I believe the original use of "artificial" as a positive take on human-crafted works is valuable. In the digital design industry, the mis-use of "natural" upsets me enough that we named our company The Artificial.
Arete need not be ethical; indeed it need not even be a trait of a person. It is a trait of anything, whatever that thing is, that makes it good at doing what that sort of thing characteristically does. Thus Plato can speak of the arete of a pruning knife.
Discovered in the German title of Werner Heisenberg's article on uncertainty relations (a cornerstone of modern quantum physics). As best as I can find it roughly translates as "intelligible".
As a Roman Catholic schoolchild, transubstantiation was the dogma that ignited my awareness of how mystical that theology was. Considering how diligently my parents and teachers were striving to foster my reason, logic, and scientific thought, this awareness inevitably led to contemplation and eventually my subscription to naturalism.
I have witnessed the reintroduction of the hard t in often among the educated during my lifetime. Perhaps merely because I am a curmudgeon, this grates against my nerves.
Currency? Bah. Sente is a a Japanese term from the game of Go for "initiative" or "control". The player with sente is the one choosing freely while the other (in gote) is forced to respond.
Comments by gerwitz
gerwitz commented on the word artificial
I believe the original use of "artificial" as a positive take on human-crafted works is valuable. In the digital design industry, the mis-use of "natural" upsets me enough that we named our company The Artificial.
January 29, 2015
gerwitz commented on the word stimmig
—NY Times
November 13, 2013
gerwitz commented on the word arete
From http://www.utilitarian.net/jsmill/about/20040322.htm
October 25, 2010
gerwitz commented on the word obduracy
Encountered as an apt description of Donald Rumsfeld in Robert Draper's article for GQ.
May 19, 2009
gerwitz commented on the word nommo
Bantu: the power of words to give life.
February 19, 2009
gerwitz commented on the word meridiem
Why do we use ante meridiem to denote time before noon and post meridiem to denote after noon yet never use meridiem for noon itself?
February 7, 2008
gerwitz commented on the word mayhaps
A sniglet of dubious value, but I cannot help myself.
August 15, 2007
gerwitz commented on the word done
I abhor the common use of done to mean finished.
July 31, 2007
gerwitz commented on the word waldeinsamkeit
A German word without a simple English equivalent, usually "the feeling of solitude in the forest."
July 31, 2007
gerwitz commented on the word anschaulich
Discovered in the German title of Werner Heisenberg's article on uncertainty relations (a cornerstone of modern quantum physics). As best as I can find it roughly translates as "intelligible".
July 31, 2007
gerwitz commented on the word lorem ipsum
I believe Lorem would make a wonderfully unique given name. Though I don't believe any woman will be willing to name her child thusly.
July 31, 2007
gerwitz commented on the word naturalism
A much softer and, for me, more accurate term than atheism.
July 30, 2007
gerwitz commented on the word transubstantiation
As a Roman Catholic schoolchild, transubstantiation was the dogma that ignited my awareness of how mystical that theology was. Considering how diligently my parents and teachers were striving to foster my reason, logic, and scientific thought, this awareness inevitably led to contemplation and eventually my subscription to naturalism.
July 30, 2007
gerwitz commented on the word whyever
Zounds! I can't believe I neglected the OED when searching for whyever. I've become far too dependant on the readily-accessible and online.
July 30, 2007
gerwitz commented on the word whyever
I don't care that no dictionary appears to include whyever. If wherever, whoever, and whatever are legitimate, then I'm using whyever.
July 30, 2007
gerwitz commented on the word transubstantiation
This concept is largely responsible for my naturalist philosophy.
July 29, 2007
gerwitz commented on the word often
I have witnessed the reintroduction of the hard t in often among the educated during my lifetime. Perhaps merely because I am a curmudgeon, this grates against my nerves.
July 28, 2007
gerwitz commented on the word sente
Do try out the introduction at Yahoo Games, and the wealth of information at Sensei's Library. Then try a few turn-based games at Dragon Go.
July 28, 2007
gerwitz commented on the list mountainous-words
zenith?
July 27, 2007
gerwitz commented on the word patina
an important element of wabi-sabi
July 27, 2007
gerwitz commented on the word sente
Currency? Bah. Sente is a a Japanese term from the game of Go for "initiative" or "control". The player with sente is the one choosing freely while the other (in gote) is forced to respond.
July 20, 2007
gerwitz commented on the word telekinesis
Is there a verb that means "exercising telekinesis"?
July 16, 2007
gerwitz commented on the word atrophy
I like atrophy salad.
July 16, 2007