Dear Lahna,
Your question made me think about how words change. The dictionary adds new words and definitions all the time.
The latest update to the Oxford English Dictionary added jelly, meaning jealous. It also included drop bear. That’s an imaginary scary-koala that appears in stories.
I asked my friend Nikolaus Overtoom how we got the abbreviation for ounces. He’s a professor of ancient history at Washington State University.
It turns out ounces—and later oz—evolved as words traveled from Ancient Rome through Medieval Europe and into England.
“The mixture of linguistic elements in English makes it one of the most flexible, diverse and complex … » More …
Read More ...Dear Sofia,
Every week my column gets printed on paper. Sometimes I use paper to dry my paws. Or clean up after I use the litterbox.
I asked my friend Xiuyu Wang who invented paper—and why. He studies Chinese history at Washington State University.
He told me that paper as we know it was invented in ancient China. Paper made it easier to wrap things up and write things down.
“Papermaking is one of the most significant inventions because paper does so many things,” Wang said. “People kept refining it and making different kinds of paper.”
The earliest paper fragments we have are … » More …
Read More ...Dear Anika,
My roommate is a normal cat. When she needs a treat, she smacks her lips. When she wants outside, she paws the door. But she never talks to me using words.
I asked Nancy Bell how my human friends developed language. She studies linguistics at Washington State University.
Bell told me that we don’t know exactly how or when it all started. All kinds of scientists want to figure that out.
“It’s just part of our species that we want to make meaning,” she said. “We want to communicate. That desire is what leads to language.”
Scientists use the word “hominin” … » More …
Read More ...Dear Audrey,
I use a calendar to keep up with my work as a science cat. I also love calendar apps that count down to big events—like my birthday. People have always tracked time for work and holidays.
I talked about this with my friend Nikolaus Overtoom. He’s a professor of ancient history at Washington State University.
He told me we use the Gregorian calendar today. That's a revised version of the Julian calendar. The Romans invented the Julian calendar.
Read More ...Dear Anika,
A pirate’s life was dangerous. They attacked other ships and battled other pirates as well as the law. But they were also at the mercy of another foe: sickness.
I talked about this with my friend Lawrence Hatter. He’s a history professor at Washington State University.
He told me the big era for pirates was 1710 to 1730. It was a time when lots of sailors were out of work. Some of them became pirates.
Here are four kinds of disease they might face on the job: scurvy, mosquito-borne diseases, infectious diseases and gangrene.
Read More ...Dear Anna,
When I read your question, I thought about elephants. There’s evidence that elephants have complex emotions—like grief when their relatives die or affection for humans who help them. Whales, dolphins, non-human primates and even dogs sometimes seem like they have complex emotions, too.
It makes us wonder if animals seek comfort and meaning the same ways humans do—like through religion. We truly don’t know the answer to your question. It’s something people have wondered about for a long time.
Exploring deep questions is the work of my friend Joe Campbell. He’s a philosopher at Washington State University.
We often think of religion as beliefs and behaviors. They relate to the supernatural—something beyond us and what we see in the natural world.
Campbell told me that underneath many religious beliefs and behaviors is a feeling: awe. It’s a proto-religious attitude. Proto means first.
Read More ...Dear Natallia,
You’ve noticed something very important: there’s no natural reason for the words humans use. Any sound could be used to describe a big mammal that eats berries and salmon.
But people who speak English choose “bear.” People who speak Spanish use “oso.” People who speak Maricopa say “maxwet.” They’re all different, but they’re all correct.
That’s what I learned from my friend Lynn Gordon, a linguist at Washington State University.
“Why do we call bears ‘bears’?” she said. “Because we’ve agreed to.”
Read More ...Dear Friends,
If you are anything like me, maybe you’ve suddenly felt a chill while listening to music. Perhaps, you got goosebumps and saw your arm hairs stand on end. Maybe you even teared up.
Read More ...