The Metaphorical Mind

What our language reveals about how we think and who we are

Christopher H. Ramey, Ph.D., is an Assistant Teaching Professor of Psychology at Drexel University, specializing in cognitive psychology. See full bio

July 14, 2008, Philosophy

Comments on "Race, language, black holes"

Race, language, black holes

By Christopher H. Ramey, Ph.D. on July 14, 2008 in The Metaphorical Mind

The subtitle to my Psychology Today blog is “What our language reveals about how we think and who we are”.

Today's topic: Is the term "black hole" racist? Read More

Black Holes & Revelations

Submitted by Shamrock on July 14, 2008 - 1:18pm.

You know, as a black person, reading that I was somewhat miffed by what all the fuss was about when Mayfield was clearly not speaking on racial terms. It appears, in fact, that one of the black members of the meeting drew negative racial tones into the mix by restating "white hole," thereby (possibly? I don't know the whole story) pointing out that the hole was white worked, white run, and white magically making paperwork disappear. Of course, that's speculation. I'm just hoping he wasn't as dense as to not know what actual black hole meant.

Musings

Submitted by Christopher H. Ramey, Ph.D. on July 14, 2008 - 1:56pm.

Thanks for the comment. If you're making a Muse musical reference in your subject line, then kudos. I certainly hope that an adult would at least have a passing familiarity with the term "black hole", but there is a certain scientific irony in being so 'dense' and not knowing about black holes.

Right On

Submitted by Shamrock on July 15, 2008 - 6:37am.

Definitely a Muse reference, and spot on about density ;)

Literal black holes

Submitted by Bess on July 14, 2008 - 1:37pm.

"It actually didn’t dawn on me right away that the scientific term “black hole” was quite obviously named in a figurative way when coined."

Actually, not all that figurative. From wikipedia:

"A black hole is a region of space in which the gravitational field is so powerful that nothing, not even light, can escape its pull after having fallen past its event horizon. The term "Black Hole" comes from the fact that, at a certain point, even electromagnetic radiation (e.g. visible light) is unable to break away from the attraction of these massive objects. This renders the hole's interior invisible or, rather, black like the appearance of space itself."

In short, black holes are so named because they are, in fact, black. Not really holes, though, I guess.

Metaphor and science

Submitted by Christopher H. Ramey, Ph.D. on July 15, 2008 - 8:50pm.

Thanks for the post about the 'literal' blackness of black holes. Here is an excerpt (address below) about the coiner of the term "black hole", physicist John A. Wheeler from the New York Times: "As a professor at Princeton and then at the University of Texas in Austin, Dr. Wheeler set the agenda for generations of theoretical physicists, using metaphor as effectively as calculus to capture the imaginations of his students and colleagues and to pose questions that would send them, minds blazing, to the barricades to confront nature...." "One particular aspect of Einstein’s theory got Dr. Wheeler’s attention. In 1939, J. Robert Oppenheimer, who would later be a leader in the Manhattan Project, and a student, Hartland Snyder, suggested that Einstein’s equations had made an apocalyptic prediction. A dead star of sufficient mass could collapse into a heap so dense that light could not even escape from it. The star would collapse forever while spacetime wrapped around it like a dark cloak. At the center, space would be infinitely curved and matter infinitely dense, an apparent absurdity known as a singularity...." "At a conference in New York in 1967, Dr. Wheeler, seizing on a suggestion shouted from the audience, hit on the name “black hole” to dramatize this dire possibility for a star and for physics." My only point about the figurative beginnings of "black hole" was that in science, here physics, it can be difficult to understand a concept and often, something more imaginative must be deployed. "Black hole" is far more poetic than the alternative "collapsar". I really appreciate the comment, though. If anyone is interested in more about black holes, check out Susskind's The Black Hole War: My Battle with Stephen Hawking to Make the World Safe for Quantum Mechanics. About the coiner of "black hole": http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/14/science/14wheeler.html?ex=13661...

Okay, for the sake of my

Submitted by Maya on August 6, 2008 - 4:24pm.

Okay, for the sake of my health I was trying to avoid commenting on this. But my "news fast" is not as powerful as my need to rant. The phrase "Has the world gone insane?" comes to mind. In my opinion, there can only be 2 explainations: ignorance of science/English sayings, or a myopic obsession with lawsuits.

My mom, being a French teacher, has told me that the popular mindset in high schools is "it's cool to be stupid". Maybe English and science teachers just aren't doing their jobs correctly. The public is simultaneously more science saavy and more ignorant than ever. I find this highly amusing considering the fact that we're all in deep denial that the Earth is crumbling beneath our feet, and we'll all die in a drought unless the large hadron collider eats us all up first.

Until then I guess people will spend their days trolling for litigation.

Sorry for the rant. ;)

life after hardon

Submitted by Danny on November 1, 2008 - 11:23am.

1And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

2And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

3And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. objectivly leaving out all the mystical and dogamtic stuff this sounds like colony ship landing on mars. "a new earth with no sea." think.

21And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass." ok gates made of pearls with each gate with 1 pearl. instead of a gate think airlock. each gate being a pearl.what a pearl. a round ball with a hole in it. think! these pearly gates sound more like a ball valve. a ball valve airlock. a ball valve would resemble a pearl from the understanding of a man 2000 years ago.you reason out the rest!

Somehow I missed the previous post

Submitted by Christopher H. Ramey, Ph.D. on November 4, 2008 - 4:24pm.

Somehow I missed this post of yours. I always welcome rants!

(The last comment appears to be spam!)

outrageous

Submitted by Modern Technologies on August 4, 2009 - 3:55am.

The project was a big waste of money since the beggining. I dont think its a normal thing when Modern Technology invests 9 billion $ for what ? 0 Results?
Thats why the scientists working on the project, turned to the rivals in the field.
The remaining workers who are devoted to the project are making statements that the whole project will become fully operational a few years in the future.