5 ms·

Fascinating story. Daemon domes from Maxwell's thought experiment.

jhbadger 4y ago
Well, Maxwell himself used "demon" but it is inferred that he meant to write "daemon" as there is nothing malevolent about his imaginary creature.
- thaumasiotes 4y ago
  > Maxwell himself used "demon" but it is inferred that he meant to write "daemon" as there is nothing malevolent about his imaginary creature. It's the same word. There's no distinction between them. Writing "daemon" instead of "demon" is the same thing as writing "paedagogy" instead of "pedagogy". There is no inference available to be drawn.
  - jhbadger 4y ago
    There is from connotation though. It's not like the example you mention which is just a case of UK vs US spellings. In both the US and UK, "demon" means an evil spirit and daemon has other meanings, either technical or relating to Greek mythology.
    - thaumasiotes 4y ago
      No, there isn't. As etymonline will tell you: > The usual ancient Greek sense [of demon], "supernatural agent or intelligence lower than a god, ministering spirit" is attested in English from 1560s Or as Merriam-Webster will tell you: > demon (noun) > variants or daemon > (usually daemon) an attendant power or spirit: GENIUS Maxwell used the ordinary spelling of a common word. Why would anyone assume he meant to write something strange instead of something normal?
      - jhbadger 4y ago
        Because the non-strange meaning was "demon" in the Judeo-Christian sense. Before UNIX, people who weren't experts in Greek mythology had never heard of any other meaning, even if it existed among scholars.
        thaumasiotes 4y ago
        There's no question of what Maxwell meant. He is using the word in a relatively rare sense, yes. And he's spelling it exactly the way you'd expect. There is nothing out of the ordinary and therefore nothing to explain. > people who weren't experts in Greek mythology The word isn't really relevant to Greek mythology. It's relevant to Greek philosophy.

Well, Maxwell himself used "demon" but it is inferred that he meant to write "daemon" as there is nothing malevolent about his imaginary creature.

thaumasiotes 4y ago
> Maxwell himself used "demon" but it is inferred that he meant to write "daemon" as there is nothing malevolent about his imaginary creature. It's the same word. There's no distinction between them. Writing "daemon" instead of "demon" is the same thing as writing "paedagogy" instead of "pedagogy". There is no inference available to be drawn.
- jhbadger 4y ago
  There is from connotation though. It's not like the example you mention which is just a case of UK vs US spellings. In both the US and UK, "demon" means an evil spirit and daemon has other meanings, either technical or relating to Greek mythology.
  - thaumasiotes 4y ago
    No, there isn't. As etymonline will tell you: > The usual ancient Greek sense [of demon], "supernatural agent or intelligence lower than a god, ministering spirit" is attested in English from 1560s Or as Merriam-Webster will tell you: > demon (noun) > variants or daemon > (usually daemon) an attendant power or spirit: GENIUS Maxwell used the ordinary spelling of a common word. Why would anyone assume he meant to write something strange instead of something normal?
    - jhbadger 4y ago
      Because the non-strange meaning was "demon" in the Judeo-Christian sense. Before UNIX, people who weren't experts in Greek mythology had never heard of any other meaning, even if it existed among scholars.
      - thaumasiotes 4y ago
        There's no question of what Maxwell meant. He is using the word in a relatively rare sense, yes. And he's spelling it exactly the way you'd expect. There is nothing out of the ordinary and therefore nothing to explain. > people who weren't experts in Greek mythology The word isn't really relevant to Greek mythology. It's relevant to Greek philosophy.