PBR and WW2 Documentaries.
this.
i posted it in the mandela effect thread because the drift had gotten so intense that i thought it really didn't matter. it has nothing to do with the mandela effect, but good GOD, this is an utterly fascinating mystery/trend/phenomenon. it blows my mind that something as complex and creative and seemingly random as spoken language could appear to have this fibonacci-like mathematical pattern emerge from it.
@allegro , @Jinsai , did you guys learn about this in english school?
@kleiner352 , @RocketScience , dig this.
Last edited by elevenism; 07-01-2016 at 09:53 AM.
English classes? No, doesn't really work that way since each class is hyperfocused ("British Literature 321" = from "Beawulf" through around the Victorian era). But "most common words" was briefly discussed in a Linguistics class, without all this mathematical probability stuff. And it's not surprising, particularly from the standpoint of the written word, since the vast majority of those at the top are necessary parts of speech, e.g definite articles, copulas, prepositions, etc.
The statistic probability stuff is too in-the-weeds-drift for an English or Linguistics class. We DID learn a SHIT TON about Grimm's Law in my "History and Structure of English 416" class, though.
Last edited by allegro; 07-01-2016 at 01:41 PM.
what trips me out the most, @allegro , is the way that the pattern keeps extending, even when it gets into the 2000th or 5000th most common word.
See also.
On major thing that university-level English research teaches you is, well, research.
Last edited by allegro; 07-01-2016 at 02:29 PM.
I am aware of the hyper-focused nature of English courses. I tested out of my first 2 semesters of college English and then took an American Literature course, before ending my undeniably promising academic career in a spectacular explosion of alcoholism, bad relationships, mental problems and general 18-25 year old naivete.
I assumed, however that one eventually learned about things like Zipf as an English major because i imagine that EVERY extant interesting subject is hidden from me behind the painfully physically close, yet woefully financially impassable, university door.
Now, @allegro , is the research paper you linked the final verdict on this insanely fascinating phenomenon, or, as it were, anecdotal pseudo-phenomenon, or might i find another research paper detailing the merits of Zipf's law? Because i will tell you, Allegro, the grimmest law of all is the law that every time i learn something interesting these days, EVERY time, i fairly rapidly find out that it was either A. hyperbolized or exaggerated, or, B., pure horseshit, and life becomes sadly boring again.
At least i still have my American Tradition In Literature textbook. I've been reading that motherfucker for like 15 years, and it is a veritable literary treasure trove that exposed me to dickinson, cummings, barth, ginsberg, etc. THAT cheers me up. I still have it.
Last edited by elevenism; 07-01-2016 at 05:44 PM.
Heh, nah. Initial university-level (beyond community college) classes focus on composition and research, and then if you're a Lit major (like me and @Jinsai ) you begin focusing on Literature and not on language. I took that 416 class because it was a pre-req in case I wanted to go after a teaching certification which I considered for a little while but then changed my mind. Like I said, that DID focus really heavily on linguists and phonetics, Grimm's Law, and we even had to study Old and Middle English and TRANSCRIBE the Professor's dictation of Middle English using phonetic transcription, but something like Zipf's would be more like a novelty and not something that we could, I dunno, do anything with.
We didn't have one book in American Lit I 351; we had to read, like, 10 books in one semester plus a shitload of short stories. And write at least 2 full critical essays, and do at least 2 essay exams. Fun stuff. I thought I was going blind from 4 Lit courses per semester (I was reading at least 3 books per week) but it ended up I was just getting old and needed reading glasses, ahahahahahahhahaa. Then I RE-READ (in a week) Henry James' "Portrait of a Lady" (close reading with highlights for an essay exam) and it was like A MIRACLE, I CAN SEE!!! For instance, see this American Literature reading list. That's Master's level, but we read at least 15 of those.
Yeah, well, that's the downfall of the Internet. But in higher-level college, you learn that there is no Final Verdict on anything. Ever. You learn to question everything. You have access to University databases that you only get as a Student (JSTOR, the MLA, Project Muse, the OED, etc.) for research. If you want to research Zipf's law further, Google it. See all of that material. Then, look at the Wiki page, then look at the citations at the bottom (References). For instance, HERE IS ONE. Now, look at <<<<---- the citations for that source and see if you can Google any of them. Look, here's one relating Turing's Formula and Zipf's Law. Hopefully, this Research Fest will Cheer You Up.
Last edited by allegro; 07-02-2016 at 10:02 PM.
Yeah, if I were to go back and get another it would probably be in linguistics, too.
Or maybe GENDER AND WOMEN'S STUDIES.
Last edited by allegro; 07-02-2016 at 11:28 PM.
My girlfriend came by and visited me today. It was a surprise. She bought me a new mouse. It was the first time she ever visited me by surprise. It was so cool.
See, wow, @Ryan is the exception to the grim rule of well backed up refutation of Everything I've Ever Said.
I dreamt Elvis was alive and flirting with me last night.
Maybe it has something to do with that post I made in Dead Souls.
Do we have a "weird/random facts about you" kind of thread? I was going to put this there if we do, but anyway:
Seeing lichen or moss on tree branches/trunks or on rocks relaxes me for some reason.
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Last edited by Your Name Here; 07-25-2016 at 01:37 PM.
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Last edited by Your Name Here; 07-25-2016 at 01:36 PM.
"Trolling is a art" - I didn't know this one before, lovely. :-)
'Empress People'.
A few people here should get that.
Sarcasim. (10 characters)
people actively thinking up, seeking and implementing solutions that better our societies
this is a historical time and hopefully we see huge positive changes
determination, dedication and positive action
hubby had his full vacation. no strike. hurrah.
we have made a conscious decision, as a family, to change how we speak and be mindful of the words we choose to use, and it is going pretty well.
tomorrow we head out for a weekend of camping, without kidlets. ack. it has been 4 years since we were last away from them, and we actually rarely go anywhere without them. so i am excited, and a touch emo, about it.
i have decided i am really no longer into live music so am kinda chuffed that duran duran provided such a cool show; grateful that my last live show was someone i had never seen before and normally wouldn't go and see.
so, RAH. and yar.
i found out a lot of really, really awful stuff tonight about one of my closest friends (we'll call him person A), who is also a member of my band. however, it very much explains the weirdness that has been happening with the band, and has also completely dissipated all of the negativity i was feeling toward one of the other band members (person B), now that i know everything that's been happening. i need to inform the third member of the band (person C) of at least the basics so he understands that B isn't the one who has been causing problems, as we thought.
looks like we'll be moving forward as a trio, but at least i know that B is a true, wonderful friend, and probably my best friend at this point. when i told him that, he said "you're not my best friend, you're family" and i started crying.
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Last edited by Your Name Here; 07-25-2016 at 01:20 PM. Reason: typos
thanks.
i think the thing that's bumming me out the most is that person A sang on FOUR (out of eight) of the songs on my upcoming solo album, which is currently being mastered. i'm honestly considering asking the mastering engineer to hold off for a few days so i can have person B come in and re-do three of those songs so i don't have such negative associations with them.
guess this should have gone in the "...piss you off" thread. : /
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Last edited by Your Name Here; 07-25-2016 at 01:20 PM.
got an offer for o follow up with you on the Mobile Security Researcher with HP. the job. its remote perfect right. of corse not mom is now upset because i will be on my own agian, F-that ithink this an awesome opportunity fof me. Yes i'm selfish so what. it's my world your just visiting
-louie