European

Posted by Brian from Shawnee on November 07, 2003

In Reply to: European posted by Li Yar on November 07, 2003

: : : : : : In the November 2003 issue of Boys' Life, which is the official magazine of the Boy Scouts of America, Ernst Mach is identified only as a "European scientist" who did expmeriments with sound and whom the speed of sound is named after. So I'm left thinking, "Hmm, probably German, but could be Swiss or Austrian." I have a feeling that this specific fact was hidden from me on purpose, but I don't know what the purpose could be.

: : : : : : Is this a new trend? Is it the next logical step after losing the specific identifiers "Chinese", "Japanese", etc., for Asians? Is it an American thing?

: : : : : I don't think so. Probably a writer who was too lazy to find out the exact country.

: : : :
: : : : Surely everybody knows that Ernst Mach was Irish. I put all this confused thinking down to the poor quality of US University education.

: : : Excuse me?

: : Two comments: One, this is Boy's Life we're talking about, which is trying to present some interesting information to a young audience without making it overly complicated. And two, if anyone would bother to look before they speak, they would find that Mach WAS a 'European' scientist. He was born in Brno, studied in Vienna, joined the faculty at Graz, and finally returned to Prague. It has long been common for European scientists to move around from country to country; many studied in Germany, particularly.

: : I thought Patrick's irony was funny--AND to the point. (Even though Mach was of course not Irish at all.)

: no, no, no - the Mach was named after MachDonald the European very fast food entrepreneur.

: "The trouble with the French is that they have no word for entrepreneur"...GWB

I'll accept the explanation that European scientists move around so much that it makes their nationality hard to figure out. But I'd like to go on record as saying that I'd prefer some other way of saying it. Maybe my real problem is with the Boys' Life style guide...

• European janes_kid 07/November/03
  • European cachet Word Camel 07/November/03
    • European cachet Brian from Shawnee 08/November/03
      • What does it mean to be 'Austrian'? GPP 08/November/03
        • What does it mean to be 'Austrian'? Brian from Shawnee 09/November/03
          • What does it mean to be 'Austrian'? Smokey Stover 09/November/03
            • German history GPP 09/November/03
              • German history Brian from Shawnee 10/November/03
                • German history Bob 10/November/03