DOCUMENT RESUME ED 388 051 FL 023 291 TITLE Exploring the Alphabet. INSTITUTION Exploratorium, San Francisco, CA. REPORT NO ISSN-0889-8197 PUB DATE 95 NOTE 21p. AVAILABLE FROMExploratorium Mail Order Dept., 3601 Lyon StreetSan Francisco, CA 94123 ($5 plus shipping; quantityprice available). PUB TYPE Collected Works Serials (022) JOURNAL CIT Exploring; v19 n2 Sum 1995 EDRS PRICE MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Alphabets; Archaeology; Contrastive Linguistics; Diachronic Linguistics; English; Games; Language Patterns; *Languages; *Letters (Alphabet);*Phoneme Grapheme Corresponaence; *Spelling; VisualAids; *Written Language ABSTRACT This issue of "Exploring," is devoted primarily to examination of alphabets and the languages they represent.Major articles include: "Shrinking the Alphabet" (PatMurphy), a comparison of alphabet composition for different languages;"The Puzzle of Linear B" (Paul Doherty), a history of archaeologists'deciphering of an early form of written language;"Letters Take Shape" (Judith Brand), a comparison of letter forms and print throughhistory and across cultures; "How Do You SpellThat" (Richard Brooks), an exploration of spelling and linguistic consistency. Games,lists of further reading for most articles, regular featuresof the magazine (letters, reviews, and museum news), and a large wall poster(not included here) chronicling the evolution of the modernRoman alphabet are also included. (ISE) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are, the best that can be made from the original document. ************************i ******************************************** "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS . ! MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)." U S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Oil,ce el El:al.:11.0N" Resevrn anel,Drovprnonl EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER !ERIC) his document has been reproducedas lereceived lrorn the person or organizapon originating it 0 Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality PO,O1S 01 view Or 00.Olons Stated .11 frIt5. COCUITOO1 au not necessarily represent otlicual OER1 position or policy From The Director Dear Friends: People have produced a number of different alphabets to record the world's lat guages. some of which you'll learn about in this issue ofEvplormg.But I'd like to call attention to a very special alphabet, one that is important to all of us regardless of which languages we speak. It's an alphabet of just four lettersA. C. C. and Tand it represents the language of DNA. the chemical language of life. This language shapes physical characteristics such as your eye color and height, and it also influences your susceptibility to certain diseases. In every cell. A. C. G. and T (which stand for the chemicals adenine, cytosine. guanine. and thyminel form a seemingly endless Vol. 19, No. 2, Sum;ner 1995 string of 3 billion letters. What finally gives meaning to this combination of chemical -tii,) r building blocks is the precise order of tlw letters along the string. A. C. G. and I form about MAO paragraphs. or genes. which are compiled in 2.4 rolumes. or chiomosomes. This 4T4-Vit, genetic information is like a huge, personalized encyclopedia one that is presen: ill all the cells of Your body. You can explore all the conundrums that surround the language of life and the genetics Erpiorinits'a magazine oCsdence. art and human tion, probe& by the Etploratorium,&Poring of human beings in the Exploratorium's current exhibition, Diving into the Gene Pool. communicateso less that museum exhibits cm't easily You can investigate the basic chemistry of DNA and learn how our cells transcribe, translate, demonsiraie,,extending the museum beyond its physical walls. Each issueconcentrafton a Single topic, examining it from x.".4.: and proofread our genetic code as the go about their task of synthesizing proteins. At other variety of viexpdine'lliis focus allows us to investigate and exhibits, you can find out how DNA fingerprinting works, or how geneticists determine the discuSS nuerconnectioms between apparendv unrelated phenomena, revealing thc asential tinily of nature. order of the four letters in DNA. Dit.ing into the Gene Pool also emphasizes some of the ethical, social, and legal issues Eviloronie,sent quarterly to inembeN and siibcritx.rs surrounding the current genetic revolution. Would you want to know whether you were Jr aisceptible to a particular disease if there %%ere no cure at ailable? Could ou be excluded Art Director:Ma:1k McGowan. Production Editors: judalt Brand. M.trk Nichol front health insurance or life insurance on the basis of a genetic test? .. Design & Production: David Parker Of course. the Exploratorium catwot provide answers to all the emerging questions, but Production Assistant: Emehne SI:um Xurctlei Assitaiit Editor: Ellen Klages we invite you to contribute to the dialogue in