaper (whichever) that not so long ago reported the non-existence of universal grammar, beating Edge.org to it. 

True or false:

5. Ni[e]ls Bohr – the father of sub-atomic physics and a true genius of the 20th century and possibly the brainiest man ever to walk the planet – used to be a professional footballer.


Here's the answer about Niels, if you're really interested in the truth of the matter:

True. He used to play in goal for the Danish side Akademisk Boldklub, and his brother played in mid-field (was so good in fact he played for Denmark). Everybody in Denmark loved Ni[e]ls, he was brainy, personable, an all round super star and national hero. So much so the Danish brewer Carlsberg built him a house and gifted him a lifetime supply of free beer. Hic.

If it weren't for him, Uncle Al would never have been able to build the Boldklub Accelerator which reduces the size of atoms.

Other notable if unlikely professional goalkeepers include Albert Camus (French existential novelist), Pope John-Paul 2nd (last Pope but one), Arthur Conan Doyle (creator of Sherlock Holmes) and Che Guevara (Cuban revolutionary).



And here's no universal grammar:
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/mar/25/daniel-everett-human-language-piraha


Calm down everybody. 
Frans




On 11 Mar 2014, at 15:09, Edith A Moravcsik <edith at uwm.edu> wrote:

> Danish physicist Niels Bohr said: "It is wrong to think that the task of physics is to find out how nature is. Physics concerns only what we can SAY about nature." (emphasis original)
> 
> 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/lingtyp/attachments/20140311/aa1b1445/attachment.htm>