Podcast talk:Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I

From Battlestar Wiki, the free, open content Battlestar Galactica encyclopedia and episode guide

Discrete vs. Discreet

Midway through the teaser of this podcast he mentions that the Raptors "could get back to Caprica in just a few (discrete/discreet) jumps". So which do you think it is? Discrete (as in the math concept of separate/countable), or discreet (in the cautious, discerning concept). Either would be describing the jumps, and both seem applicable to the situation. My CS background pointed me to the math meaning, but on pondering I realized that the number of jumps to reach a place should ALWAYS be discrete, but might not necessarily be discreet. So I thought I'd get a second (or third, fourth, etc.) opinion on which way to go on this one. Any insight (discreet, discrete, or otherwise) would be appreciated. --Steelviper 15:28, 18 April 2006 (CDT)

I'd interpret it to mean discreet. The whole idea of a "jump" versus movement proper at faster-than-light speeds means they are always discrete; their count is always discrete as well, of course. Describing something so clearly quantized as somehow particularly discrete strikes me as odd. --CalculatinAvatar 15:42, 18 April 2006 (CDT)

On the other hand, the stealth of their jumps along the way wasn't really an issue. I think it's supposed to be getting at the idea of ten discrete jumps vs. one continuous one. --Peter Farago 19:49, 19 April 2006 (CDT)

Cord vs Chord

Same problem as above. Homophone where each meaning might potentially apply. I went with "cord" initially to match the thread/tapestry analogy, but chord would fit the "beats" and music analogies. --Steelviper 16:19, 19 April 2006 (CDT)

Well, it makes slightly more sense for a cord to "go through" something than it does for a chord to do so. --Peter Farago 19:49, 19 April 2006 (CDT)