Comments on: Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol is Anti-Science

By: Erik R.

Erik R. — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:44:44 +0000

Nice try, Escorpiuser. As I know you are a Spaniard, I will explain this with Spanish. This is the difference between ser and estar in English. It comes up rarely (I never noticed it until just this moment!), but it's there. "Opened", when used as a past-participle (e.g. "I have opened my mind."), implies action, therefore it would use ser, i.e. ser abierto. But "open", as a past participle, is a state of being, in which case it would use estar, i.e. estar abierto. Both of these are past participles (as I understand the concept), but "opened" doesn't work for "minded", which is a state of being.

By: Escorpiuser

Escorpiuser — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:36:43 +0000

What about “opened-minded”??

By: Dan Brown fan

Dan Brown fan — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 16:27:56 +0000

Very nice., I like the review but I already have read the book and I must say I like the plot in Angels and Deamons a lot better.

By: Secrets of The Lost Symbol

Secrets of The Lost Symbol — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 20:17:19 +0000

Hi Erik

Some very interesting thoughts!

Would you mind getting in touch?

SOLS

By: Escorpiuser

Escorpiuser — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 00:15:37 +0000

Wow! What a scientific and analytic mind, Erik…

By: Paul

Paul — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 21:36:47 +0000

Damn.

By: Erik R.

Erik R. — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 20:01:36 +0000

What are you, a bloody English teacher? I agree completely. It should be the past participle, “closed”. To be honest, I tried them both without a hyphen (eventually this word will no longer need the hyphen, as is the nature of compound word evolution), but the spellchecker disliked them both. You are very right. My proof reader is going to get a pay cut.

By: mondraussie

mondraussie — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 19:58:24 +0000

gawd erik… as usual you do my head in! some of what you said my poor little brain fumbles towards in half formed thoughts… but i could never take it to the logical extremes that you do!

but one commment…. is it “close-minded” or “closed-minded”? I would have gone for “closed-minded” myself (as in “closed” being the adjective that is the opposite of “open” – the door is closed/ the door is open) but i welcome alternative opinions…

By: andrea

andrea — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:51:19 +0000

Hi! I’m from Minneapolis and I don’t think I’ve ever had someone tell me to watch out for the Devil. Maybe on Halloween.

By: Paul

Paul — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:49:17 +0000

Here in the Charlotte area the Devil is an active player in popular religious teachings. I think when people have been taught to be on constant look-out for the Devil in all his (I’m pretty sure the Devil isn’t female) various forms, the chances of being worried enough about the evolutionists to keep your kids from listening to an atheist play a guitar are much greater than in, say, Minneapolis, where the Devil is more likely to be viewed as a metaphor.