It happens only once in a lifetime.

[second exodous]

I guess that makes sense but I still hate language for all its stupid rules. Since science has advanced so much we should create a new metric language that is logical and doesn't have any stupid rules to memorize. The UN did create a language like this but the Japanese were the only ones that bothered to learn it.

I hear you, don't get me started on spelling in english. Its unfathomably terrible compared to most languages. I wish we handled spelling and "importing" foreign words like they did in spanish.


Out of curiosity, what was the language you are talking bout?

I think this is it but it doesn't sound right. I thought the UN created a language but this one pre-dates the UN. Maybe they just pushed it and Japan was the only one at the UN that day. Anyway if this isn't the language I'm thinking about then it was a scientific language to be used by the UN to present scientific matters so nothing would be lost in translation. A Japanese scientist showed up in the UN to present something speaking that language and needless to say not one other nation there even took any steps to learn it. It is still taught in Japan as an extra language course, I have a friend that went to Japan for a few years and knows some of it.

 

[rotorschnee]

Everything can be counted by measuring it, the distiction comes if you are measuring it in units of 1, or units of something else.


If you are talking about individual molecules of water, you would say fewer, because you can say "I have 5 molecules of water"


If you are talking about water in general, there is no default unit of one, you cannot have "five water"


If you can have a specific number of something, you typically say fewer, otherwise you say less.

In my globalization/systems class, my professor talked about things that he felt that could not be measured - specifically "information".


Talked about how we can measure various facets of information, such as maybe decibal level if I verbally say it, or pitch, or maybe file size, or even counting the number of words in a sentence, but the actual "information" itself can't really be measured.


So if you say "I have a Pandora." or "I HAVE A PANDORA!" things change in on itself, and people listening, reading, whatever may react differently, but the actual information of you having a pandora isn't really quantifiable.


I always thought it was an interesting concept.

 

[liquidphantom]

I'm off to troll ASUS until they finally release the DR-900 or 950 or what ever they are calling it now.

 

[Kieroshark]

In my globalization/systems class, my professor talked about things that he felt that could not be measured - specifically "information".


Talked about how we can measure various facets of information, such as maybe decibal level if I verbally say it, or pitch, or maybe file size, or even counting the number of words in a sentence, but the actual "information" itself can't really be measured.


So if you say "I have a Pandora." or "I HAVE A PANDORA!" things change in on itself, and people listening, reading, whatever may react differently, but the actual information of you having a pandora isn't really quantifiable.


I always thought it was an interesting concept.

I suppose I should clarify, then. I meant everything that has a physical counterpart can be measured. I do agree with you regarding purely abstract concepts such as information.


It is interesting. However, I don't think it is outside the realm of plausibility that some day when we have a better understanding of what an idea actually is can we find some way to quantify it.

 

[the-exp]

Pedantry is meant to fade as you become older and less angry...

https://www.youtube.com/embed/J7E-aoXLZGY?feature=oembed

If this doesn't bring you around I'm not sure what will...

 

[darkborn]

I never got less or fewer. Everything can be counted by measuring it. How about talking about water molecules? Is it less or fewer? Yeah, science and language just don't mix well.

I never got water molecules or trolls. Everything can be counted by measuring it. Is it water molecules or trolls? Yeah, water molecules and trolls just don't mix well.

 

[second exodous]

I never got less or fewer. Everything can be counted by measuring it. How about talking about water molecules? Is it less or fewer? Yeah, science and language just don't mix well.

I never got water molecules or trolls. Everything can be counted by measuring it. Is it water molecules or trolls? Yeah, water molecules and trolls just don't mix well.

Whoa, yeah, you're way lost. This tread is talking about fluffy kittens. I get lost sometimes too.

 

[Kieroshark]

Pedantry is meant to fade as you become older and less angry...


<Awesome video>


If this doesn't bring you around I'm not sure what will...

I'm not entirely sure whom you are trying to cure of being pedantic, but that video was freaking awesome. Thanks.

 

[the-exp]

I'm not trying to cure anyone, I just like to watch that video whenever I feel my blood starting to boil when I read something the younger generation has written and include phrases like "That was Overdose Awesome".


That and Stephen Fry has a nice voice.

 

[second exodous]

Pedantry is meant to fade as you become older and less angry...


<Awesome video>


If this doesn't bring you around I'm not sure what will...

I'm not entirely sure whom you are trying to cure of being pedantic, but that video was freaking awesome. Thanks.

Yes, now THAT is what I'm sending my brother. Every English major needs to see that.


I remember when I was first learning Portuguese, it is amazing when you first start to learn a language because you think the one you're learning is soooo much better than the one you started out with. I used Portuguese in Brazil every day for two years and after that I realized that it was full of flaws as I'm sure every language is. People that constantly peck at others language skills probably have never been tried to really lean another language and so never realize how flawed a bunch of verbal sounds clumped together in a semi-coherent manner actually is.

 

[kagato]

Fewer trolls.


Less trolling.


That is all.

 

[rotorschnee]

The quantity of trolls has been reduced


The number of trolls is a number that has a value lower than the number Of trolls before


Or something ;-)

 

[SirDregan]

The quantity of trolls has been reduced


The number of trolls is a number that has a value lower than the number Of trolls before


Or something ;-)

We are all geeks here. So i vote for:


trolls--; //repeat as often as needed

 

[Kieroshark]

We are all geeks here. So i vote for:


trolls--; //repeat as often as needed

+1