“Since at least the 17th century, science has struggled with words. Francis Bacon, visionary of a new, experimental natural philosophy, called language an “idol of the marketplace”: a counterfeit currency we trade in so habitually that we no longer notice the gap between words and the world.”
The article, entitled The Language of Science, contains several examples of how words have changed over this time. For those who write the words, such as myself and those that read the words, you and me, this is a treat.
Here are three great examples
You can find the interactive infographics here.
Source: The Language of Science Scientific American DOI:10.1038/scientificamerican0920-26
Chuck Dinerstein, MD, MBA
Director of Medicine
Charles Dinerstein, MD, MBA, is the Medical Director of the American Council on Science and Health. A vascular surgeon with more than 25 years of clinical experience, he brings a physician's understanding of medical decision-making, an appreciation for scientific uncertainty, and a broader perspective on healthcare economics and policy to his writing.
