Tag: Language
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Laurel, Yanny and 2,000 years of philosophy
Is there such a thing as reality? The internet erupted in an ear-splitting debate this week — all thanks to a mysterious recording. Science has since cracked the case, but deeper riddles remain.
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Siri-ous business: Apple learns new dad jokes
Are corny jokes the best form of wit? Apple’s AI assistant, Siri, has been updated with new groan-worthy jokes. Some say they are “hilarious”, others “stupid” — a debate with a long history…
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Fake news spreads ‘faster, deeper’ than truth
Is human nature to blame? A new study tracked the spread of falsehoods on Twitter and found that they are 70% more likely to be retweeted than truth. Why? Because lies are more surprising…
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‘World’s greatest girl band’ in royal reunion
Should we admire the Spice Girls? With a reunion (sort of) underway, the 90s stars may perform at Prince Harry’s wedding. Some say their message of “Girl Power” is needed now more than ever.
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Humble cartoonist holds secret to happiness
Do we take life too seriously? For decades Matt Pritchett has turned hard-hitting news into funny cartoons. He says humour can be found (almost) anywhere because “nothing matters very much.”
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Politics, KFC and the new ‘culture of apology’
What do apologies mean in today’s world? Damian Green, Oxfam’s boss, Fergie, KFC and Blenheim Palace have all recently said sorry. That word is becoming more common — and more controversial…
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Canadian leader coins new word: ‘peoplekind’
Should English be made gender-neutral? When Canada’s prime minister said “peoplekind” instead of “mankind”, many laughed. But efforts to banish gender bias from the language are common…
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Introducing Generation Z… or Delta… or Snap
What should teenagers call themselves? When The New York Times asked under-22s to give their generation a name, they got thousands of suggestions....
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Trump’s speech: ‘Gloomy’. ‘Amazing’. ‘Vile’.
Do we need a more presidential Donald Trump? In his State of the Union speech, the president spoke calmly and carefully. People noted the contrast with his usual rhetorical style…
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2017 in review: the words that defined a year
What can “words of the year” tell us about the last 12 months? From fake news to fidget spinners to the robot apocalypse, 2017’s defining words vary from the playful to the deadly serious.
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Furious backlash slams gender-neutral French
Should all languages be made gender neutral? The French prime minister has cracked down on new non-gendered grammar. But some say revolutionising the language will lead to greater equality.
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Thanksgiving tribe’s lost language is revived
Should we revive dead languages? As Thanksgiving approaches, the descendants of the Native Americans who originated it are remembering how to speak like their ancestors…
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Fury as Twitter doubles length of tweets
Is brevity really the soul of wit? This week Twitter gave all its users 280 characters to play with, instead of 140. But many believe the site has lost its “unique selling point”.
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The woman making The Odyssey feel new again
Is translation an art or a science? This week, Emily Wilson publishes a new version of Homer’s Odyssey, the first by a woman. But translation is “complicated”, as her...
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‘Fake News’ crowned Word of the Year 2017
What can the prize teach us? Every 12 months, rival dictionaries attempt to capture the zeitgeist by naming their top words of the year. The result is a bizarre snapshot of recent history.