realthog: ('Ronica)
[personal profile] realthog
 

". . . an inconceivable fraction that can be written out as 1/10 preceded by 32 zeros . . ."
    -- Deepak Chopra, Quantum Healing, 1989

Date: 2008-07-08 11:40 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fledgist.livejournal.com
Huh? If it's inconceivable how come he conceived of it? And why would he write it out in that absurd way?

Date: 2008-07-08 12:33 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] realthog.livejournal.com

"why would he write it out in that absurd way?"

To be fair, he may have been the victim of an idiot copyeditor who said, "It's not our house style to use decimals -- we use common fractions . . ." But, if so, Chopra still bears the responsibility for not overruling this lunacy.

Date: 2008-07-08 01:18 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fledgist.livejournal.com
I'd like to see that vulgar fraction written out.

Date: 2008-07-08 01:25 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] realthog.livejournal.com

"I'd like to see that vulgar fraction written out."

Ha!

Date: 2008-07-08 01:40 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fledgist.livejournal.com
I'm the vulgar sort, I suppose.

Date: 2008-07-08 01:59 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] realthog.livejournal.com

"I'm the vulgar sort, I suppose."

If you say so, surd.

Date: 2008-07-08 02:43 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fledgist.livejournal.com
I've been known to be fractious.

Date: 2008-07-08 02:44 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] realthog.livejournal.com

"I've been known to be fractious."

What? Causing division wherever you go, you mean?

Date: 2008-07-08 02:51 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fledgist.livejournal.com
That's the long and the short of it.

Date: 2008-07-08 03:26 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] realthog.livejournal.com

A prime example of irrationality, if you ask me. Still, I suppose you must reckon the practice reaps dividends.

Date: 2008-07-08 05:04 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fledgist.livejournal.com
Though not at the co-op.

Date: 2008-07-08 12:20 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] quietselkie.livejournal.com
I see he's doing quantum math, as well.

Date: 2008-07-08 12:31 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] realthog.livejournal.com

"I see he's doing quantum math, as well."

With the emphasis on the "um".

Date: 2008-07-08 12:45 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] quietselkie.livejournal.com
Bwahaha! Math for strange quarks.

I sold 3 of his books to one person last week. She said, "This is who I'm supposed to read next." She receives her reading list from the ether.

Date: 2008-07-08 12:49 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] realthog.livejournal.com

I've just read three of them for the purposes of Bogus Science, and deserve a medal.

The particular annoyance is that, when he sticks to non-loopy medicine, he's actually pretty solid, and has a talent for explaining things simply. Then, just as you've settled back enjoying yourself, in comes the next mighty great splodge of woowoo.

Date: 2008-07-08 12:55 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] quietselkie.livejournal.com
*nod*

I tried to steer her more in the direction of his texts about healing rather than spirituality. And I did make her put back his novel. (Next, though...tempted to push "The Celestine Prophecy" and a book about the Findhorn gardens. Your own garden gnome to commune with your green beans! What could be better?)

In re: the comment above about house style, I have an industry question. Why would house style overrule scientific notation (I lack a more precise term)?

Date: 2008-07-08 01:30 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] realthog.livejournal.com

Outside the academic/scientific houses, the majority of copyeditors -- and of editors in general, including the people who draw up the house styles -- are (and I use the term descriptively rather than pejoratively) scientifically illiterate. Many are sensible enough, when working with pop science texts, to bow to expert advice on how the scientific aspects should be handled. But many aren't.

Date: 2008-07-08 02:00 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] realthog.livejournal.com

All part of the service, ma'am.

Date: 2008-07-08 01:19 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fledgist.livejournal.com
The BEM, perhaps?

Date: 2008-07-08 03:05 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] sarcobatus.livejournal.com
Real math is irritating enough without someone throwing this kind of nonsense on the table.

See . . . you can't believe everything you read, even from someone with a doctorate. Harrumph.

Date: 2008-07-08 03:24 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] realthog.livejournal.com

"you can't believe everything you read, even from someone with a doctorate"

Well, in the case of the particular doctorate-holder under consideration, there's quite a lot of his stuff that you read that you can't believe.

March 2013

S M T W T F S
     1 2
3456789
10111213141516
17181920212223
2425262728 2930
31      

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags
Page generated Jun. 22nd, 2025 03:44 pm
Powered by Dreamwidth Studios