Comments on: David Pogue, Neanderthal http://boingboing.net/2012/10/08/david-pogue-neanderthal.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Tue, 18 Jun 2013 21:12:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Mordicai http://boingboing.net/2012/10/08/david-pogue-neanderthal.html#comment-1552976 Mordicai Wed, 10 Oct 2012 14:56:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=185899#comment-1552976 MORDICAI!  YOU MUST MUST MUST REMEMBER TO DVR THIS! MORDICAI!  YOU MUST MUST MUST REMEMBER TO DVR THIS!

]]> By: Philboyd Studge http://boingboing.net/2012/10/08/david-pogue-neanderthal.html#comment-1552783 Philboyd Studge Wed, 10 Oct 2012 05:54:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=185899#comment-1552783 While the hair-plugs look great, I'm still worried about this new season of Arrested Development's narration. While the hair-plugs look great, I’m still worried about this new season of Arrested Development’s narration.

]]> By: Philboyd Studge http://boingboing.net/2012/10/08/david-pogue-neanderthal.html#comment-1552785 Philboyd Studge Wed, 10 Oct 2012 05:54:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=185899#comment-1552785  Indeed, I was correcting the program's pronunciation, not spelling. It's like hearing about the golfer "Chy Chy Rodrugweez".  Indeed, I was correcting the program’s pronunciation, not spelling. It’s like hearing about the golfer “Chy Chy Rodrugweez”.

]]> By: chenille http://boingboing.net/2012/10/08/david-pogue-neanderthal.html#comment-1552309 chenille Tue, 09 Oct 2012 19:04:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=185899#comment-1552309 When these were found, they were named after the Neander valley. In German at the time, they generally wrote stops with <i>th</i> - <i>thal</i> for valley, <i>thier</i> for animal, and so on. So they were called Neanderthals, and that is how the word was brough into English. Around the end of the 19th century, German dropped the <i>h</i>, and so today the words are <i>tal</i>, <i>tier</i>, and <i>Neandertal</i>. Should English follow them in making the change? Maybe, but I wouldn't fault people who stick with the original spelling. Either way, anything with two Ls is right out. When these were found, they were named after the Neander valley. In German at the time, they generally wrote stops with th – thal for valley, thier for animal, and so on. So they were called Neanderthals, and that is how the word was brough into English.

Around the end of the 19th century, German dropped the h, and so today the words are tal, tier, and Neandertal. Should English follow them in making the change? Maybe, but I wouldn’t fault people who stick with the original spelling.

Either way, anything with two Ls is right out.

]]> By: singingdragon http://boingboing.net/2012/10/08/david-pogue-neanderthal.html#comment-1552115 singingdragon Tue, 09 Oct 2012 16:06:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=185899#comment-1552115 They were definitely more muscular. There's not actually much of an inherent difference there, though, it's mostly about lifestyle. Other Pleistocene humans were also much more robust and muscular than humans of today. They were definitely more muscular. There’s not actually much of an inherent difference there, though, it’s mostly about lifestyle. Other Pleistocene humans were also much more robust and muscular than humans of today.

]]> By: Kludgegrrl http://boingboing.net/2012/10/08/david-pogue-neanderthal.html#comment-1552016 Kludgegrrl Tue, 09 Oct 2012 12:52:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=185899#comment-1552016 The other thing that would have been striking about seeing a Neanderthal walking amongst Homo Sapiens was the robustness of their physique.  Their bones were bigger, thicker -- which suggests (to me at least) that their musculature was also probably bulkier (if only to manage the weight of the bones!).   The other thing that would have been striking about seeing a Neanderthal walking amongst Homo Sapiens was the robustness of their physique.  Their bones were bigger, thicker — which suggests (to me at least) that their musculature was also probably bulkier (if only to manage the weight of the bones!).  

]]> By: Phill Smith http://boingboing.net/2012/10/08/david-pogue-neanderthal.html#comment-1551991 Phill Smith Tue, 09 Oct 2012 11:54:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=185899#comment-1551991 This fun excursion was rather spoiled by the fact that the makeup itself didn't seem to be up to much. It is very obviously a prosthetic mask, so no-one really reacts in a "OMG what is that!?" way, just a "oh a guy in a mask, just carry on." way. This fun excursion was rather spoiled by the fact that the makeup itself didn’t seem to be up to much. It is very obviously a prosthetic mask, so no-one really reacts in a “OMG what is that!?” way, just a “oh a guy in a mask, just carry on.” way.

]]> By: Barak A. Pearlmutter http://boingboing.net/2012/10/08/david-pogue-neanderthal.html#comment-1551974 Barak A. Pearlmutter Tue, 09 Oct 2012 09:40:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=185899#comment-1551974 So neanderthals had big wrinkles and bad haircuts?  This was not really fair, they should have made him up to look like a neanderthal dressed and groomed for modernity.  You could give anyone on the street mutton chops and long scraggly hair and big funny wrinkles and he'll look nearly as odd. So neanderthals had big wrinkles and bad haircuts?  This was not really fair, they should have made him up to look like a neanderthal dressed and groomed for modernity.  You could give anyone on the street mutton chops and long scraggly hair and big funny wrinkles and he’ll look nearly as odd.

