Re: Dualities arising via pairs of schizophrenic objects

[Todd Trimble <trimble1@optonline.net>]

This discussion about 'schizophrenic' mostly feels like déjà vu,
but the point about shingles, while amusing, misses the serious
point that Tom is making.

I agree that most everyone knows that the medical condition
has nothing at all to do with roofing shingles (the etymologies of
both words are interesting -- look them up). But not everyone
yet understands that schizophrenia has nothing to do with 'split
personality', as a careless folk-etymology might lead one to
suppose. But this false meaning is indeed the one reinforced
by the usage in category theory (and the coinage may have been
based on the misunderstanding).

Leaving aside this potential reinforcement of a misunderstanding,
I do agree that people experienced in category theory will
recognize the intended categorical meaning, however inapt the
coinage may be.

Todd

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Fred E.J. Linton" <fejlinton@usa.net>
To: <categories@mta.ca>
Sent: Saturday, November 26, 2011 10:06 AM
Subject: categories: Re: Dualities arising via pairs of schizophrenic 
objects


> To redeploy some recent words of Tom Leinster, shingles is (as I know from
> painful first-hand experience) "a serious and often frightening 
> condition."
>
> Yet I would not go so far as to insist that roofing shingles or
> siding shingles be outfitted with some other name, or to urge
> doctors or lawyers to refrain from speaking of "hanging out their
> shingles" when they open their practices.
>
> I think intelligent people can be trusted to understand even potentially
> ambiguous words in a correct, mature, context-driven way.
>
> Cheers, -- Fred Linton
>
>


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