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Discussion Groups / English Usage / November 2006Astronomical Telegrams
We were watching a TV programme today about meteorites, which included some input from a representative from the "Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams". His comments were very sensible: not at all what we expected from someone who keeps records of communications from outer space. I was even more surprised when I looked up the organisation on Google, and found that it had a Harvard URL: http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/cbat.html Fran > We were watching a TV programme today about meteorites, which included > some input from a representative from the "Central Bureau for [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/cbat.html Rather nice to know that the telegram, which is effectively defunct for terrestrial communication purposes, still lives on.  SignatureLaura (emulate St. George for email) > > We were watching a TV programme today about meteorites, which included > > some input from a representative from the "Central Bureau for [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > Rather nice to know that the telegram, which is effectively defunct for > terrestrial communication purposes, still lives on. You don't have the Daily Telegraph? Jan > We were watching a TV programme today about meteorites, which included > some input from a representative from the "Central Bureau for [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/cbat.html Why the surprise? The bureau's function is to send timely notifications on astronomical matters to interested parties around the world; when first organized well over a century ago, it literally used telegrams, but now uses modern methods. In astronomy, it is often of great importance that information about a transient phenomenon noted by one place of observation be disseminated as rapidly as possible so that others may investigate that phenomenon while it is active, a period that is sometimes mere hours, or even less. If the issue is the adjective "astronomical", its meaning is "of or having to do with *astronomy*"--not with the subjects astronomy investigates. > Why the surprise? The bureau's function is to send timely > notifications on astronomical matters to interested parties around > the world; when first organized well over a century ago, it > literally used telegrams, but now uses modern methods. A more remarkable instance of linguistic conservatism: TASS (Telegrafnoye Agentsvo Sovetskogo Soyuza), on the dissolution of the Soviet Union, became ITAR-TASS, where ITAR stands for Information Telegraph Agency of Russia. Thus, it has kept the technologically obsolete telegraph twice, as well as the politically obsolete Soviet Union. Signature--- Joe Fineman joe_f@verizon.net ||: People on horses look better than they are. People in cars :|| ||: look worse than they are. :|| > We were watching a TV programme today about meteorites, which included > some input from a representative from the "Central Bureau for > Astronomical Telegrams". His comments were very sensible: not at all > what we expected Would that all neologisms had origins as humble as that of "telegram;" viz: 1852 Albany Even. Jrnl. 6 Apr. (Bartlett), A friend desires us to give notice that he will ask leave..to introduce a new word... It is telegram, instead of telegraphic dispatch, or telegraphic communication. Aloha ~~~ Ozzie Maland ~~~ San Diego The Frances Kemmish entity posted thusly: >We were watching a TV programme today about meteorites, which included >some input from a representative from the "Central Bureau for >Astronomical Telegrams". His comments were very sensible: not at all >what we expected from someone who keeps records of communications from >outer space. Huh? What makes you think he keeps records of communications from outer space. He (well, his organization) send out telegrams of matters astronomical, to astronomers and such. > The Frances Kemmish entity posted thusly: > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > Huh? What makes you think he keeps records of communications from > outer space. That's what I thought when I saw the name of his organisation. > He (well, his organization) send out telegrams of matters > astronomical, to astronomers and such. I figured that out after I found the website - but they aren't actually "telegrams" any more. Fran > The Frances Kemmish entity posted thusly: > [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > He (well, his organization) send out telegrams of matters > astronomical, to astronomers and such. Obviously there's been some confusion with the International Bureau for _Astral_ Telegrams. SignatureRoland Hutchinson Will play viola da gamba for food. NB mail to my.spamtrap [at] verizon.net is heavily filtered to remove spam. If your message looks like spam I may not see it. |
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