Comments on: Computers cause abnormal brain growth – proof!

By: naturepodcasts

naturepodcasts — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 13:56:33 +0000

I am more amused than disturbed each time I misspell that most simple of neuroscientific terms, and end up talking about ‘brian’. Microsoft lets this slip, of course, and then has a good old chuckle.
It is also in the habit of changing ‘amygdala’ to ‘amygdale’. But when I look this word up using Word’s own thesaurus, it professes not to know what it means…
I shall stick to podcasting, where spelling errors mercifully go unheard.
http://www.nature.com/neurosci/neuropod

By: Laura

Laura — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 19:51:44 +0000

Vaughan,
While I always value your posts for their thoughtfulness, intelligence, and information, today I am especially appreciative of your sense of humor! My family wondered what I was reading off my computer that was making me LOL.
Laura

By: j2theperson

j2theperson — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 16:33:59 +0000

While it’s always fun to hate on Microsoft, it is actually very easy to turn off the autocorrect function in Word. Click on “Tools”, click on “AutoCorrect Options”, and then deselect everything. It’s as simple as that.

By: alicej

alicej — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 11:56:29 +0000

Sack Microsoft and free your mind!
Try using open source software, which has dictionary and grammar checkers written collaboratively by actual human beings: http://www.openoffice.org

By: chris chatham

chris chatham — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 01:30:28 +0000

I see that the nomenclature hypertrophy syndrome is located near where uncinate fascilculus fibers interconnect the frontal and temporal lobes. Could it be that microsoft word is actually rewriting our mnemonic representatiosn of words through an error-related negativity generated by medial frontal structures? i strongly encourage further research into this matter.
LOL. is it bad that i enjoy your blog more than my own ?

By: Luci

Luci — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 22:32:07 +0000

Surely that would be Bill’s Frontal Nomenclature Hypertrophy Syndrome. Or syndromed. But for light amusement, typing proper names to see what autospellcheck will do to them is a harmless diversion – brain bits should provide plenty of microsofty goodness. Better than having rogue d particles clogging up your gyri and sulci.
We should be relieved that our temporal lobes can handle languages with non-automated features. Autospell really freaks with sentences using multiple languages.

By: KAS

KAS — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 19:43:05 +0000

LOL – I just had to comment as the auto fix feature’s drive me nuts!! Why must every first letter on a new line be capital — so frustrating!
Though, I spell as awful as a fifth grader, so I suppose I should be a little bit grateful
KAS

By: Romeo Vitelli

Romeo Vitelli — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 18:33:10 +0000

Microsoft might demand a cut from any book royalties stemming from your discovery. Left untreated, litigicus billgatesicus is potentially fatal.