Re: Related languages (Re: A China-Sumer connection)

phippsmartin_at_hotmail.com
Date: 03/10/05 

Date: 9 Mar 2005 19:08:24 -0800

The whole of astrophysics can be compared to archaeology. Both involve
looking into the past: the light which we see coming from a star 100
light years away starting coming at us 100 years ago. And that's about
all you have to study the star: you can't physically go to the star and
make measurements. Similarly, you can't go to the past and study
things directly. All you can do is study the artifacts a culture has
left behind or, in this case, the language and culture they now have,
and trace things backwards.

And yet physicists do construct theories about black holes and even,
arrogantly I suppose, presume to describe the first few seconds after
the big bang, all based on their current theories, based largely on the
evidence of light, radio waves, x-rays, etc.coming down from above.
Much of what is done in physics is a question of plausibility, which
theory which makes the most sense, which one agrees with what we
observe. Occam's Razor is used to sort out theories that are not
simple enough and which require unnecessary assumptions. It's a
different way of thinking I suppose.

Of course, there's also the problem that the behaviour of people is
less predictable than that of stars and planets. That's frustrating
for someone from the physical sciences. I want to know WHY languages
have changed. I don't like the idea that things happen at random.
It's not part of my mindset.

Martin

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