In this review of Arika Okrent’s book, titled “Highly Irregular,” Michael Rosen reiterates the weirdness of the English language. One prime example is the extent to which the past tenses of common verbs vary. Citing Okrent’s explanation, Rosen restates that the past tense’s approach in Old English, which is adding -d or -ed to verbs, mostly displaced the original forms. However, English words that we use frequently resisted this standardisation. For instance, “eating” and “taking” become “ate” and “took” as opposed to “eated” and “taked”. Read full article here
Societal Issues
To curb drug deaths, communities turn to Reddit, texts and wastewater
With drug overdose deaths on the rise, authorities are attempting to curb the epidemic by tracking and sharing information in real time. In one unique effort, a nonprofit in New York City is using drug-testing equipment and stamping or marking habits of dealers to identify drug batches that may endanger users. Other approaches are also being used, such as monitoring drug-related chatter on Reddit and analyzing local wastewater for opioid and other drug levels. With the combination of these efforts, researchers hope to put a dent in the opioid crisis and reduce overdose deaths. Read full article here
Merv
June 1, 2023
