Tag Archives: clarity
The mess of thinking
Inaccurate interpretations of a particular data-point can nonetheless provide metaphors that describe a lot.
The root of beauty …
… is boldness, wrote Pasternak. “That is what’s brought us to one another.” Apropos: After Wolfgang Pauli had given a colloquium on some ideas related to particle physics, Pauli said to Neils Bohr: “You will probably think that what I … Continue reading
Writing in the Sciences
“The more that you take care with your writing, the more you might explore uncertainties in your thinking,” suggests Stanford University Environmental Earth System Science Professor Julie Kennedy in this excellent Writing Matters video. Kennedy helpfully stresses the primacy of … Continue reading
Having a strong accent can work in your favour …
… writes MIT cognitive science professor Edward Gibson in Aeon: Suppose you are at a cocktail party, and your conversation partner – someone with power in your field – wants to know your view about a potentially scandalous issue at your … Continue reading
Update needed
I had long been puzzled by how many people don’t get the saying “That’s the exception that proves the rule.” This morning it occurred to me that the opacity is not in the minds of my friends but in the phrase’s … Continue reading
Practice
As a teacher and as an editor, my counsel to students and writers often seems too obvious even to say. For instance: “You can’t complete a large project in a short time. Proceed bit by bit” (or “bird by bird“). … Continue reading
No Word
A friend in the media emailed me this morning: “Everyone keeps talking about hostages having been taken in Paris. Doesn’t the word ‘hostage’ imply a demand on the part of the terrorists? They made no demands; they intended all along … Continue reading
New Sophos series: “What is …?”
Sophos, the esteemed network-security company, is starting a new series on its always erudite blog. It is called “What Is …,” and it promises to turn “technical jargon into plain English.” The inaugural post, written by Paul Ducklin, is called … Continue reading
The “trick to ambiguity”
From the great Language Log: Most of the ambiguity contained in normal language use is passed over without any awareness on the audience’s part of the potential for double meanings. If one of the two intended meanings in an ad … Continue reading
Displaying complex research findings graphically (and simply) …
… is a big theme in all of my communications and marketing classes. I am quite enjoying the blog published by Darkhouse Analytics, which explores this theme obsessively. Click on the image below to see how to make the perfect … Continue reading
