The solutions to today’s puzzlesEarlier today I set you four Masyu puzzles from the 24 Hour Puzzle Championship. Click here for a printable sheet of the puzzles.The solutions are: Continue reading...

Debate over whether poem was written by multiple authors or one has raged for yearsBeowulf, the epic poem of derring-do and monsters, was composed by a single author, research suggests, pouring cold water on the idea it was stitched together from two poems.One of the most famous works in Old English, Beowulf tells of the eponymous hero who defeats the monster Grendel and his mother, thereby rescuing the Danes from a reign of terror, before returning to his homeland and later dying in a battle with a dragon. Continue reading...

Superheated gases and rock fragments can reach speeds of up to 400mph by travelling on cushion of air, say scientistsCrouched figures, a child with its mother, a dog writhing on its back – the harrowing plaster casts of the dead of Pompeii reveal that when the end came in AD79, it was as swift as it was final.Caught in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, many died when buildings collapsed under heavy ash and pumice. But for those still alive, another catastrophe was about to hit as deadly currents of superheated gases, ash and rock fragments raced through the streets. Continue reading...

Working memory of older group temporarily improves to match younger group in studyA decline in memory as a result of ageing can be temporarily reversed using a harmless form of electrical brain stimulation, scientists have found.The findings help explain why certain cognitive skills decline significantly with age and raise the prospect of new treatments. Continue reading...

Logic problems to keep you up all nightUPDATE: Click here for the solutions The little-known sport of extreme puzzling held its premier tournament this weekend in Hungary. The annual 24 Hour Puzzle Championship is a physical and intellectual endurance event in which contestants from around the world solve puzzles non-stop from 10am on Saturday to 10am on Sunday.“I have no idea why puzzlers from all over the world like this crazy championship,” said Gyorgy Istvan, one of this year’s organisers. “But it’s been going for 19 years. I guess it is because in each sport the top players like to test their skills in extreme ways.” Continue reading...

Jody Williams and Mary Wareham were leading lights in the campaign to ban landmines. Now they have autonomous weapons in their sightsIt sounds like something from the outer reaches of science fiction: battlefield robots waging constant war, algorithms that determine who to kill, face-recognition fighting machines that can ID a target and take it out before you have time to say “Geneva conventions”.This is no film script, however, but an ominous picture of future warfare that is moving ever closer. “Killer robots” is shorthand for a range of tech that has generals salivating and peace campaigners terrified at the ethical ramifications of warfare waged via digital proxies. Continue reading...

The Beehive star cluster, in Cancer, can be seen with the unaided eye, but you will need a place marker to find itOn 13 April, the moon sits squarely in Cancer, the Crab. The moon will be at first quarter, growing towards full and will be right next to the star cluster known as the Beehive. Cancer itself is one of the fainter zodiacal constellations. From a dark site, the Beehive cluster can be seen with the unaided eye. It looks like a faint smudge. The first written description of it comes from Ptolemy in the 2nd century AD in his astronomical treatise Almagest, and it was also one of the first targets at which Galileo looked with his telescope in 1609. He resolved the nebula into about 40 individual stars. Modern telescopes have shown that it contains more than 1,000 stars and lies around 600 light years from Earth. The chart shows the view on 13 April at 2200 BST. It is unlikely that you will see the star cluster during the evening of the encounter, as the light from the moon will wash away the fainter stars but it will work as a place marker. Memorise the position of the moon at that time in relationship with the fainter stars of the constellation and then return on subsequent nights to look for the cluster. Continue reading...

Scan delays in England leading to ‘stress and anxiety’ for those awaiting their prognosisConcerns have been raised that problems related to the supply of a substance used to screen for cancerous cells is causing delays for NHS patients in England, with many exposed to repeated cancellation of scans at short notice.Choline is a radiotracer injected into patients an hour before PET-CT scans, predominately when patients are feared to have a recurrence of prostate cancer. Without it the scans cannot go ahead. Continue reading...

