Comments on: X Prize Surprises http://www.livescience.com/blogs/2007/10/27/x-prize-surprises/ LiveScience Blogs | Science, Technology, Health & Environmental News Sun, 07 Sep 2008 00:54:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Leonard David http://www.livescience.com/blogs/2007/10/27/x-prize-surprises/#comment-36347 Leonard David Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:35:40 +0000 http://www.livescience.com/blogs/2007/10/27/x-prize-surprises/#comment-36347 To my rescue - thanks for the assist. Leonard To my rescue - thanks for the assist.

Leonard

]]> By: clabber_grrl http://www.livescience.com/blogs/2007/10/27/x-prize-surprises/#comment-35831 clabber_grrl Fri, 02 Nov 2007 18:43:43 +0000 http://www.livescience.com/blogs/2007/10/27/x-prize-surprises/#comment-35831 Actually that's incorrect. If you look in an actual *dictionary* which is edited by professionals as opposed to a "Wiktionary" which is edited by amateurs, you'll see that one of the definitions of "factoid" is "a briefly stated and usually trivial fact." As for your second point, "The big news is that the first piloted pump-fed rocket engine since the space shuttle has taken to the air," is indeed a factoid under the dictionary definition of a briefly stated and trivial fact. Actually that’s incorrect. If you look in an actual *dictionary* which is edited by professionals as opposed to a “Wiktionary” which is edited by amateurs, you’ll see that one of the definitions of “factoid” is “a briefly stated and usually trivial fact.”

As for your second point, “The big news is that the first piloted pump-fed rocket engine since the space shuttle has taken to the air,” is indeed a factoid under the dictionary definition of a briefly stated and trivial fact.

]]> By: preminger http://www.livescience.com/blogs/2007/10/27/x-prize-surprises/#comment-35331 preminger Mon, 29 Oct 2007 14:35:37 +0000 http://www.livescience.com/blogs/2007/10/27/x-prize-surprises/#comment-35331 I'm sorry to have to correct you in a public forum, but misuse of words is something I can't help commenting on and I could not find a way to contact you privately. You used the word factoid in a context which suggests you believe it means an intersting little fact. It actully means the opposite: something which many people believe to be a fact but is actually false, usually because said factoid is frequently repeated in the media. Here's a link to the definition in Wiktionary: http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/factoid Ironically many prevalent factoids are related to science and technology. For example, the myth of the tomatoe/strawberry with fish antifreeze genes pruduced through genetic engineering. Also, even if your use of the word was correct, I would suggest that it is inappropriate, I actually think what goes on in the x-prize challenge is really important news, perhaps warranting a new word: I suggest saying "factastic" when talking about a new flight of a manned rocket vehicle. Yossi Preminger I’m sorry to have to correct you in a public forum, but misuse of words is something I can’t help commenting on and I could not find a way to contact you privately.

You used the word factoid in a context which suggests you believe it means an intersting little fact. It actully means the opposite: something which many people believe to be a fact but is actually false, usually because said factoid is frequently repeated in the media.

Here’s a link to the definition in Wiktionary:
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/factoid

Ironically many prevalent factoids are related to science and technology.
For example, the myth of the tomatoe/strawberry with fish antifreeze genes pruduced through genetic engineering.

Also, even if your use of the word was correct, I would suggest that it is inappropriate, I actually think what goes on in the x-prize challenge is really important news, perhaps warranting a new word: I suggest saying “factastic” when talking about a new flight of a manned rocket vehicle.

Yossi Preminger

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