Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written,sci.lang,sci.lang.translation,rec.arts.sf.science
Path: cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!rochester!cornellcs!newsstand.cit.cornell.edu!news.kei.com!news.mathworks.com!newsxfer.itd.umich.edu!chi-news.cic.net!usc!math.ohio-state.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!ix.netcom.com!netcom.com!wiml
From: wiml@netcom.com (William Lewis)
Subject: Re: Alien translation
Message-ID: <wimlDJv6BI.431@netcom.com>
Organization: The Seattle Group
References: <ron-3011952302480001@ip064.lax.primenet.com> <4aicpv$9qc@news.bu.edu> <4ajir7$93q@universe.digex.net> <4am9aa$34c_001@actrix.gen.nz>
Date: Wed, 20 Dec 1995 02:45:18 GMT
Lines: 36
Sender: wiml@netcom4.netcom.com
Xref: glinda.oz.cs.cmu.edu sci.lang:47019 sci.lang.translation:4504

In article <4am9aa$34c_001@actrix.gen.nz>,
Paul J. Kriha <kriha_p@actrix.gen.nz> wrote:
>In article <4ajir7$93q@universe.digex.net>,
>   nancyl@universe.digex.net (Nancy Lebovitz) wrote:
>>How about aliens with much better memories than ours, and/or fully
>>eidetic memories? They might have unique names/symbols for the first
>>thousand or so numbers. ...
>
>That is actually a quite interesting concept.  Is it
>due to our inability to remember and recall everything we
>see and hear that we write and read?
>
>Would the aliens with perfect memories still need writing?
>Would they have any written literature at all?

It's been a while since I took history, but I seem to remember that most of
the early uses of writing were for things that would still be needed
even if everyone had eidetic memories. Recording a contract or a commercial
agreement, for example: if you give a signed copy to everyone involved, 
then it's easier to verify what the original agreement was; otherwise,
it's down to one person's word against another (and possibly a number of
presumably not incorruptible witnesses).

Another early use (and probably a driving force behind the spread
of literacy) was asynchronous dissemination of information: street
signs, posted laws, long-distance letters. Sure, you could hire someone
to stand at the city gates and describe the entire street layout and
all the city's laws to every first-time visitor; and you could trust
all your important letters to a sacred caste of mnemetic messenger monks
sworn to discretion, but writing things down (once you *have* a written
language) is so much easier.

Just MHO, of course.

-- 
        William "Wim" Lewis * wiml@netcom.com * Seattle, WA, USA
