Comments on: Does language affect thought? A new look at an old debate. http://blog.longnow.org/2009/06/16/does-language-affect-thought-a-new-look-at-an-old-debate/ The Official Weblog of The Long Now Foundation and Friends Fri, 12 Mar 2010 21:55:08 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Joel http://blog.longnow.org/2009/06/16/does-language-affect-thought-a-new-look-at-an-old-debate/comment-page-1/#comment-7270 Joel Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:12:21 +0000 http://blog.longnow.org/2009/06/16/does-language-affect-thought-a-new-look-at-an-old-debate/#comment-7270 Reminds me of a, perhaps, even more tantalizing piece of research. Native Japanese language speakers (of any genetic origin) are held to have some different brain lateralization from everyone else**. I read about this research, done by a Japanese Scientist, in Discover magazine back in 1987 or 1988** (fairly: a question of cultural thoroughness back then). I dont remember the publication date or the name of the scientist, but when Googled, I came up with Dr Tadanobu Tsunoda whose research fits the bill of my memory pretty well. I remember there being a mention of several brain functions switched to opposite sides from "everyone else", which included other Asian languages as well as Western, European, etc. He wrote a book in 1987, The Japanese Brain. There was also a short essay about his work, Google-able by its author, Masaomi Ise. I laugh at myself remembering few years after I read the Discover article, when I was having a convo about this with a Native Japanese friend. I had come to find this a fairly obscure subject & body of research for how earth-shattering I thought it was. I was, thus, astounded to know that he knew quite well about these findings. I asked him, "How did you know about this?" & he replied, taken by my question, "Japanese Scientist!" Reminds me of a, perhaps, even more tantalizing piece of research. Native Japanese language speakers (of any genetic origin) are held to have some different brain lateralization from everyone else**. I read about this research, done by a Japanese Scientist, in Discover magazine back in 1987 or 1988** (fairly: a question of cultural thoroughness back then). I dont remember the publication date or the name of the scientist, but when Googled, I came up with Dr Tadanobu Tsunoda whose research fits the bill of my memory pretty well. I remember there being a mention of several brain functions switched to opposite sides from “everyone else”, which included other Asian languages as well as Western, European, etc. He wrote a book in 1987, The Japanese Brain. There was also a short essay about his work, Google-able by its author, Masaomi Ise.

I laugh at myself remembering few years after I read the Discover article, when I was having a convo about this with a Native Japanese friend. I had come to find this a fairly obscure subject & body of research for how earth-shattering I thought it was. I was, thus, astounded to know that he knew quite well about these findings. I asked him, “How did you know about this?” & he replied, taken by my question, “Japanese Scientist!”

]]> By: Sandbenders » Blog Archive » Does Language Affect Thought http://blog.longnow.org/2009/06/16/does-language-affect-thought-a-new-look-at-an-old-debate/comment-page-1/#comment-7252 Sandbenders » Blog Archive » Does Language Affect Thought Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:18:55 +0000 http://blog.longnow.org/2009/06/16/does-language-affect-thought-a-new-look-at-an-old-debate/#comment-7252 [...] Courtesy the Long Now Blog an interesting expriment addressing the question Does Language Affect Thought. [...] [...] Courtesy the Long Now Blog an interesting expriment addressing the question Does Language Affect Thought. [...]

]]> By: microclesia » Blog Archive » Conditioned Reading http://blog.longnow.org/2009/06/16/does-language-affect-thought-a-new-look-at-an-old-debate/comment-page-1/#comment-7249 microclesia » Blog Archive » Conditioned Reading Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:22:19 +0000 http://blog.longnow.org/2009/06/16/does-language-affect-thought-a-new-look-at-an-old-debate/#comment-7249 [...] Fascinating. In religious culture, there is often a tension and continuum between those who are conditioned to read using positivist /reductionist filters drawn from scientific rationalism and those who read with apophatic filters which acknowledge the inherent limitations of text and language in conveying Spirit. Rather than downplaying these cultural differences, or taking too strong a position on either side of the tension, Boroditsky’s studies remind us that we may not have much of a choice in the matter - that how we read is largely preconditioned by each person’s unique history and life circumstances. HT [...] [...] Fascinating. In religious culture, there is often a tension and continuum between those who are conditioned to read using positivist /reductionist filters drawn from scientific rationalism and those who read with apophatic filters which acknowledge the inherent limitations of text and language in conveying Spirit. Rather than downplaying these cultural differences, or taking too strong a position on either side of the tension, Boroditsky’s studies remind us that we may not have much of a choice in the matter – that how we read is largely preconditioned by each person’s unique history and life circumstances. HT [...]

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