ascertain,perspective on the prospects

The trouble with the search-engine business is that its future may have almost nothing to do with whether search results get more accurate. Google's information is already more than adequate for the huge majority of people who want to find information online. At some point, and that point has probably been reached, people cannot tell the difference between flying in an airplane that is at 32,000 feet and one that is flying 1,000 feet higher. The change in perspective means nothing to them. All they know is that they are as high as they have to be to get where they are going.


The lawsuit, filed in Delaware, follows what Mr. Icahn said were failed attempts to get the materials he sought. He contended those items would help him "ascertain what the board could have done" to assure shareholders that the company's comments weren't incorrect and wouldn't give shareholders "an inaccurate perspective on the prospects for the mobile devices business."


ascertain Hide phonetics
verb [T] FORMAL
to discover; to make certain:
The police have so far been unable to ascertain the cause of the explosion.
[+ that] I ascertained that no one could overhear us before I told Otto the news.
[+ question word] Have you ascertained whether she's coming or not?


perspective
n.

1. 1. A view or vista.
   2. A mental view or outlook: “It is useful occasionally to look at the past to gain a perspective on the present” (Fabian Linden).
2. The appearance of objects in depth as perceived by normal binocular vision.
3. 1. The relationship of aspects of a subject to each other and to a whole: a perspective of history; a need to view the problem in the proper perspective.
   2. Subjective evaluation of relative significance; a point of view: the perspective of the displaced homemaker.
   3. The ability to perceive things in their actual interrelations or comparative importance: tried to keep my perspective throughout the crisis.
4. The technique of representing three-dimensional objects and depth relationships on a two-dimensional surface.

adj.

Of, relating to, seen, or represented in perspective.

[Middle English, science of optics (influenced by French perspective, perspective), from Medieval Latin perspectīva (ars), feminine of perspectīvus, optical, from perspectus, past participle of perspicere, to inspect : per-, per- + specere, to look.]

perspectival per·spec'tiv·al adj.
perspectively per·spec'tive·ly adv.



perspective (THOUGHT) Hide phonetics
noun [C]
a particular way of considering something:
Her attitude lends a fresh perspective to the subject.
He writes from a Marxist perspective.
Because of its geographical position, Germany's perspective on the situation in Eastern Europe is rather different from Britain's.

prospect (POSSIBILITY) Hide phonetics
noun
1 [C or U] the possibility that something good might happen in the future:
Is there any prospect of the weather improving?
There seems little prospect of an end to the dispute.
[+ that] There's not much prospect that this war will be over soon.
There's every prospect of success.

2 [S] the idea of something that will or might happen in the future:
The prospect of spending three whole days with her fills me with horror.
I'm very excited at the prospect of seeing her again.
We face the prospect of having to start all over again.

3 [C] a person who might be chosen, for example as an employee:
We'll be interviewing four more prospects for the posts this afternoon.

prospects Hide phonetics
plural noun
the possibility of being successful, especially at work:
She's hoping the course will improve her career prospects.
Prospects of/for (= Opportunities for) employment remain bleak for most people in the area.

prospective Hide phonetics
adjective
prospective buyers/employers/parents, etc. people who are expected to buy something/employ someone/become a parent, etc:
We've had three sets of prospective buyers looking round the house.

(from Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary)