Page 311 - Lazar, Irena, Aleksander Panjek in Jonatan Vinkler. Ur. 2020. Mikro in makro. Pristopi in prispevki k humanističnim vedam ob dvajsetletnici UP Fakultete za humanistične študije, 2. knjiga. Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem.
P. 311
reasoning and representation in “visual argumentation”
Please inspect these photos carefully. Is there really such a resem-
blance between the two represented sets of fruits (Groarke’s two photos
and the encyclopaedical photos of breadfruit from the internet) that we can
quickly identify the fruit from the Detroit river as breadfruit?
Breadfruit, as we have seen from the encyclopaedic photos, has a kind
of rough, knobbly skin with some kind of spines or hard hairs, patterned
with irregular, 4, 5 to 6-sided faces, while in the center there seems to be a
kind of a cylindrical core. On the other hand, the skin of the fruit found
in the Detroit River seems rather smooth, without spines or hairs, covered
with smooth irregular bumps, not 4, 5 or 6-sided faces, and there seems to
be no cylindrical core in the center.
2.2 The necessity of the verbal
In such a case (where some entities look alike, but don’t quite the same), just
“seeing” is obviously not enough, and it is wise if not necessary to consult
other reliable sources, like verbal descriptions.
Why verbal descriptions? Because in such cases (checking the pho-
tos in different encyclopaedias) there is not much else one can consult. On
the other hand, language is still the only communicative “medium” that is
(rather) linear, straightforward, and unambiguous enough; in combination
with pertinent visuals almost error-proof. And if, when consulting encyclo-
paedias or other relevant sources, we don’t just check the photos, but the
text as well, we find the following description of breadfruit:
Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) is one of the highest-yielding food
plants, with a single tree producing up to 200 or more fruits per se-
ason. In the South Pacific, the trees yield 50 to 150 fruits per year.
In southern India, normal production is 150 to 200 fruits annually.
Productivity varies between wet and dry areas. In the Caribbean,
a conservative estimate is 25 fruits per tree. Studies in Barbados in-
dicate a reasonable potential of 6.7 to 13.4 tons per acre (16–32 tons/
ha).
[...]
Breadfruit, an equatorial lowland species, grows best below elevati-
ons of 650 meters (2,130 ft), but is found at elevations of 1,550 meters
(5,090 ft). Its preferred rainfall is 1,500–3,000 millimeters (59–118 in)
per year.
687
Please inspect these photos carefully. Is there really such a resem-
blance between the two represented sets of fruits (Groarke’s two photos
and the encyclopaedical photos of breadfruit from the internet) that we can
quickly identify the fruit from the Detroit river as breadfruit?
Breadfruit, as we have seen from the encyclopaedic photos, has a kind
of rough, knobbly skin with some kind of spines or hard hairs, patterned
with irregular, 4, 5 to 6-sided faces, while in the center there seems to be a
kind of a cylindrical core. On the other hand, the skin of the fruit found
in the Detroit River seems rather smooth, without spines or hairs, covered
with smooth irregular bumps, not 4, 5 or 6-sided faces, and there seems to
be no cylindrical core in the center.
2.2 The necessity of the verbal
In such a case (where some entities look alike, but don’t quite the same), just
“seeing” is obviously not enough, and it is wise if not necessary to consult
other reliable sources, like verbal descriptions.
Why verbal descriptions? Because in such cases (checking the pho-
tos in different encyclopaedias) there is not much else one can consult. On
the other hand, language is still the only communicative “medium” that is
(rather) linear, straightforward, and unambiguous enough; in combination
with pertinent visuals almost error-proof. And if, when consulting encyclo-
paedias or other relevant sources, we don’t just check the photos, but the
text as well, we find the following description of breadfruit:
Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) is one of the highest-yielding food
plants, with a single tree producing up to 200 or more fruits per se-
ason. In the South Pacific, the trees yield 50 to 150 fruits per year.
In southern India, normal production is 150 to 200 fruits annually.
Productivity varies between wet and dry areas. In the Caribbean,
a conservative estimate is 25 fruits per tree. Studies in Barbados in-
dicate a reasonable potential of 6.7 to 13.4 tons per acre (16–32 tons/
ha).
[...]
Breadfruit, an equatorial lowland species, grows best below elevati-
ons of 650 meters (2,130 ft), but is found at elevations of 1,550 meters
(5,090 ft). Its preferred rainfall is 1,500–3,000 millimeters (59–118 in)
per year.
687
