New York Times on the Web Forums Science

Missile Defense

Technology has always found its greatest consumer in a nation's war and defense efforts. Since the last attempts at a "Star Wars" defense system, has technology changed considerably enough to make the latest Missile Defense initiatives more successful? Can such an application of science be successful? Is a militarized space inevitable, necessary or impossible?

Read Debates, a new Web-only feature culled from Readers' Opinions, published every Thursday.

rshow55 - 04:55pm Aug 23, 2002 EST (# 3931 of 3934)
Can we do a better job of finding truth? YES. Click "rshow55" for some things Lchic and I have done and worked for on this thread.

Here are drills for the first 24 words - words which make up about 30% of English spoken or written text:

Words in frequency order 1-6 - the, of, and, a, to, in , randomly presented:

of a to the in of and the a of the a in and to of to a and in of the of the a in in to of in to of the to in and and of the of and and in and of and the to the to and in the to in the a in a in and to a and in the of in a in the to the in to of to a in of a the to of to of to the and in a of a to the to and the to and and of a to a and of a of a and of the of a the and the a the

Words in frequency order 7-12 - is, you, that, it, he, for , randomly presented:

for that it you that he that he is you it that is you that you is it for you for it for is he that for is it is it is it that for that you it you that you for it you is is that he for he for it for is that that for that for it you he for you for that for it that is he for you that you he for that it that for for is you for he you that is it you is he you he is it is that he is it you he you that it you it he is he is is it he is it it is

Words in frequency order 13-18 - was, on, are, as, with, his , randomly presented:

with was on his as are on are with was with on was as was are with are was as on with as on his his on are are was with are was as on was as his with was with on was on his with as was as with on as with was are with was are with was with on as as on are are was on as was as his are his are as with as with his as on are as on his on on was with as on as was was his on his are as are with are on was on are on with on as with his was with on with are with

Words in frequency order 19-24 they, at, be, this, from, I randomly presented:

from I from be they from I be this they I from at be this from this I this be at I be they this I at I they at they this be at from they I be at they be they be they this be they at be from they be be from at from they this at they I be from they at from they this from they I they this from I at I at from they I be from they I be at I from be this this from this they this be from they at I be they from at I be from I they I from this I this they at be this be

Words in frequency order 1 to 24: the, of, and, a, to, in, is, you, that, it, he, for, was, on, are, as, with, his, they, at, be, this, from, I -- randomly presented.

be they it at from a to this that at on was his it on you and be I he as a he with you I are the of they that was on with be for and this to in for the with from are this in they it was a to as and his in you this it from is was his as and he is from at is you be of as a you it from as that is that is he in to is from is from was of that you the was of it and his that with on a of this he to you I a at in are you for of in that from you of as from I to are I it of for in a to of his in was on that with his this to you I on his it this are to I a in was they from at is he as that it at was it in this you the from as for he is it you with as with this they is and this a for I you on they that from his this are this is of with for I be a is I you his I of from and to that I it you he be I was to the he you be and as for are of it of at are this his a and on on with his I be I in this his at the at are at is I of are from of be you was with the are and with on was from in a was it the his is in you on they is

rshow55 - 05:00pm Aug 23, 2002 EST (# 3932 of 3934)
Can we do a better job of finding truth? YES. Click "rshow55" for some things Lchic and I have done and worked for on this thread.

You might try these drills yourself. The drills aren't text - they test, train, and focus nothing but the transform between "seeing" and "saying." Since I assume anyone reading this reads well, I'm sure any reader who tries can read them about as fast as she can talk.

If you can't - you'd read better if you learned to.

Of course, these drills aren't reading. But they drill skills reading takes - in a much easier statistical context than the learner usually faces.

These drills are easily generated by computer -- a 8 cm disk could supply all such drills for the first 9000 words, with almost any imaginable variations in text size, fonts, and combinations -for a nearly vanishing cost.

Are such drills useful? They are useful for purposes of discussion, anyway.

I'm just about finished collecting a pretty extensive reference list. I'll post it soon, and then will proceed with that discussion.

bbbuck - 05:25pm Aug 23, 2002 EST (# 3933 of 3934)
'I will change my tagline when the strike starts'....8 days til strike, 4days to 25k, 5days to us.open. 30days to fall.

can't wait.

(1 following message)

New York Times on the Web Forums Science Missile Defense