http://friam.383.s1.nabble.com/metaphor-and-talking-across-skill-levels-tp7586111p7586126.html
> Ok Glen,
>
> Imagine that I am standing before you holding a flat object, such as a
> notebook in my left hand, flat side to you. I hold a small object, let's
> say an artgum eraser, in my right hand above and behind the notebook. I
> release the eraser. Please give me a "plain-spoken" description of what you
> would see.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Nick
>
>
>
> Nicholas S. Thompson
> Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Biology
> Clark University
>
http://home.earthlink.net/~nickthompson/naturaldesigns/>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Friam [mailto:
[hidden email]] On Behalf Of glen ep ropella
> Sent: Tuesday, March 10, 2015 9:31 AM
> To: The Friday Morning Applied Complexity Coffee Group
> Subject: Re: [FRIAM] metaphor and talking across skill levels
>
> On 03/09/2015 05:44 PM, Nick Thompson wrote:
>> I gather that "symmetry" is itself a metaphor, subject both to the joys
> and pains thereof.
>
> I suggest symmetry has a non-metaphorical definition. But I admit the word
> can be successfully _abused_. ;-)
>
>> I never could find a plain spoken way to describe "above and below the
> plane of the molecule" without resort to the very terms I was trying to
> explain, until I thought of restaurant staff stacking six sided tables on
> top of one another to facilitate cleaning. Only then did the three
> dimensionality of traditional "ring diagrams" make any sense to me.
>
> But, see, _my_ problem is that I don't regard the concept "above and below
> the plane of the molecule" to be science. That's ideological hoo-ha
> bouncing around in someone's mind. The science is what's done with the
> hands (and feet, nose, etc.). There is no plain spoken way to describe
> concepts. There are only plain spoken ways to describe _things_ ... real
> things that you can touch and leave a bruise when someone throws it at you.
>
> To me, metaphor doesn't seem fundamental to science because science is about
> what you _do_, not what you think. It's way more scientific to talk about
> stacking tables than it is to talk about "above and below the molecule".
>
> --
> glen e. p. ropella, 971-255-2847,
http://tempusdictum.com>
> ============================================================
> FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
> Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College to unsubscribe
>
http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com>
>
> ============================================================
> FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
> Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
> to unsubscribe
http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com>
>
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College