Does Meaning Evolove?

A common method of improving how well understood a theory is, is by comparing it to another theory which has been better developed. Radical interpretation is a theory which attempts to explain how communication has meaning. Radical interpretation is treated as another time dependent theory and compared to the time dependent theory of biological evolution. Several similarities and differences are uncovered. Biological evolution can be gradual or punctuated. Whether radical interpretation is gradual or punctuated depends on how the question is framed: on the coarse-grained time scale it proceeds gradually, but on the fine-grained time scale it proceeds by punctuated equilibria. Biological evolution proceeds by natural selection, the counterpart to this is the increase in both correspondence and coherence. Exaption, mutations, and spandrels have counterparts metaphor, speech errors, and puns respectively. Homologous and analogs have direct counterparts in specific words. The most important differences originate from the existence of a unit of inheritance (the traditional gene) occurring in biological evolution - there is no such unit in language

How strong is the relationship between general phonological processes and pseudo-word reading? (51st Academy of Aphasia Proceedings)

Phonological dyslexia (PD) is an acquired reading disorder characterised by an abnormally strong lexicality effect, i.e., with impaired pseudo-word reading contrasting with relatively preserved real word reading (Beauvois & Derouesne, 1979). Parallel distributed models of reading aloud (Harm & Seidenberg, 2001) have made the strong claim that PD is due to a general, non-reading specific deficit to central phonological representations which manifests during pseudo-word reading due to the inherently high demands they place on the phonological system. Under this account, patients with impaired phonology should show impaired pseudo-word reading and vice-versa. Consistent with this view, phonological deficits frequently co-occur with PD (Friedman, 1996). In contrast, dual route models posit that PD may result from a deficit to grapheme-phoneme conversion processes (sublexical reading process) that does not have to implicate a general phonological deficit. We present two cases that directly challenge the phonological deficit view

Radical Interpretation Described using Terms from Biological Evolution.

A common method of improving how well understood a theory is, is by comparing it to another theory which has been better developed. Radical interpretation is a theory which attempts to explain how communication has meaning. Radical interpretation is treated as another time dependent theory and compared to the time dependent theory of biological evolution. Several similarities and differences are uncovered. Biological evolution can be gradual or punctuated. Whether radical interpretation is gradual or punctuated depends on how the question is framed: on the coarse-grained time scale it proceeds gradually, but on the fine-grained time scale it proceeds by punctuated equilibria. Biological evolution proceeds by natural selection, the counterpart to this is the increase in both correspondence and coherence. Exaption, mutations, and spandrels have counterparts metaphor, speech errors, and puns respectively. Homologous and analogs have direct counterparts in specific words. The most important differences originate from the existence of a unit of inheritance (the traditional gene) occurring in biological evolution - there is no such unit in language

Space Tourism

According to the Space Policy Institute (2002, Bib. section), “Space tourism is the term broadly applied to the concept of paying customers traveling beyond Earth’s atmosphere.” Operating reusable launch vehicles (RLVs) might be a first step toward achieving mass space tourism. Thus, the aim of this article is to investigate the potential hurdles and other aspects of importance that must be overcome in order to use RLVs for space tourism flights. The primary ones are social issues (e.g., “Is space tourism ethically acceptable?”), institutional issues (e.g., “Is environmental pollution caused by space tourism more harmful than other emission sources?”), and financial issues (e.g., “Are any potential investors interested in space tourism?”