]]> By: Preston Sturges http://boingboing.net/2012/10/08/david-pogue-neanderthal.html#comment-1551887 Preston Sturges Tue, 09 Oct 2012 04:11:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=185899#comment-1551887 Betcha failed Clovis Points 101, eh?  Betcha failed Clovis Points 101, eh? 

]]> By: Antinous / Moderator http://boingboing.net/2012/10/08/david-pogue-neanderthal.html#comment-1551841 Antinous / Moderator Tue, 09 Oct 2012 03:16:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=185899#comment-1551841 Except for having a high forehead, I have a pretty Neandertal head.  Long with heavy brow ridges.  Nose with notable saddle and weak chin until the plastic surgeon took care of those traits back in the 1980s. Except for having a high forehead, I have a pretty Neandertal head.  Long with heavy brow ridges.  Nose with notable saddle and weak chin until the plastic surgeon took care of those traits back in the 1980s.

]]> By: Aaron Gilliland http://boingboing.net/2012/10/08/david-pogue-neanderthal.html#comment-1551838 Aaron Gilliland Tue, 09 Oct 2012 03:13:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=185899#comment-1551838 I find David Pogue insufferable. I find David Pogue insufferable.

]]> By: GawainLavers http://boingboing.net/2012/10/08/david-pogue-neanderthal.html#comment-1551799 GawainLavers Tue, 09 Oct 2012 02:25:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=185899#comment-1551799 Everyone just thought it was <a href="http://www.bbspot.com/News/2000/6/caveman.html" rel="nofollow">Larry Ellison</a> wandering around for the America's Cup. Everyone just thought it was Larry Ellison wandering around for the America’s Cup.

]]> By: Preston Sturges http://boingboing.net/2012/10/08/david-pogue-neanderthal.html#comment-1551796 Preston Sturges Tue, 09 Oct 2012 02:20:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=185899#comment-1551796 One time I saw a girl who had Steven Hawking levels of disabilities, but she had huge brow ridges.  I don't know if her affliction had a specific name, but it's possible for modern people to have those brow ridges.  One time I saw a girl who had Steven Hawking levels of disabilities, but she had huge brow ridges.  I don’t know if her affliction had a specific name, but it’s possible for modern people to have those brow ridges. 

]]> By: Preston Sturges http://boingboing.net/2012/10/08/david-pogue-neanderthal.html#comment-1551770 Preston Sturges Tue, 09 Oct 2012 01:58:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=185899#comment-1551770 One thing they can't do is show that Neanderthals had much larger eye sockets than modern humans. Also, only in humans are the "whites" of the eyes prominent and we don't know when that mutation occurred. It would have been really creepy if Neanderthals had large eyes with no visible white areas. One thing they can’t do is show that Neanderthals had much larger eye sockets than modern humans.

Also, only in humans are the “whites” of the eyes prominent and we don’t know when that mutation occurred.

It would have been really creepy if Neanderthals had large eyes with no visible white areas.

]]> By: Culturedropout http://boingboing.net/2012/10/08/david-pogue-neanderthal.html#comment-1551766 Culturedropout Tue, 09 Oct 2012 01:53:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=185899#comment-1551766 I resemble that remake... I resemble that remake…

]]> By: Preston Sturges http://boingboing.net/2012/10/08/david-pogue-neanderthal.html#comment-1551767 Preston Sturges Tue, 09 Oct 2012 01:53:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=185899#comment-1551767 NO!!! I don't want to buy car insurance!  Now go away! NO!!! I don’t want to buy car insurance!  Now go away!

]]> By: scottsiegling http://boingboing.net/2012/10/08/david-pogue-neanderthal.html#comment-1551723 scottsiegling Tue, 09 Oct 2012 01:00:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=185899#comment-1551723 Come on, Neanderthals didn't do Showtunes. Pogue does. Come on, Neanderthals didn’t do Showtunes. Pogue does.

]]> By: Frank Diekman http://boingboing.net/2012/10/08/david-pogue-neanderthal.html#comment-1551664 Frank Diekman Mon, 08 Oct 2012 23:57:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=185899#comment-1551664 A distant ancestor of Louis C. K.? A distant ancestor of Louis C. K.?

]]> By: Philboyd Studge http://boingboing.net/2012/10/08/david-pogue-neanderthal.html#comment-1551665 Philboyd Studge Mon, 08 Oct 2012 23:57:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=185899#comment-1551665 Neander-Tall, not thall. Neander-Tall, not thall.

]]> By: Incipient Madness http://boingboing.net/2012/10/08/david-pogue-neanderthal.html#comment-1551661 Incipient Madness Mon, 08 Oct 2012 23:55:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=185899#comment-1551661 Hey! It's Zathrus from Babylon 5.  Hey! It’s Zathrus from Babylon 5. 

]]> By: Antinous / Moderator http://boingboing.net/2012/10/08/david-pogue-neanderthal.html#comment-1551632 Antinous / Moderator Mon, 08 Oct 2012 23:25:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=185899#comment-1551632 Oh, is that what Mickey Rourke is going for? Oh, is that what Mickey Rourke is going for?

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