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The top answer is a picture of the use of Yxa in a Swedish alphabet learning book, yet there's still people here clinging to the yellow paint tube theory. Incr
by Luc 9y ago
The top answer is a picture of the use of Yxa in a Swedish alphabet learning book, yet there's still people here clinging to the yellow paint tube theory.
Incredible. Not sure what cognitive bias is at play here (or more charitably: perhaps they didn't scroll down).
EDIT: Some say these are pictures of a paint tube and some yellow paint: https://jimthechairmaker.wordpress.com/2014/01/08/my-carving-axe/ https://jimthechairmaker.wordpress.com/2014/01/08/my-carving...
The fact that an axe is used in the exact same way in the Swedish book is very strong evidence. There's prior art.
- Latty 9y agoThat top answer is hardly conclusive - it's definitely a possibility, but given the weird choices in the art for the "axe" (bendy handle, not a defined edge at the bottom) - I buy it could have been a yellow paint tube. Nouns beginning with Y are not exactly easy to come across (the official "Yo-Yo" is hardly as common as the other words on the ball), and as has been pointed out, it's entirely possible the art was worked on by multiple people and changed or whatever. Maybe the wrong-language thing is more likely (the U-boat choice is the thing that makes me lean this way the most), but I don't think the yellow paint tube idea is completely impossible.
- iak8god 9y ago> Nouns beginning with Y are not exactly easy to come across There are a lot of animals on this ball. How about "Yak"?
- mnarayan01 9y agoA semi-esoteric bovid does not strike me as easily distinguishable given the style of the illustrations.
- emodendroket 9y agoI mean they managed to get xylophone.
- jack9 9y ago> I buy it could have been a yellow paint tube. I don't know how anyone would come to that conclusion. It's "definitely not possibly" (adverb chaining, really?) a tube squirting yellow in image. If ascribing modern symbolism to images rather than what's portrayed plainly, there's no reason that any of the images are symbolic of words starting with the appropriate letters.
- Latty 9y agoI mean, it's clearly not a well designed piece, otherwise this whole discussion wouldn't be here. I could easily say "no one would ever draw an axe with a bendy handle". The intent is obviously unclear given all this discussion. http://www.myiconfinder.com/uploads/iconsets/256-256-77393dd836ed2cb4f04c8af2a03f9818.png http://www.myiconfinder.com/uploads/iconsets/256-256-77393dd... A paint tube for colour is an icon that exists and gets used. The representation on the ball isn't far enough off I would rule it out.
- vardump 9y agoSounds like you didn't read through the whole story. This particular ball is not made by the Swedish company.
- deleted 9y ago[deleted]
- supergreg 9y agoProbably people trying to come up with different answers for the points.
- Luc 9y agoI get that they do on the linked page, as they are working through the problem. What I don't understand is they do it here, with the benefit of having all the information laid out before them.
- dahart 9y agoThere's no proof yet, so your judgement is speculative and presumptuous, even if the right answer turns out to be Yxa. The top answer is awesome, and probably right, but who knows for sure? Do you? It's top because of popularity and not because he solved it. Since all answers including the top answer suppose this was a mistake, it's easy to imagine it being the result of a stupid mistake as opposed to one that feels rational. If this turned out to be a stupid mistake and that yellow or something other than Yxa is the right answer, will you reflect on where the cognitive bias lies?
- Luc 9y agoPresumptuous, huh? There is no absolute proof of anything, but the Swedish axe image is substantial proof to me. I suppose that when the designer comes forward and explains the way the image was chosen, there will be people who argue the designer is lying, or misremembering, or trying to hide the fact that their drawing was interpreted the wrong way. This way UFOs, 9-11 Truthers, and homeopathy lies.
- dahart 9y agoYes, declaring that anyone who doesn't believe that Yxa is the answer is suffering from cognitive bias is definitely presumptuous. That statement is absolutely making assumptions, and using that to cast unwarranted negative aspersions on anyone who disagrees with you. And you just did it again by referring to UFOs and homeopathy. This is not a case of conspiracy, this is a case of people looking for possibilities. By making analogies to truthers, and painting a conspiracy theory in advance, you are undermining Dan Bron's work and demonstrating your own cognitive bias. You're choosing which proof to believe. The image of the (presumed) axe on the ball is yellow, that's also "substantial proof". It is, in fact, yellow. It's not unreasonable to suggest that there's better direct evidence, and a simpler explanation, for the "yellow" answer than there is for the "Yxa" answer. Maybe the designer was Asian and accidentally saw the Y as an upside-down A, maybe "axe" was the word they were going for. Maybe the designer was Asian and used yuè, the pinyin word for axe. (https://english.stackexchange.com/a/395521 https://english.stackexchange.com/a/395521) It's not likely that a definitive answer will be found, so let's enjoy reading and speculating about it, bask in the awesomeness of Dan Bron's narrative and presentation, and lay off the unjustifiable holier-than-thou attitude that there's only one possible answer.