Everything you read is happening in your mind using the images I provided. The material for simulation today is a science fiction story based on the assumption that writing habits influence speaking habits, a reasonable assumption for educated people.
What if it applied to scientists…
When you are ready to start the simulation just take your eyes to the next paragraph, and let your mind do the rest. Time for me to get a cup of a medium-roast rainforest coffee :)
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It all happened in the name of Science. An anonymous survey among scientists revealed that science was not as rigorous as people assumed it to be. Reproducibility of results was low. In a bold move to restore confidence in scientific publications, the journal owners replaced their senior (in experience) editors with senior (in age and experience) scientists who imposed their writing style. Everything had to be written using the passive voice. Mentioning oneself was strictly prohibited. Captions of figures and tables were restricted to two lines. Facts had to be thoroughly established before the present tense could be used. And wherever a quantum of doubt existed, verbs indicating possibility were compulsory. This last requirement terrified honest scientists who got into the habit of turning well demonstrated facts into probable ones.
Scientists found themselves trapped in a language ghetto. Little by little, the way they wrote influenced the way they spoke. The way they spoke created an affective gap between them, their spouse, their family and the rest of the world. Science had created a language and a style that had spread beyond its paper boundaries to invade the lives of good people. The phenomenon remained largely unnoticed until Suzan, the wife of Dr. Simon Edgar who had committed suicide in his lab, sent her husband's diary to the Washington Post. The diary's last entry dated June 1 2005 became national news.
“Today, for Suzan's birthday, a bouquet of flowers was bought. Prior to offering the flowers, the phrase “My darling, I love you” was repeated many times privately. She was then approached. When standing in front of me, after she had remained for at least seven seconds waiting, I heard myself saying “you are loved by me.” Tears of frustration appeared on her face and the flowers were not well received. I HATE WHAT SCIENCE HAS DONE TO ME AND I HATE MYSELF ”
The story spread to CNN and National Public Radio and before soon, scientists all over America exposed the destructive role language had played in their relationships with family and friends. So when Dr. Mark Whyndam, a scientist who, like Dr. Simon Edgar, had faced such hardships launched “Scientists Anonymous”, chapters of this society spontaneously opened not just in America but all throughout the world.
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“I’ll be brief”, said William. It was his third meeting at the Berkeley chapter of ‘Scientists Anonymous’. The meeting had just started. He introduced himself to the other three scientists sitting in the university lounge.
“William, name common knowledge to some in attendance; Graduate of U.C.S.D; Domain, bio; Scientists anonymous, three months yesterday, doing better.”
His tone of voice indicated he had finished speaking, so the others clapped and said they valued his contribution according to the ritual common to all S.A chapters. William was concise to a fault.
“I am Roberto”, announced the man sitting to the left of William. “Last week, I worked on my family photo album and replaced the captions of ‘picture 1—son’ and ‘picture 2—daughter’ with more informative text. He opened the album on his lap and read aloud ‘My son Pedro at his two year old birthday party, face spattered with his first banana split; Ice cream from Walls, bought at Dixon’s ice cream shop and ripe Chiquita bananas imported from Colombia, bought at local food store”.
Roberto was clearly making great progress in writing meaningful captions, even though he still had to fight that compulsive urge to be unduly precise. “We value your contribution Roberto” was still reverberating when the third participant stood up. She was in her thirties, and wore a conservative grey blouse tucked in a knee length black skirt.
“Martha, I think, from the University of Nebraska.”
“Good evening Martha”, they chimed in.
“I find it near difficult to be sure about anything. I can be potentially confused when it comes to stating what might be a fact.”
Roberto was the first to break the silence. With a grin, he said “We think we value your contribution Martha”. All laughed.
Last was a young Chinese woman.
“My turn?” she asked as she pointed to her nose.
All nodded with an encouraging smile. She stood up.
“Xiao Hong, Beijing-based Chinese Academy of Science, PhD in IT. Good evening everyone.
“Good evening Xiao Hong,” the group responded.
“Yesterday an unlabeled Mother’s Day meshed recyclable thermoplastic laundry basket present was given to mother and received with coldness.”
After they had reversed engineered the compound noun (this took about 5 seconds), the group shouted “We value your contribution Xiao Hong”!
The meeting had begun…
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Quintilian, a Roman who lived in 49AD, in his book The Institutes of Oratory , book 1, chapter 6 sentence 44, fully expresses my feelings regarding the scientific writing style: "If custom be merely termed that which the greater number do, it will furnish a most dangerous rule, not only for language, but what is of greater importance, for life."
