Thanks for asking. Latin is the universal scientific language. The names exchanged between the Japanese and the Russians is always understandable because we have all agreed that the scientific names are Latin. Look at it this way: The international airlines have decided to use English as the international language for pilots. They all understand what "Descend to 5000 and reduce speed to 280 knots" means. However, back in the passenger compartment, it's still OK for the attendents to ask "coffee, tea, or me?" in any language the passengers seem comfortable with. Art