The scientist behind a website to expose sexual ‘harassholes’ on her campaign and its impact – and who she plans to shame nextNeuroscientist BethAnn McLaughlin is a leading campaigner in the US fight against sexual assault and harassment of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (Stem). Assistant professor of neurology and pharmacology at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, she launched the #MeTooSTEM website in 2018 so women had a place to tell their stories. Her work was recently recognised with an MIT Media Lab Disobedience award, which she shared with two other prominent #MeToo activists.You began campaigning against sexual misconduct in science following an incident in 2015 in which you say you witnessed another faculty member at your university issue threats against a student who had filed a lawsuit against him and the institution (though the faculty member has denied any misconduct and was never found guilty of sexual harassment or retaliation). What clicked inside?

The best eco designers at work today

A psychologist recalls having a client who was going through a painful relationship breakup – just as she had experienced a similar lossMany years ago, when I was a newly qualified clinical psychologist, I went through a painful break up with a boyfriend. Seemingly out of the blue, it was over. I hadn’t seen it coming. I was reeling – and in that week, it was sheer force of will that got me out of bed and into work.Then in walked Annie for her first session. I distinctly remember that first sight of her as she strode purposefully into the office. I clocked her knee-length boots, her natty turquoise jacket and stylish silver bracelet. “I was early, so I bought this in the bookshop,” she said, waving a paperback. “I’ve been wanting to read it for ages.” Continue reading...

Scientists in California believe that internal compasses might have enabled our ancestors to navigate as some animals do todayFruit flies do it. Tiny northern wheatears do it. Even salmon in the seas do it. All navigate using Earth’s magnetic field.In fact, hundreds of animals migrate this way, some over long distances. But one species has always been excluded from this electromagnetic orienteering club: Homo sapiens. Men and women show no evidence of possessing internal compasses, researchers have insisted. Continue reading...

There has been a spike in people refusing to vaccinate pets against deadly diseases, including some that can infect humansSam Kovac can’t say for sure what prompted it, but in the past few weeks the Sydney veterinarian has been faced with the same alarming, beguiling question over and over: “Will this vaccination give my dog autism?”“It’s actually ridiculous. I mean you hear chatter over the years, but just in these last few weeks it’s really, really ramped up,” he tells Guardian Australia. Continue reading...

Nobel prize-winning biologist whose research into a tiny nematode worm led to critical insights into human diseaseWhen James Watson and Francis Crick first completed their model of the structure of DNA in April 1953, a group of Oxford scientists drove to the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge to see it. Among them was Sydney Brenner, a short, heavy-browed South African doctoral student in chemistry. The visit marked a watershed in his scientific life. “I just knew that this was the beginning of molecular biology,” he wrote later. “This was it … the curtain had been lifted and everything was now clear as to what to do.”Brenner, who has died aged 92, went on to be a driving force in the molecular biology revolution of the late 20th century. His self-chosen mission to explore the genetics, development and behaviour of a tiny nematode worm led to critical insights into human disease. In 2002 that work brought him a share in the Nobel prize for physiology that many felt was long overdue. Continue reading...

The excavation of the extraordinary fossil Peregocetus pacificus in Peru is a reminder of the wonders still awaiting discoveryWhales used to live on land. This fact never ceases to amaze me. Even though every living species of cetacean – from the immense blue whale to the river dolphins of the Amazon basin – is entirely aquatic, there were times when the word “whale” applied entirely to amphibious, crocodile-like beasts that splashed around at the water’s edge. This week, paleontologists named another.Related: Fossil of ancient four-legged whale with hooves discovered Continue reading...

Scientists hope samples from Hayabusa 2 will provide clues about origins of life on EarthA Japanese spacecraft has “bombed” a speeding asteroid 187m miles (300m km) from Earth in an attempt to retrieve material that could offer scientists new clues about the origins of life on the planet.The Hayabusa 2 probe released the device – called a small carry-on impact – on Friday as it hovered 500 metres above the asteroid Ryugu, according to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Jaxa). Continue reading...