What if it applied to scientists…
When you are ready to start the simulation just take your eyes to the next paragraph, and let your mind do the rest. Time for me to get a cup of a medium-roast rainforest coffee :)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It all happened in the name of Science. An anonymous survey among scientists revealed that science was not as rigorous as people assumed it to be. Reproducibility of results was low. In a bold move to restore confidence in scientific publications, the journal owners replaced their senior (in experience) editors with senior (in age and experience) scientists who imposed their writing style. Everything had to be written using the passive voice. Mentioning oneself was strictly prohibited. Captions of figures and tables were restricted to two lines. Facts had to be thoroughly established before the present tense could be used. And wherever a quantum of doubt existed, verbs indicating possibility were compulsory. This last requirement terrified honest scientists who got into the habit of turning well demonstrated facts into probable ones.
Scientists found themselves trapped in a language ghetto. Little by little, the way they wrote influenced the way they spoke. The way they spoke created an affective gap between them, their spouse, their family and the rest of the world. Science had created a language and a style that had spread beyond its paper boundaries to invade the lives of good people. The phenomenon remained largely unnoticed until Suzan, the wife of Dr. Simon Edgar who had committed suicide in his lab, sent her husband's diary to the Washington Post. The diary's last entry dated June 1 2005 became national news.
“Today, for Suzan's birthday, a bouquet of flowers was bought. Prior to offering the flowers, the phrase “My darling, I love you” was repeated many times privately. She was then approached. When standing in front of me, after she had remained for at least seven seconds waiting, I heard myself saying “you are loved by me.” Tears of frustration appeared on her face and the flowers were not well received. I HATE WHAT SCIENCE HAS DONE TO ME AND I HATE MYSELF ”
The story spread to CNN and National Public Radio and before soon, scientists all over America exposed the destructive role language had played in their relationships with family and friends. So when Dr. Mark Whyndam, a scientist who, like Dr. Simon Edgar, had faced such hardships launched “Scientists Anonymous”, chapters of this society spontaneously opened not just in America but all throughout the world.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“I’ll be brief”, said William. It was his third meeting at the Berkeley chapter of ‘Scientists Anonymous’. The meeting had just started. He introduced himself to the other three scientists sitting in the university lounge.
“William, name common knowledge to some in attendance; Graduate of U.C.S.D; Domain, bio; Scientists anonymous, three months yesterday, doing better.”
His tone of voice indicated he had finished speaking, so the others clapped and said they valued his contribution according to the ritual common to all S.A chapters. William was concise to a fault.
“I am Roberto”, announced the man sitting to the left of William. “Last week, I worked on my family photo album and replaced the captions of ‘picture 1—son’ and ‘picture 2—daughter’ with more informative text. He opened the album on his lap and read aloud ‘My son Pedro at his two year old birthday party, face spattered with his first banana split; Ice cream from Walls, bought at Dixon’s ice cream shop and ripe Chiquita bananas imported from Colombia, bought at local food store”.
Roberto was clearly making great progress in writing meaningful captions, even though he still had to fight that compulsive urge to be unduly precise. “We value your contribution Roberto” was still reverberating when the third participant stood up. She was in her thirties, and wore a conservative grey blouse tucked in a knee length black skirt.
“Martha, I think, from the University of Nebraska.”
“Good evening Martha”, they chimed in.
“I find it near difficult to be sure about anything. I can be potentially confused when it comes to stating what might be a fact.”
Roberto was the first to break the silence. With a grin, he said “We think we value your contribution Martha”. All laughed.
Last was a young Chinese woman.
“My turn?” she asked as she pointed to her nose.
All nodded with an encouraging smile. She stood up.
“Xiao Hong, Beijing-based Chinese Academy of Science, PhD in IT. Good evening everyone.
“Good evening Xiao Hong,” the group responded.
“Yesterday an unlabeled Mother’s Day meshed recyclable thermoplastic laundry basket present was given to mother and received with coldness.”
After they had reversed engineered the compound noun (this took about 5 seconds), the group shouted “We value your contribution Xiao Hong”!
The meeting had begun…
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quintilian, a Roman who lived in 49AD, in his book The Institutes of Oratory , book 1, chapter 6 sentence 44, fully expresses my feelings regarding the scientific writing style: "If custom be merely termed that which the greater number do, it will furnish a most dangerous rule, not only for language, but what is of greater importance, for life."
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