Interesting Links for 27-03-2022

[andrewducker]

1. How inequality perpetuates itself

(tags:inequality class UK )

2. "Avoiding Lord Byron" may well be the biggest boost to creativity in the history of humanity

(tags:history fiction writing scifi horror vampires frankenstein )

3. Crossrail update on the Elizabeth line's opening plans (fiddly technical work that I'm fascinated by and glad I don't have to deal with)

(tags:trains tube London transport )

4. Coolest occupational name ever?

(tags:IceCream names UK India empire history )

5. No, we are not about to have a worldwide grain shortage

(tags:wheat war Ukraine Russia )

6. Paralysed man uses brain implant to communicate first words in three months: 'I want a beer' (and a curry, and loud music)

(tags:beer brain communication technology )

7. US surnames with no vowels

(tags:names USA )

8. I have rarely seen anyone want anything as much as this dog wants this pizza

(tags:dogs pizza )

9. Why dogs are good, according to science!

(tags:dogs awesome )

Comments

[cmcmck]

On 4, a lot of these names are Parsi in origin.

I ran across a Mr Gingerbeerbottler and a cricketer named Farokh Engineer years back! :o)

[nancylebov]

#1-- Even though that guy was from a pretty rich family, he *still* didn't think he should go to Oxford.

[anna_wing]

There is a designer in Paris (originally from Singapore, I believe), called Andrew Gn. It is a rare surname, but not as hard to pronounce as it looks ('Gng'. so just add a hard 'g' to 'ng' and it's fine.). Nice clothes, but too expensive for me, and his current look is very 80s. Huge shoulders and micro-minis, a look that I avoided the first time round and feel no need to revisit.

I read a volume of Byron's "Letters and Journals" many years ago (they're on Project Gutenberg now), and found them interesting and intelligent. Funny, too.

[andrewducker]

Oh yes, Byron was clearly very smart. But it sounds like he could also be pretty exhausting.

[dewline]

So we might alternatively write his surname as "Gŋ"?

[anna_wing]

No. He spells it as 'Gn'.

[calimac]

Does anyone, at least from the US, remember the catchphrase, "Vanna, I'd like to buy a vowel"?

[conuly]

6. Paralysed man uses brain implant to communicate first words in three months: 'I want a beer' (and a curry, and loud music)

At the rate of one minute per character, no less. Glad to see his priorities in order! (No, seriously, I am glad to see that.)

[dewline]

It's definitely an improvement for him.

[melchar]

'Avoiding Lord Byron' sounds like a good name for a winter-themed horror movie.