Яндекс.Метрика

Wednesday, September 5, 2018

Speaking of Science: Vocab driver

Speaking of Science
Talk nerdy to us
 

This week, Merriam-Webster added more than 800 new words to its dictionary. Amid the influx of shortened words ("adorbs" for adorable, "zuke" for zucchini, "guac" for guacamole, etc.), a few scientific and technical terms made the cut. The dictionary now includes:

Biohacking, defined as "biological experimentation (as by gene editing or the use of drugs or implants) done to improve the qualities or capabilities of living organisms especially by individuals and groups outside of a traditional medical or scientific research environment."

Haptics, the "science concerned with the sense of touch." (It also means the physical feedback, like a buzz or shudder, produced by smartphones and video game controllers.)

Fintech, a portmanteau of financial and technology: "products and companies that employ newly developed digital and online technologies in the banking and financial services industries."

The additions to Merriam-Webster reflect our evolving relationship with technology, the dictionary editors wrote when announcing the changes. "We are no longer naming our devices and programs, we're talking about what we do with them, and what they do for us," they wrote.

ADVERTISEMENT

Scientific terms jump from jargon to mainstream when they're useful, easy to pronounce and a more common word won't do the job just as well. A word like haptics, which has been around since the 19th century, will travel from a specialist group to the public only when the public needs it. Thanks, smartphones!

Haptics is rooted in the Greek word for touch; few people are able to will a word from nothing into existence. The only exceptions are called nonce words, per the Guardian, which include fleek and bling. Science and math have a few examples, too, like quark (the subatomic particle) and googol (the number one followed by a hundred zeros) — the inspiration for Google.com, which began as a typo.

Ben

China blames video games for poor eyesight, but the evidence isn't strong
Reading and screens might be bad for young eyes. Also please click.
 
ADVERTISEMENT
How energy companies set off earthquakes miles away from their waste dumps
Liquid waste from fracking and other techniques can trigger dormant earthquake faults 15 or more miles away.
 
Climate change could render many of Earth's ecosystems unrecognizable
"What we're talking about here are the kinds of changes that disrupt everybody's lives" paleoecologist Scott Wing said.
 
Scientists discovered a coral reef — almost as long as Delaware — hidden off the coast of Charleston
The researchers are trying to alert the Trump administration to off-shore areas that should be shielded from drilling.
 
When the ancient taboo of speaking ill of the dead goes online
Many commenters reflected kindly on John McCain after his death. But not all of the Internet.
 
 
Recommended for you
 
 
Get The Energy 202 newsletter
PowerPost's daily guide to energy and environment policy, by reporter Dino Grandoni.
Sign Up  »
©2018 The Washington Post  |  1301 K St NW, Washington DC 20071