The most extraordinary scientific tandem: Yuri Knorozov and the cat Asya

Yuri Knorozov and the cat Asya went down in the history of linguistics as the most extraordinary scientific tandem. According to the Soviet linguist who deciphered the Maya writings, Aspid (full name Asya) was the most loyal collaborator and the most intelligent assistant. The cat had an undoubted gift – a listener, Knorozov noted.

Somehow Asya gave birth to a kitten named Fat Kys. Knorozov enthusiastically watched Asya teach the kitten to hunt and analyzed the signals with which she “talked” to the kitten.

At some point it occurred to him that human communication is also based on the interaction of such signals – “sends”, signals – “receives”. And he wrote an absolutely brilliant article “On the Classification of Signals” in which he developed a theory of how the brain works, why it produces these signals – for joint activities to achieve a common goal. And it was this Asya, Knopozov, in all seriousness, tried to bring in his article as … co-author. This is in Soviet times.

And whenever a photo was requested for documents, he would submit a photo of himself in a suit and tie and holding a cat. The cat was always cut off, of course. And every time he got angry about it.

In his favorite photo Yuri Knopozov with the cat Asya.

Knorozov was a laureate of the USSR State Prize, Order of the Aztec Eagle and Grand Gold Medal of the President of Guatemala. At the same time, he lived modestly and calmly, like a cat. He moved in small steps but made amazing discoveries in scale.

Until now, many are trying to unravel the mystery of the joint authorship of man and cat. Apparently, given the similarity in views of the world, a person and his cat can look in the same direction and think in unison. Such as, for example, in the house of the Knorozovs: Yuri Valentinovich and his co-author named Asya made many discoveries as a couple.

Source: cluber.com.ua

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