the "Points of View" section of Diving into Research: Gam Crtiunse the Gene Pool. Consider the case studies provided, read the talk-back board to find out other Publisher: Dr Robert SeniKr people's viewpoints, and then add your own. If you have access to the Internet. you can also Editorial Board:- subscribe* to the ETHEX listserver. an on-line discussion of these ethical issues, developed by Dr. Paul Doherty (chair), DireCtor. (Alter for reaching and teaming_ the Exploratorium in collaboration with the International liioethics Institute. Pa) Murphy, Dimictor of Publimions I look forward to seeing you at the e\hibition. Ruth Brwm. Director, Editorial Department Sally Duensing. Science and Museum lamson Michael Peamse. Curator Exploratorimn Board_ of Directors Sincerely. F Van Kasper,Chaoman. 0Steven liurrill. Slam Black Case, Kenneth L Coleman, William E Cram. Donald R Dixon, Pamela S Duffy, Keith G. Eickman. Elizabeth ksip Evans, Jeffrey A. radler. Lynn C. Fritz. I larvey Glasser. Mae King Go, Adele J. Goldberg. Jank5 II. Herbert II. Charlm M. lobson Ill, Arlene I logan, Douglas I Mills, Richartl J. Holloway, William J. Hume, Nelson M. Ishlyanta. Craig W. Johnson, C. Richand Krandich, Julius R. Krevans. !Sala S. Manian. Doriglas G. Moore. I towanl iN. Nemerosski. Go&y Delacôte Michael Painter. George E. Pake, Vincent L Ricca. Robert Executive Director IA.ViS Roe. Kathetme Schiffeler, Rogersiliomil. E. Payson *To subscribe to ETHEX, send us the Smith Jr!, Peter C. Wendell. Allison Williams:Board 0 following E-mail message: Directors.Emerdus. Williamr. Coblentz. M Cook, Moses Lasky, Bernard hi Oliver, Wolfgang Pannfsky: Imwrary &lard Members- Charles. Itht7er. AIN Ralph - TO: istprocoexpioratoeium.cdu K Davits From. 1,..our name and E-mad address] Subleci Hume h1;m1,1 Please disect editorial correspoittletnx LIplunng Magazine, c/o the Exploratonum. 3601 Iyon St , San Itouls ol messaec mikcnbc etheS lx our name] 'raneimPAA0413.1b. Internet addim exploringgyexploratonuin edu Sulscoptions: S18/vear tothViduals. S !1nsear institutions. ifilvear subscnhers outside North Amenca I or more tolonmition. cill till tn.I MO. III CARER' nu. experonent, in publication were designed with 'Arts .Ind qiCies, in mind Hut rsvn the stinple.4 ans its or thr most conmum materials C.111 he Mruntil when nnshandled DINNil I ,- 0111Inc,I1 MIMPitl 5011 re exploring or experunenong 555 50889 8197 nic Exploring Me /*babel REST COr'Y AVAILABLE - / I ' I I / " ! 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'4 The Puzzle of Linear B L Insert47: by Paul Doherty 4 4 hundredrears ago. archaeologists /A Starypf Letters:../ discovered tablets bearing an-unknown The History of the,- langudge Ilere are the 5:liws that helped solve Aflodern Roman Alphabet, notery- '',ginning tIkjfpqizówff alphab( , I _the Iyioeykianol,11.00 gc.7-1,bepostep -rring-&-T.5" this issue traces the major changes leading to the letters we use today. 1111Vc---, 146. /4i11 r e: -* I 1j) e- '( IY1 1, taits4r, Departments 2 First Word .11111x Shrinking the Alphabet I Letters Take Shape by Judith Brand 12 Square and curved. tgictraitd tlim.rel4orate y Fragments ; Short Subjects and streamlinedhie-4 of tellers bac - changed throughoUt historr from the time ol the Romans to the ageal&computer. 1 14 ! a - f , Thir -.( - 1 ,- ( ( I'l ! ;.,11 ! ! ir/ , i i--, Ask Us '-iiiiw -Do You SP-eli Thai Sound? ' Answers to Readers' Questions by Richard Brooks rr ffind out whr pronouncing :fords bulb 14 i . I . common and unlannhar may,.. not help mu , ,- - r---- r / . ;..,i,, " put them in writing. Reviews & Resources Try This! Tools & Toys Abccp.v,4rign.Antognients, / Related Reading by Ellen Klages Credits & Acknowledgments Chalknge .rourself with these alphabet games. 16 Exploratorium News - Partnerships in Education ExploringThe Alphabet _ First Word hr Pal .Iluiphr hen the find yourself running short of Es and Is and Os. include in the gameand the appropriate value Exploratorium staff In general. you'll be low on vowels--there are to assign to each letter. That's why the English began talking about this issue forty-four vowels in the English version. but only language version provides twelve Es, each worth of Evp/oring magazine. thirt -four in the Norwegian. even if you count only one ma but only one Q. which is worth ten Judith Brand, the magazine's the if and the As and Os. You may not miss the Q points. Mosher included many /s so that players production editor (soon to be or X or Z. letters that don't appear in the could make words ending in -ing and -ion. editor). described an unfortunate game of Norwegian game. But what are you going to do iat brings us back to that troublesome Scrabble. When Judith was visiting Norway, she with those extra Ks and Es and/s? Norwegian Scrabble game. Though English and and her traveling companions decided to play a It turns out that the distribution of letter tiles Norwegian more or less share an alphabet.