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Taka Posted 18 years ago
Grammar

computer science

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
  

Top answer

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'.

— Clive

  • 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?
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7 Answers
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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
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CliveHi,

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
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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.

C
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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
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CliveHi,

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?
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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
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CliveHi,

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 techni
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