Moderate drinking of one or two glasses a day does not protect against stroke, say researchersA low level of alcohol consumption does not protect against stroke, new research suggests, in the latest blow to the idea that a few drinks can be beneficial to health.At least 100,000 people have strokes in the UK every year, according to recent figures. It had been thought that low levels of alcohol consumption might have a protective effect against stroke, as well as other diseases and conditions. Now researchers say that in the case of stroke, even low levels of alcohol consumption are bad news. Continue reading...

However noble the goal of self-improvement may be, it is not without risks

Prof Sir David Spiegelhalter has a passion for statistics but some argue this type of number crunching is losing its influence and its ability to objectively depict reality. Nicola Davis and Ian Sample investigate how significant statistics are in today’s ‘post-truth’ worldProf Sir David Spiegelhalter has a love of statistics and has done ever since he was inspired by a teacher at university. Today, though, some are arguing that this type of number crunching is losing its power and its ability to depict reality. This, they say, has in part led to increasing levels of distrust in statistics.Nicola Davis and Ian Sample investigate how significant statistics are in today’s world with the author and Cambridge academic David Spiegelhalter. They discuss the golden days of the field and its importance to medical science, as well as the future of statistics.

US plan to return astronauts to moon before end of 2024 will need additional fundsThe US will return astronauts to the moon before the end of 2024, according to the country’s vice-president, Mike Pence.He made the announcement last week at the fifth meeting of the National Space Council, which took place at the US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Continue reading...

Science communication has lost its sense of empathy and misunderstands how fear can alter a person’s belief systemThe internet, as we are all patently aware by this point, is awash with some incredible nonsense. In recent years, some of that nonsense has managed to gain a disturbing amount of traction: the anti-vaxxer movement, a religious belief in alternative medicine, the flat Earth theory, and even astrology have all experienced a tremendous surge of interest and support in online spheres.Inevitably, this means that these belief systems have become all the more apparent in our real-world social interactions and sometimes it takes the good grace of social intelligence to resignedly agree with co-workers that perhaps a tumultuous month is, in fact, largely due to Pisces Season. Continue reading...

Monster hits by K-pop bands and Spanish-speaking rappers show it’s not necessary to sing in English to conquer the worldA band has attained a certain stature when its “world tour” consists of an imperial sweep through four continents, with just half a dozen concerts in each. The South Korea-based girl group Blackpink are currently midway through just such a jaunt – next month, they arrive in Europe to play six dates (London and Manchester included).Remarkably, this high-visibility procession is the first time the K-pop quartet have toured outside Korea or Japan; more remarkable still, they’ve released just one album and a scant handful of tracks – and while they’ve made English-language videos, most of their material is in Korean or Japanese. Nonetheless, they’re adored by a worldwide fanbase, for whom language is no barrier. Recent industry figures underline the strength of the global music market, with some suggesting the place of the English language at the forefront of pop is diminishing. Continue reading...

Giant 42.6m-year-old fossil was found along coast of Peru and suggests creature could walk on landAn ancient four-legged whale with hooves has been discovered, providing new insights into how the ancestors of the Earth’s largest mammals made the transition from land to sea.The giant 42.6m-year-old fossil, discovered in marine sediments along the coast of Peru, appears to have been adapted for a semi-aquatic lifestyle. Its hoofed feet and the shape of its legs suggest it would have been capable of bearing the weight of its bulky four metre long body and walking on land. Other anatomical features, including a powerful tail and webbed feet similar to an otter suggest it was also a strong swimmer. Continue reading...

Researchers claim domestic cats can pick out their name in string of wordsTibbles and Tiger might not let you know it, but they appear to recognise when their name is being called, research into human-cat relationships has claimed.The researchers said previous studies had shown that other animals, including dogs, dolphins and parrots could show some understanding of human vocalisations, but it was unclear whether felines could too. Continue reading...

