[lit-ideas] Re: The Natural and the Artifactual
- From: Jlsperanza@xxxxxxx
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2004 12:37:38 EDT
In a message dated 8/31/2004 10:51:03 AM Eastern Standard Time,
aamago@xxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
A.A. We can make the further distinction between artificial and synthetic.
Synthetic is using chemical reactions to create a substance that is identical
to the original substance, e.g. laboratory synthesized vitamin C is
identical to nature-made vitamin C. That was, I think, the point of synfuel
from
Carter's days. Or Mary Shelly's Frankenstein. Artificial is creating an
entirely new substance that mimics certain properties, such as artificial
sweetener. Artificial sweetener has sugar's sweetness, but occurs nowhere in
nature.
--- I like that.
I'm not sure all people have recognised the distinction though (at all
times). -- between 'artificial' and 'synthetic'. A quote from the OED for
example
reads:
"With the synthetic idiot, Harpo, you must have a vein of the ridiculous in
your laughter gland if boredom is to be kept at bay."
where 'synthetic' is defined (by the OED) as 'artificial'. More quotes from
the OED below.
Curiously, plastic would be _both_ synthetic and artificial (for Geary) --
and ultimately 'natural' (in his logic -- "Omnia est naturalis", "taton
phusis"). -- Cheers,
JL
----
'synthetic'
Pertaining to or involving synthesis; of organic compounds, produced by
artificial synthesis:
1753 Cycl. Supp. 1796 in Phil. Trans. LXXXVI. 430 It appears from the
synthetic experiments that the grain becomes finer as the proportion of tin is
increased. 1800 Epit. Chem. (1808) 155 A decisive synthetic proof of the
nature
of this acid. 1857 Elem. Chem., Org. (1862) i. §3. 69 Synthetic Production
of Organic Compounds. 1899 Allbutt's Syst. Med. VI. 491 The chromatin
(nuclein) in some manner regulates the synthetic metabolism of the cell.
b. Of a substance: made by chemical synthesis in imitation of a natural
product. Also, esp. of a man-made fibre or fabric: made from synthetic
materials
rather than natural ones.
1874 Chem. News 12 June 265/1 (heading) Synthetic cymol obtained from
normal bromide of propyl and crystalline bromtoluol. 1907 Chem. Abstr. I. 1179
(heading) Synthetic resins. 1907 Nature 25 Apr. 614/2 Since â??syntheticâ??
indigo
was put upon the market in 1897, some uncertainty has existed regarding its
tinctorial value as compared with the natural dyestuff. 1932 B. HEDWORTH
Foolish Pelican II. iv. 136 She had discovered..that synthetic stockings wore
better than pure silk. 1946 Stand. Handbk. Textiles i. 66 The du Pont
company..commenced the manufacture of a synthetic fibre which has since become
known..as
nylon. 1955 Dict. Dairying (ed. 2) 1005 Synthetic or imitation cream. 1955,
1973 Materials & Technol. VI. 485 The cleaning of man-made fibres is usually
a relatively simple operation which involves a treatment with a mild soap or
a synthetic detergent solution. 1983 Sci. Amer. Apr. 73/3 In the 19th
century, before the boom in organic chemistry that followed the discovery of
synthetic dyes, many prominent chemists had undertaken analyses of inorganic
natural substances.
c. fig. Artificial, imitation, invented.
1930 Daily Express 16 Oct. 10/5 With the synthetic idiot, Harpo, you must
have a vein of the ridiculous in your laughter gland if boredom is to be kept
at bay. 1932 Sun (Baltimore) 29 Aug. 8/2 A printing press upon which were
struck off bogus service certificates for â??synthetic veteransâ??. 1934 Amer.
Speech IX. 101/2 Even when launched in a preliminary fashion, with say fifty
or
a hundred users, the synthetic language will not grow of itself. 1948 No
Highway iv. 92 The synthetic, phoney film business. 1948 Newsweek 10 May 34/2
He
has been in London long enough to achieve a synthetic British appearance.
1949 Hansard Commons 12 Dec. 2417, I have seldom heard such an outburst of
indignation... It seemed to me a little synthetic. 1976 E. FROMM To have or to
Be? (1979) II. iv. 92 The learned, synthetic smile of the marketplace.
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