common names vs technical names

[DR. JAMES ADAMS]

Listers,

Ken Phillip and I seem to always get involved with this discussion, 
and always are on the same side!!  People out there may get tired 
of us reiterating each others ideas, but that's just tough!

Ken Phillip writes:

> Conclusion: anyone can learn scientific names with proper
> motivation (and thinking that you're learning common names
> seems to help).

How logical!  Again, I'll post something I posted from the last go 
around.

It bothers me to hear people talk about "resistance to" or "fear 
of" learning "scientific" names.  I *do* think part of the problem is 
some of us scientists; we need to be willing and open to the 
general public, and willing to use common names when 
communicating with people who don't know the scientific names.  
However, I do think that the general public can learn these names 
easily if we just look at them as another set of names.  The flower 
people learn them simply because those are the names that the 
flowers have.  Well, gee whiz, guess what?  The same is true for 
*all* scientific names of *all* organisms.  They have the name -- it 
just needs to be grasped with enthusiasm.  Unfortunately, maybe 
Anne is right and we need to teach people this early.  If scientific 
names are presented in an appropriate environment from an 
enthusiastic presenter, people would be much less afraid of the 
names and much more willing to learn.  This is why Ken's 
statement about Jeff Glassberg and NABA . . .

> After talking with Jeff Glassberg, and some NABA members, I am
> convinced that a certain (large) proportion of the butterfly watchers
> _will not_ learn the scientific names. Glassberg feels that scientific
> names repel most of the non-scientists that he hopes to enroll in
> NABA.

. . . is all the more frustrating.  This attitude *will* close forever a 
door that is open to anyone, if presented in the appropriate context -
- that of learning the internationally recognizable "scientific" name.  
To say "I *will not* learn that" troubles me to no end (as it should, 
considering I'm an educator).

I'll end with one more statement from the last go around of this 
thread . . .

What to make of all of this?  Don't be frightened of learning 
*either* set of names.  Learning scientific names can be fun, but 
doesn't automatically put you above your common-name using 
public, and knowing common names doesn't make you any less 
scientific.  

	All for now.

		James

Dr. James K. Adams
Dept. of Natural Science and Math
Dalton State College
213 N. College Drive
Dalton, GA  30720
Phone: (706)272-4427; fax: (706)272-2533
U of Michigan's President James Angell's 
  Secret of Success: "Grow antennae, not horns"