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Stenka25 Posted 11 years ago
Vocabulary

Meaning of vaguely on the right track

meaning of vaguely on the right track

The passage below is from ‘the Blank Slate’ by Steven Pinker.

http://evolbiol.ru/blankslate/blankslate.htm

So there is no scientific question as to whether experience, learning, and practice affect the brain; they surely do if we are even vaguely on the right track. It is not surprising that people who can play the violin have different brains from those who cannot, or that masters of sign language or of Braille have different brains from people who speak and read.

Let me ask a question regarding the underlined phrase.
I cannot see why the author wrote that sentence. It seems no problem without it.
Specifically I cannot understand what the author is trying to say with 'vaguely on the right track'?

Regards.
  

Top answer

Stenka25 Specifically I cannot understand what the author is trying to say with 'vaguely on the right track'? He is saying that it is true unless science is really missing something big. Science has done so in the past, so he is leaving that option open.

— Mister Micawber

  • Stenka25 Specifically I cannot understand what the author is trying to say with 'vaguely on the right track'?
  • He is saying that it is true unless science is really missing something big.
  • Science has done so in the past, so he is leaving that option open.
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8 Answers
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Stenka25Specifically I cannot understand what the author is trying to say with 'vaguely on the right track'?
He is saying that it is true unless science is really missing something big. Science has done so in the past, so he is leaving that option open.
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Thanks a lot as always, Mister Micawber.
(Then, does 'if' in this sentence mean 'even if', doesn't it?)
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Stenka25does 'if' in this sentence mean 'even if'
No, I don't see that at all!
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The meaning of 'if' as 'even if' gives me a real hard time, MM.
But let me have one last chance to support my reasoning.
I have this sentence as follows.

h
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'Even if' means in any case—if we are or if we aren't. (And it is not particularly helpful to bring in an example resulting in your paraphrase 'even if we are even'. That in itself is awkward enough to cause confusion and doubt.)
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Thanks a lot as always, MM.
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Stenka25vaguely on the right track
~ moving approximately in the right direction, (perhaps not directly or clearly)
Stenka25they surely do if we are even vaguely on the right track.
~ It is certain that experience, learning, and practice affect the brain
as long as the research that we have done so far
is leading us
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Thanks a lot as always, CJ.
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