Language question

I think

why is "not applicable" abbreviated as "n/a"?

avoids possible confusion with 'no', among other things

Why is it that humans can learn English (better to give and example of a language than to just say something vague like “language”)? Other animals can learn to communicate verbally or learn symbols. The difference with English is, it’s a lot more complex than the chirps of a chickadee. Then to say “language is innate” or “language is an instinct” could be said of any animal that communicates with other animals in it’s species. Communication may be instinctual but I think something like the English language is a grand elaboration on communication that humans are capable of due to our sizable cerebral cortex. So, like many human behaviors, it is both innate and learned.

norm chompsky meets his match

norm chompsky deserves it

gnome chompsky

chomp on that !!

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51o5e6VpvJL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

I can't stop laughing at the name Nim Chimpsky

― Godzilla vs. Rodan Rodannadanna (The Yellow Kid), Tuesday, 8 March 2011 02:51 (six years ago) Permalink

"When Terrace ended the experiment, Nim was transferred back to the Institute for Primate Studies in Oklahoma, where he struggled to adapt after being trained to live as a human child [clarification needed] for the first decade of his life. When Terrace made his one and only visit to see Nim after a year at the Institute of Primate Studies, Nim sprung to Terrace immediately after seeing him, visibly shaking with excitement. Nim also showed the progress he had made during Project Nim, as he immediately began conversing in sign language with Terrace. Nim retreated back to a depressed state after Terrace left, never to return to see Nim again. Nim developed friendships with several of the workers at the Institute of Primate Studies, and learned a few more signs, including a sign named "stone" which indicated that Nim wanted to smoke marijuana"

"When Terrace ended the experiment, Nim was transferred back to the Institute for Primate Studies in Oklahoma, where he struggled to adapt after being trained to live as a human child [clarification needed] for the first decade of his life. When Terrace made his one and only visit to see Nim after a year at the Institute of Primate Studies, Nim sprung to Terrace immediately after seeing him, visibly shaking with excitement. Nim also showed the progress he had made during Project Nim, as he immediately began conversing in sign language with Terrace. Nim retreated back to a depressed state after Terrace left, never to return to see Nim again. Nim developed friendships with several of the workers at the Institute of Primate Studies, and learned a few more signs, including a sign named "stone" which indicated that Nim wanted to smoke marijuana"

I found he could make the alarmingly human signs

Apple eats
Eat banana neem
Bananas eat
Drink with me with neem
Come eat nim
Eat with me eat
Eat me neem
Made neem ban neem
Bananas and me
Bananas and neem me
They have eaten bananas
Drink to enjoy neem
Drink drink to drink
Baby to eat me
I eat more
I'm eating
I am mechanical rubber
Eat neem to eat at
I play a nim
Free me for the NIM game