Random shit. Now and then... language related topics.

Saturday, January 31, 2009

A new way to track language change?

Can parasites influence the language we speak?


What do parasites and mountains have in common? They both keep populations apart and drive evolution, say researchers.

In the absence of geographical barriers such as mountains and oceans, parasite "wedges" keep populations of the same species apart, say Corey Fincher and Randy Thornhill of the University of New Mexico in the US. They claim this can provide the opportunity for populations and even new languages to evolve separately.
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Saturday, January 24, 2009

That's some high resolution!

Obama's inauguration in extremely high resolution. Check it out who was sleeping during Obama's speech.

Monday, January 19, 2009

Unlikely, but funny



No way, not Spock.

Saturday, January 17, 2009

It can always get worse

Where Sweatshops Are a Dream

Published: January 14, 2009

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia

Before Barack Obama and his team act on their talk about “labor standards,” I’d like to offer them a tour of the vast garbage dump here in Phnom Penh.

This is a Dante-like vision of hell. It’s a mountain of festering refuse, a half-hour hike across, emitting clouds of smoke from subterranean fires.
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Thursday, January 15, 2009

Wednesday, January 7, 2009