Re: Summary so far on DJUNO

["Mark E. Shoulson" <shoulson@CS.COLUMBIA.EDU>]

>Date:         Tue, 20 Jan 1998 14:20:22 GMT+0
>From: And Rosta <a.rosta@UCLAN.AC.UK>
>Organization: University of Central Lancashire
>
>I've had to skim some bits, and have resisted the powerful
>temptation to reply to lots of contributions to the debate.
>But here is an offered summary in the hope of moving things on.
>
>1. Jorge is completely correct about the meaning of "know", but
>   not everyone has managed to realize it.

I'm pretty much with you on that, though here's an interesting
counterexample I heard on TV just the other day and made a note of:

Some scientist was saying, on a science program, "Consider the 1920's.
Scientists knew -- they KNEW -- that universe was just the milky way
galaxy."

This is a use of perhaps another meaning of "know" in English, a slightly
different one, more in line with Steve Belknap: to be completely
convinced.  Used for effect here, since it's being falsified.

Or that line in Men In Black (drastically misquoted): A few centuries ago,
everyone knew the world was flat.  Fifteen minutes ago, you knew there were
no aliens on Earth.  Who knows what you'll know tomorrow?

~mark