I recently got around to watching the movie "What the bleep do you know?" and was struck by the inanity of its “scientific” claims. I couldn't believe that such a movie has had so much success. However, this is probably just a reflection of the generally scientific illiteracy in society. For the vast majority of people science education starts and ends with secondary school education, if even that. Here are some pointers that can help sort out real science from the junk variety.

Occam’s razor
Occam’s razor (also known as the “law of parsimony” or the “law of succinctness”) states that the best explanation is typically the one that makes the least number of assumptions.

Media release
You should be suspicious of any claim which goes directly from the lab to press. Scientific research should first pass through peer review and publication before it is announced to the public.
Read More...

Tags: science, junk science, quackery

In an earlier post I discussed how the meaning of the word “nice” has come to have a completely different meaning than its original sense. I thought it would interesting to track down some other words in the English language that have changed radically over the years.

Buxom
This word is etymologically related to the word “bow.” The original meaning of the word buhsum was "humble, obedient" from buh- "to bow" and -som "be capable of." The meaning took on the meaning of “compliant, obliging” and later "lively, happy, cheerful." By the 1890s the word was being used to mean "lively, healthy." This further gave rise to "vigorous, plump" from whence we get the word’s current meaning.

Awful
As one might guess the word awful originally meant "full of awe." However, the Old English word ege did not mean something like “wonder,” but rather “fear” or “distress.” Therefore, the words “awe” and “awesome” have instead changed their original meanings. Read More...

Tags: language, etymology, origin, words

One of the most vexing problems for any photographer are shadows. There are many circumstances where we would like to get rid of the them. The most common ways to minimise shadows are through diffusing the intense lighting from sunlight and flash.

A popular technique used in indoor photography is to bounce the flash. This means, rather than pointing the flash directly at our subject, we reflect it off the wall or ceiling. This has the effect of diffusing the light and giving a more natural feel to the shot. If you happen to have a “slave flash,” you can use the on-camera flash and bounce the ‘slave.” If all else fails, seek out natural lighting in the form of a window or doorway, and be sure stand clear of walls if you don’t want the subject’s outline to have a big black silhouette. Read More...

Tags: photographs, photography, photos, tips, tricks

... or at least etymologically speaking. The word "nice" has one of the most interesting etymologies in the English language, as its meaning has completely changed over the centuries.

The word "nice", like many words in the English language, came to us through Old French and ultimately from Latin. The Latin word nescius means "unaware," "not knowing," or "ignorant." We can see this more clearly when we dissect the word into its parts; ne- means "not" and scire means "know, understand." The latter is the root that we also find in the word science. So, at least etymologically speaking, the word nice means ignorant, which itself comes from the from two Latin roots i- “not” and gnarus “to know, be acquainted with.”

Thus, the original usage of the word nice in the English language had the approximate meaning of "ignorant, silly, foolish." The meaning of the word continually evolved – over time having the following senses: timid, fussy, wanton, dissolute, showy, ostentatious, dainty, elegant delicate, careful, refined, respectable, decent, agreeable, delightful, kind, and thoughtful. Read More...

Tags: etymology, nice, English, Latin, language

This interview with Richard Feynman is a charm to watch. Feynman has been lauded, along with Einstein and Hawking, as one of the great minds of the last century. One of the greatest things about Feynman was his ability to break through the barrier which separates many great minds from the general public - effective communication. This man was the epitome of what it means to be a scientist and teacher.





Richard Feynman Quotations

Physics is like sex. Sure, you get some results but thats not why you do it.

You can know the name of a bird in all the languages of the world, but when you're finished, you'll know absolutely nothing whatever about the bird... So let's look at the bird and see what it's doing — that's what counts. I learned very early the difference between knowing the name of something and knowing something. Read More...

In this twenty minute presentation Harvard evolutionary psychologist Steven Pinker smashes some of our preconceptions about violence. He argues that we are in fact living in one the least violent times in history. He reproves the ever-persistent myth that humans by nature are peaceful creatures. However, history, social anthropology and archaeology paint quite a different picture. While violent trends have been interrupted by peaks and valleys, the overall picture looks promising for the future.




Share it!

Tags: violence, history, presentation, video, psychology

Tags: funny, comedy, video, magic

Enda (pronounced ['enda]) is an Irish boy's name, that is the anglicised form of Éanna. Éanna is probably related to the Irish word for bird éan. Thus, the meaning is bird-like. While many people associate the name with a 6th century Irish saint (Éanna, Éinne or Endeus, died c. 530) who built a monastery in Killeany, County Clare, the name had existed in some form or another for many year previously. Saint Enda who is considered to be one of the founders of monasticism in Ireland

There were at least three Irish kings with the name Enda, beginning around 1409 B.C. with Enna Airgtheach (Eanna Airgthach, Éanna I Airgtheach, Eorn Airgtheach, Enna Airgthioch, Enna Argthech, Enda the Despoiler or Plunderer, Nuadu [Nuaghat] Declam MacEchach, Enna [Eunius] Airgtheach). Around 892 B.C. we see the king Enda Dearg (Eanna Dearg, Enna, Éanna II, Enna Derg) and later on Enna Aighneach (Eanna Aigneach, Énna Airgdech, Énna Airgtech, Enda Agneach, Éanna III [Aigneach], Enna Aigneach, Enna Aighnech) who reigned around 312 B.C.

