When I want to feel a sheer sense of vertigo, I remind myself that "modern" humans have only had written language for ~1/10th of their existence*. And then, some (probably smallish) set of people invented it! Then: now! Ahh!
*as far as we know; depending on how exactly you count
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I try to imagine what it must have been like to be that person. The cognitive shear to suddenly be thinking in time-binding terms. It must have been terrifying, like eating the mushroom and never coming down.
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I wonder how many people were truly pivotal. Interestingly, there's some evidence that multiple civilizations simultaneously developed forms of writing without contact.
But also, I suspect it may have felt mundane—slow abstraction of ideograms and added emphasis on morphemes.
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There ya go :)
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That is probably true, yes. I've always been partial to the Burroughs theory of a viral mutation of extraterrestrial origin which caused physiological changes in the brain and larynx. I don't know that it's likely per se, but I'm partial to it.
Yeah. In fact, it may be that ancient problem-solvers actively *avoided* creating powerful abstractions like universal number systems.
Let’s just count the sheep, guys. No need to have a system that can handle more than exist in the kingdom.
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Universality is now sought deliberately, as a desirable feature... of meat thermometers.
Just as @DavidDeutschOxf said.
(This is the first time I’ve seen “UNIVERSALITY” stamped prominently on an advertisement.)
Here’s the Amazon link: amazon.com/dp/B083JY31NG/
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YAGNI
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