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> still constantly run into things we cannot name yet. Humanity has the opposite problem - we invent names for things that don't exist. We have no idea what da
by ajuc 4y ago
> still constantly run into things we cannot name yet.
Humanity has the opposite problem - we invent names for things that don't exist. We have no idea what dark matter is, but we have a name handy just in case. Same with gods, elves, dragons, aliens, etc.
I can't find one example of people not being able to name something that exist. Worst case just name it "phenomenon X" where X is the first unused integer.
I can find lots of examples of people naming things that don't exist. See phlogiston and ether for example, if you don't like fantasy and religion.
- leroy-is-here 4y agoI think we have both problems, actually. We definitely have names that are good, like New York, Justice, Earth, Peace, Aphex Twin’s Windowlicker. But we also have names of things which are bad, because they are false. These the are names which are you talking about.
- ndsipa_pomu 4y ago> I can't find one example of people not being able to name something that exist How about "The smallest positive integer not definable in under sixty letters"? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berry_paradox https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berry_paradox