Related posts:
Fintan
Ciarán
Tadhg
Leyre/Leire
Brewster and Brewer

Sources:
Irish Kings
Behind the name

Share it!

Tags: Irish, names, name, origin, etymology

At some stage or another you will probably have to memorise some piece of writing. This could be poetry, famous quotations, scripture verses, a script or arguments for a debate. The following is a list of ways that you can help you learn short passages of text.


Use note cards or flash cards. Write the passage you want to learn on the card and carry the card with you everywhere throughout the day. If you read a lot, you can even use the card as your bookmark.

Say it out loud. We are more liable to remember text that we have heard rather than read; so it is better to say the text out loud while you are reading it.

Be interested. It natural to remember the things that you enjoy and forget the things you don't. Try and learn excerpts that interest you. Read More...

Tags: remember, memorize, memorise, text, poetry, tips, tricks, bible

The "brew" part of the names Brewster (pronounced /bruːstər/) and Brewer (pronounced /bruːər/) allude to their relationship to the brewing trade. The "-er" suffix of Brewer is similar to that found in many professions in English, such as baker, painter and runner. By combining a verb and the suffix "-er" we can convert them into a noun that describes what a person does. Many of the etymologies of the name Brewster point to "-ster" being a suffix denoting a female profession. However, this is not completely true. Indeed, "-ster" (also found in other surnames such as Baxter and Webster) was first used to donate female professions. Some sources suggest that -ster eventually came to be used to denote a full-time profession, while -er was often used to describe an occasional participation in an activity. Particularly, in northern England and in Scotland the suffix "-ster" began to be used indiscriminately for both male and female professions, while in the south of England "-ster" was still used predominately to describe a female profession. Indeed, modern censuses reveal a clear north-south divide, with Brewster being most commonly seen in the north of Britain and Baxter being found further south. Read More...

Tags: Brewster, Brewer, names, pronunciation, etymology, origin, English

This article represents a work in progress and will be updated regularly. The goal is to create a guide of the word origins for all of the bones in the human body and any associated osteological terms. The goal is that this guide will be useful for biological, physical and forensic anthropologists, osteologists, those studying anatomy and physiology, and for those simply interested in etymology. By learning the origins of these strange names we can get a greater appreciation of why they called as such and this in turn will help to remember them. Be sure to bookmark this page or simply sign up for the RSS or email feed in the sidebar to get updates. All comments and feedback are greatly appreciated.


Cranial Bones

Occiptal: Comes from the Latin root words ob (behind/before) and caput (head) from which we also get the word cap.

Frontal: From the Latin frontem which referred to front part of something or the forehead.

Parietal: Comes from the Latin parietis meaning wall.

Mandible: This word has its roots in the Latin verb mandere meaning to chew.

Maxilla: It is the dimunitive form of the Latin word mala meaning cheek or jaw. Read More...

Tags: anthropology, osteology, etymology, words, linguistics

Fintan is a common name for a boy in Ireland. It is pronounced ['fIntən] and is the anglicised version of Fionntán. The first part of the name is related to another Irish name Fionn. This word is the Irish word for "fair" or "white." The word also has the older Gaelic meaning of "discover" or "find"; a meaning that can be traced to the Gaulish root *vindo-. Interestingly, the word fionn is also etymologically related to fios, the Gaelic word for "knowledge." The etymology of the word fios can be traced back to a Proto Indo-European root *weid- which gave rise to such words as vision in English and wissen (to know) in German. The final part of Fintan may have two possible etymologies. It may come from the Irish word for bull táin, much like other totemic names like Tadhg. Alternatively, it may originate from the Irish word for fire tine.


Related posts:
Ciarán
Tadhg
Leyre/Leire

Sources:
http://www.etymonline.com/
MacBain's Dictionary


Share it!

 Subscribe to RSS feed

Tags: names, Irish, pronunciation, etymology, words

I could pass this one up! Have a great St Patrick's Day!

Tags: Irish, humour

The theme of the US presidential race can be summed up by the cliché "change." This word has all the characteristics of a cliché, defined as "a word or phrase that through hackneyed use has lost all of its original ingenuity."

While this word might be an attention grabber, upon deeper reflection it soon loses its sparkle. Ask a passer-by the meaning of the word change and you will get something vague along the lines of "something different from what exists now." However, if we are not explicit about what we want to change, then the word effectively loses any useful meaning it may have. Besides, isn't change occurring all the time, from one instant to the next?

