Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!husc6!rutgers!clyde!cuae2!ihnp4!inuxc!pur-ee!uiucdcs!uxc.cso.uiuc.edu!uicsrd!conte From: conte@uicsrd.CSRD.UIUC.EDU Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga Subject: Re: Why Engineers spell so bad [sic Message-ID: <42600009@uicsrd> Date: Wed, 17-Dec-86 12:21:00 EST Article-I.D.: uicsrd.42600009 Posted: Wed Dec 17 12:21:00 1986 Date-Received: Wed, 24-Dec-86 21:41:39 EST References: <4104@videovax.Tek.COM> Lines: 42 Nf-ID: #R:videovax.Tek.COM:4104:uicsrd:42600009:000:2176 Nf-From: uicsrd.CSRD.UIUC.EDU!conte Dec 17 11:21:00 1986 >>> ... Of course, there are some >>> individuals that have dyslexia or another learning disability that >>> makes such learning difficult, but surely we aren't all brain-damaged! >> >> Dystexia is *not* `brain-damage.' Holy hell, man, get your facts straight >> or you are going to embarrass yourself. You might be surprised to find out >> how many engineers are dyslexics. > >If hell is holy, a lot of theology is going to have to change. . . > >Sorry, Tom! Dyslexia, along with a host of other problems, falls into the >category of "minimal brain disfunctions." In most cases, the precise nature >of the defect is unknown, but it causes a problem that does not exist in >most people. > >I'm sorry you chose to disregard the context of the sentence you quote. The >one following was to the effect that maybe we all are brain-damaged -- after >all, surely we wouldn't be engineers if we were in our right minds! [ 8^) ] Well, Steve, I take this as an apology. Among some famous dyslexics are ranked Nelson Rockafeller and Thomas Edison (they believe). The term is actually usually spelled `dysfunction,' to distinguish its technical use from the common meaning. And for good reasons, too. The distinction is that `brain-damnage,' connotes a loss of total cognative ability, whereas a dysfunction such as dyslexia is mainly a problem in getting information into and out of the brain and does not mean loss of cognative ability. Recent studies have found that dyslexics are more right-brain/visually oriented than most, actually that the visual functions seem to be shared by both halves of the brain. To wit, when I chose a computer, I decided to pick one that was visually stunning as much as it was technically stunning, which was the Amiga, of course. ;-) (Lets let it end here, this forum is for Amiga discussions after all.) Tom Conte Center for Supercomputing Research & Development University of Illinois uucp: {ihnp4,seismo,pur-ee,convex}!uiucdcs!uicsrd!conte arpanet: conte%uicsrd@a.cs.uiuc.edu or conte@huey.udel.edu csnet: conte%uicsrd@uiuc.csnet bitnet: conte@uicsrd.csrd.uiuc.edu usnail: 208 W. Oregon, Urbana, IL 61801