ESL General English Grammar Questions

Re: computer science

Taka — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 13:58:15 GMT

Clive
Hi,

OK. So is it safe to say that an awakening of the imagination clarifies what one of the great revelations of science is?
Yes.
Although I think I might prefer to express it that both of the above expressions clarify 'the discovery by computer science of the technical challenges overcome by our everyday mental activity '

Clive

Right. The further you read, the clearer it becomes what it is about, I think.

What is 'the discovery by computer science of the technical challenges overcome by our everyday mental activity'?→It's one of the great revelations of science.→And that is?→That is an awakening of the imagination.

Re: computer science

Clive — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 04:19:07 GMT

Hi,

OK. So is it safe to say that an awakening of the imagination clarifies what one of the great revelations of science is?
Yes.
Although I think I might prefer to express it that both of the above expressions clarify 'the discovery by computer science of the technical challenges overcome by our everyday mental activity '

Clive

Re: computer science

Taka — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 03:08:05 GMT

Clive
Hi,

Then you don't think 'an awakening of the imagination' is really a noun phrase in apposition, the restatement of 'the great revelation of science'? Yes, I do think that. That's why I think it's rather stylish.

OK. So is it safe to say that an awakening of the imagination clarifies what one of the great revelations of science is?

Goodman
Hi Taka,I find the way in whcih you sturcture the phrases and sentence perplexingly hard to understand.

Sorry, but I'm not the one who wrote the sentence.

Re: computer science

Goodman — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 19:55:40 GMT

Hi Taka,
I find the way in whcih you sturcture the phrases and sentence perplexingly hard to understand. I have to be honest; I have a hard time trying to decypher the meaing hidden in this short paragraph. I got lost between "the discovery by computer science " and " microscopic life...."

I believe that the discovery by computer science of thetechnological challenges overcome by our everyday mantal acivity is oneof the great revelations of science, that is/ in other words, an awakening of the imagination comparable to learning that the universe is made up of billions ofgaraxies or that a drop of ond water is full of microscopic life.

Re: computer science

Clive — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 19:13:50 GMT

Hi,

Now does it make sense to you? Is that 'technical' semantically close to 'practical'? Well, it's better than 'technological'. But I much prefer 'practical'.

Then you don't think 'an awakening of the imagination' is really a noun phrase in apposition, the restatement of 'the great revelation of science'? Yes, I do think that. That's why I think it's rather stylish.

Clive

Re: computer science

Taka — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 19:07:16 GMT

Clive
Hi,

I have to say that I find it a bit odd to suggest, as this seems to, that our mental actvity involves technological challenges.

Oops! It was 'technical', not 'technological.' Sorry, I've fixed it.

Now does it make sense to you? Is that 'technical' semantically close to 'practical'?

Clive

Question #1:

If 'that is' or 'in other words' was added as this below, would it still sound as natural? It wouldn't sound as stylish.

I believe that the discovery by computer science of thetechnological challenges overcome by our everyday mantal acivity is oneof the great revelations of science, that is/ in other words, an awakening of the imagination comparable to learning that the universe is made up of billions ofgaraxies or that a drop of ond water is full of microscopic life.

Then you don't think 'an awakening of the imagination' is really a noun phrase in apposition, the restatement of 'the great revelation of science'?

Re: computer science

Clive — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 18:57:48 GMT

Hi,
I believe that the discovery by computer science of the technological challenges overcome by our everyday mental activity is one of the great revelations of science, an awakening of the imagination comparable to learning that the universe is made up of billions of galaxies or that a drop of pond water is full of
microscopic life.

I have to say that I find it a bit odd to suggest, as this seems to, that our mental actvity involves technological challenges. I don't think of what goes on in our brains as 'technological'. Perhaps the larger context for this remark discusses computer scientists' attempts to duplicate our brain activity by technological means.

Question #1:

If 'that is' or 'in other words' was added as this below, would it still sound as natural? It wouldn't sound as stylish.

I believe that the discovery by computer science of thetechnological challenges overcome by our everyday mantal acivity is oneof the great revelations of science, that is/ in other words, an awakening of the imaginationcomparable to learning that the universe is made up of billions ofgaraxies or that a drop of ond water is full of microscopiclife.

Question #2:

About the 'comparable' in bold, which does it modify?

(1) an awakening of the imagination <<<<<<

(2) the imagination

Clive

computer science

Taka — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 17:25:24 GMT

I believe that the discovery by computer science of the technical challenges overcome by our everyday mental activity is one of the great revelations of science, an awakening of the imagination comparable to learning that the universe is made up of billions of galaxies or that a drop of pond water is full of microscopic life.

Question #1:

If 'that is' or 'in other words' was added as this below, would it still sound as natural?

I believe that the discovery by computer science of the technical challenges overcome by our everyday mantal acivity is one of the great revelations of science, that is/ in other words, an awakening of the imagination comparable to learning that the universe is made up of billions of garaxies or that a drop of ond water is full of microscopic life.

Question #2:

About the 'comparable' in bold, which does it modify?

(1) an awakening of the imagination

(2) the imagination