Perhaps it is this vagueness that gives this word its power. If the exact meaning of change can't be pinned down then the meaning must be, if you'll permit me alter another cliché, "in the ears of the beholder." Could this be an attempt to break free of the dogma of "you can't please all of the people all of the time" and to reach a wider audience? This is a marketing strategy we are all familiar with; you know, those advertisements that leave you thinking "what the...?" but the next day has you discussing it with colleagues and seeing if you were the only ones who didn't get it. Read More...

Tags: politics, words, language, semantics, philosophy

It would be foolish to brush off black and white photography as the anachronistic half-brother of colour photography. In fact, there are many reasons to prefer black and white photography over colour.

1. Somethings just lend themselves to black and white photography. Just think about traditional weddings. Since your two primary colours are black (the groom and bestman's suits) and white (the brides dress) this medium is ideal.

2. It brings out the best in you as a photographer. Since you are only working with grayscale you are required to think about such things as shadows, patterns, lighting, angles, design, and perspective.

3. It draws attention to the subject. The use of stark contrasts against ambient grey tones is a great way to draw attention to the subject of your photo.

4. It is refreshing. In the modern world we are bombarded from all sides with a kaleidoscope of colours often making grayscale seem like a breath of fresh air.

5. More flexibility with filters. In black and white photography colour filters are used to change contrast. One of the main advantages of black and white photography is the greater variety and use of filters. Since colour filters change a particular spectrum range, we can control the tones. Red filters can be used to enhance blue skies. Blue filters to bring out the mist and haze and used to correct artificial lighting. Yellow filters are used to darken blue eyes and tone down freckles, lips and spots. Read More...

Tags: photography, photographs, photos, tips, tricks

I was recently challenged by a friend to research her name, Leyre ['ley re]. Leyre is a popular Basque name that is somewhat unusual in that it contains the letter "y," a letter that doesn't exist in the Basque alphabet. In fact, the alternative spelling Leire is often seen, although it is less popular. A quick internet search for the name brings up a lot of hits relating not to the Basque Country but rather to its neighbour Navarra, or to be more specific the Monastery of San Salvador of Leyre (often shorted to the Monastery of Leyre). However, Leyre here refers to the name of the locality where the monastery is situated rather than the name of a specific person. This may suggest that the name is in fact not Basque in origin.

I could only find one source that pointed to a possible Basque origin for the name of the Monastery. The author draws parallels between the Basque word legor which can mean "hostel" or "shed." It should be noted that monasteries were common places of refuge for pilgrims and travellers. Digging a little deeper I found that the word legor and its derivative lehor can mean land or earth (in juxaposition with the sea). The roots of these words come from the Proto-Basque root words *agor̄ and *egar̄i meaning "dry." The related Basque word legar has the meaning of gravel or pebble. Thus, the leap from dry to hostel is not so great when we think of a refuge as a place that shelters us from the elements, specifically the rain, something present in abundance in this part of Spain. The name could also refer to the location of the monastery itself on dry land. Read More...

Tags: Basque Country, Navarra, names, etymology, Spanish, language, Latin, words, pronunciation

If anyone can relate to the problem I face with the mispronunciation of my name outside of Ireland it is my brother Tadhg. Like many Irish people with this name, my brother was christened Timothy but has ever since been called Tadhg. Through the Anglicisation of Irish names during the British occupation of Ireland the name Tadhg came to be a synonym for Timothy. However a little scratching at the surface reveals that the reason for this association is rather unclear as both names are etymologically unrelated. Similarly, Tadhg has been used as an alternative the Latin name Thaddeus. This name is often shortened to Thaddy, which is a particularly popular name among the Traveller community in Ireland.

The derivative "taig" has been used as a Loyalist slur word for Irish Catholics in Northern Ireland. The insult is somewhat similar to the derogatory use of "Paddy" but differs in implying that the person has nationalistic leanings.

In Ireland, Tadhg is normally pronounced like the first syllable in the English word tiger ['taig]. Many sources cite the name as meaning poet but the relationship between the two seems quite dubious. The original spelling of Tadhg in the Irish Uncial alphabet was "Taḋg", with the dot over the "d" donating the lenition of the sound. The "h" was later added when the modern Roman alphabet was adopted for the Irish language. Alternative spellings of the name include Tighe, Tadgh, Taidgh and Tadhgh. Read More...

Tags: etymology, words, pronunciation, names, Irish, Latin

There are many words in English that come from Arabic by way of Spanish. Many Arabian words made their way into the Spanish language during the Arabian occupation of Spain. I have included a list of words in English with their Spanish counterparts in square brackets and a little background about the etymology of the words.

zero [cero]
Those of you have thought that the Arabian language gave us nothing are right, well kind of. The word zero comes from the word sifr which has same meaning.

alcohol [alcohol]
From Arabic al-kuhul fine powder of antimony sulfide used as eye makeup. Possibly related to the distillation process involved in extracting these substances.

sugar [azúcar]
From Arabic sukkar of the same meaning.

coffee [café]
Comes from the word Qahwa, itself probably referring to Kefa, Ethiopia, where the plant originated. Read More...

Tags: etymology, language, English, Spanish, words