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I am interested as to whether you consider doing differential equations a simple task, here? Presumably so, as your method puts it on a par with simple conversa

I am interested as to whether you consider doing differential equations a simple task, here? Presumably so, as your method puts it on a par with simple conversations.

Retric 7y ago
No, you can’t do multiple high level tasks at the same time. Low level automatic tasks like breathing and balance fine to do at the same time. Being able to do differential equations and simple conversations but not complex conversations means simple conversations are lower level. Thus, it’s not language that makes complex conversations a high level task.
- mannykannot 7y ago
  You seem to be missing the point here - your method is symmetrical, and it would be begging the question to break the symmetry the way you want it to go. One can do simple math (calculus, even) while having a complicated conversation -- and if you cannot, it could be because complicated conversations are so intellectually demanding that you can't even do simple math concurrently. And your argument is also beside the point, now that you have restricted it to simple conversations.
  - Retric 7y ago
    The argument is not limited to math. You also can’t learn to play the violin while holding a deep unrelated conversation. This extends to a huge range of activities. But, you don’t lose language skills during these activities. Thus it’s (A, B, C, ..., or Z) and language. Thus language is clearly the lesser activity. PS: People can often count or do memorized addition etc, but doing complex math tasks is off the table. It’s odd that some things even prevent you from recognizing symbols.
    - mannykannot 7y ago
      You need to show that, unlike the math case, it does not work the opposite way in each case. What a coincidence it is that out of all A..Z , you should have picked math, the one that doesn't work, as your first example!
      - Retric 7y ago
        > The one that does not work How so? You can recall facts not do math. Try adding say 2437 + 5627 while learning to juggle. It’s fine if you have already learned to juggle or have memorized the answer. But not if you are both doing the computation and learning to juggle at the same time. On the other hand people will hold a simple conversation while practicing juggling.
        mannykannot 7y ago
        How so? Just reread my 2nd. previous post. it, in its entirety, addresses how so. If the math example works, why expand the scope to A..Z? Simply having math as an exception renders it pointless. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20708638 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20708638
        Retric 7y ago
        >One can do simple math (calculus, even) while having a complicated conversation< As I said you can’t do math. You can recall facts, like say what the capital of France is or what’s 3 * 7, but you can’t do computation requiring working memory. So, at most your making a semantic argument based on misrepresenting what doing math is. This is not a semantic argument, we can argue about the difference between practicing juggling vs learning juggling. But that’s all worked out in the literature and people doing decades of experiments.
        mannykannot 7y ago
        So you are saying that complicated conversations are so cognitively demanding that it is not possible to do any sort of math while engaged in one. On the other hand, math is not so cognitively demanding that you can't have a simple conversation concurrently.

I am interested as to whether you consider doing differential equations a simple task, here? Presumably so, as your method puts it on a par with simple conversations.

Retric 7y ago

No, you can’t do multiple high level tasks at the same time. Low level automatic tasks like breathing and balance fine to do at the same time. Being able to do differential equations and simple conversations but not complex conversations means simple conversations are lower level. Thus, it’s not language that makes complex conversations a high level task.

mannykannot 7y ago
You seem to be missing the point here - your method is symmetrical, and it would be begging the question to break the symmetry the way you want it to go. One can do simple math (calculus, even) while having a complicated conversation -- and if you cannot, it could be because complicated conversations are so intellectually demanding that you can't even do simple math concurrently. And your argument is also beside the point, now that you have restricted it to simple conversations.
- Retric 7y ago
  The argument is not limited to math. You also can’t learn to play the violin while holding a deep unrelated conversation. This extends to a huge range of activities. But, you don’t lose language skills during these activities. Thus it’s (A, B, C, ..., or Z) and language. Thus language is clearly the lesser activity. PS: People can often count or do memorized addition etc, but doing complex math tasks is off the table. It’s odd that some things even prevent you from recognizing symbols.
  - mannykannot 7y ago
    You need to show that, unlike the math case, it does not work the opposite way in each case. What a coincidence it is that out of all A..Z , you should have picked math, the one that doesn't work, as your first example!
    - Retric 7y ago
      > The one that does not work How so? You can recall facts not do math. Try adding say 2437 + 5627 while learning to juggle. It’s fine if you have already learned to juggle or have memorized the answer. But not if you are both doing the computation and learning to juggle at the same time. On the other hand people will hold a simple conversation while practicing juggling.
      - mannykannot 7y ago
        How so? Just reread my 2nd. previous post. it, in its entirety, addresses how so. If the math example works, why expand the scope to A..Z? Simply having math as an exception renders it pointless. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20708638 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20708638
        Retric 7y ago
        >One can do simple math (calculus, even) while having a complicated conversation< As I said you can’t do math. You can recall facts, like say what the capital of France is or what’s 3 * 7, but you can’t do computation requiring working memory. So, at most your making a semantic argument based on misrepresenting what doing math is. This is not a semantic argument, we can argue about the difference between practicing juggling vs learning juggling. But that’s all worked out in the literature and people doing decades of experiments.
        mannykannot 7y ago
        So you are saying that complicated conversations are so cognitively demanding that it is not possible to do any sort of math while engaged in one. On the other hand, math is not so cognitively demanding that you can't have a simple conversation concurrently.