Self-taught rocket scientist Steve Bennett is on a mission to make space travel safe and affordable for all – from an industrial estate in Greater ManchesterThe shutters peel back on a workshop tucked away on an industrial estate in Greater Manchester, and a bright spring light breaks in. White cones and tubular structures lie on their sides next to stepladders and buckets of paint. The neighbouring units here house a sports nutrition company, an NHS wheelchair depot and a building contractor, but lot No 7 is where Steve Bennett builds rockets.Long before Richard Branson or Elon Musk entered the new space race, Bennett and a small team, comprised mostly of volunteers, have been working towards making affordable commercial suborbital flights a real possibility. Over the past 20 years, on a fraction of their rivals’ budgets, they have flown about 20 rockets to plot the journey towards their first manned flight. Continue reading...

Pliocene beech fossils in Antarctica when COwas at similar level to today point to planet’s futureTrees growing near the South Pole, sea levels 20 metres higher than now, and global temperatures 3C-4C warmer. That is the world scientists are uncovering as they look back in time to when the planet last had as much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere as it does today.Using sedimentary records and plant fossils, researchers have found that temperatures near the South Pole were about 20C higher than now in the Pliocene epoch, from 5.3m to 2.6m years ago. Continue reading...

Edinburgh Science faced protests from activists for taking money from oil firmsThe charity running the Edinburgh international science festival is to ban sponsorship from oil companies including Shell and Total after protests by climate campaigners.Edinburgh Science said on Wednesday it realised its commitment to educating people on climate change was substantially compromised by accepting money from fossil fuel companies. Continue reading...

More than 373,000 people have visited replica diplodocus since it arrived in Glasgow in JanuaryDippy the dinosaur raises its elegant neck towards the vaulted ceiling of the Centre Hall in Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Museum. The 21-metre-long replica diplodocus skeleton appears nonchalant in advance of the anticipated onrush of young fans during Scotland’s Easter school holidays.Since the Natural History Museum’s much-loved exhibit arrived in January on the only Scottish stop of its three-year UK-wide tour, the reception has been rapturous, with more than 373,000 visitors so far, already besting the next most popular venue, Birmingham, by more than 100,000. Continue reading...

Gene-editing technology has accelerated progress on animal organ transplant to the point where scientists will soon begin the first human trialsScientist Wenning Qin holds up a Petri dish, carefully sloshes around the pink liquid inside, and slides it under a microscope. Some identical tiny slashes come into focus. These cells, she explains, are derived from the ear of a pig. And they may contain the future of animal to human organ transplantation.Researchers in South Korea are expected to transplant pig corneas into humans within a year. A handful of groups across the US are also working toward pig organ clinical trials in the next few years, including a group at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston that is starting a six-person clinical trial using “blankets” of pig skin to temporarily protect the skin of burn victims. At the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s (UAB) medical school, researchers are planning to transplant pig kidneys into adults and hearts into struggling newborns. Continue reading...

The modern world runs on numbers. We need to give university students a framework for understanding themDid you know that Sweden has the second highest rate of rape in the world, behind only Botswana? According to official statistics from the UN Organisation on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), in 2015 Sweden recorded 57 occurrences of rape per 100,000 people, compared to 39 in the USA and just 3 in India. Sweden’s rape rate has shot up in recent years, during the same period that the country has been accepting large numbers of non-European migrants and asylum seekers.This is an extremely convenient fact for critics of immigration. Donald Trump has used it, as has Nigel Farage. And so have thousands of angry keyboard warriors on Reddit and across the internet. Continue reading...

In world first, Sydney researchers observe lizard’s egg laying and live birth three weeks later from a single litterSkinks may be much stranger than previously thought after researchers discovered a lizard that laid eggs and gave birth to live young in the one pregnancy.Researchers at the University of Sydney observed a three-toed skink lay three eggs and weeks later give birth to a live baby. Continue reading...

Ecological restoration can be a powerful means of protecting the atmosphere – we need to rewild on a massive scale

Gateshead, Tyne and Wear: This ancient, tenacious plant has already weathered three mass extinctionsEvery April, rocket-shaped, yellow, nine-inch reproductive shoots of field horsetail (Equisetum arvense), tipped with small cones, erupt through this patch of waste ground beside Mill Road car park on the bank of the river Tyne. They’ll soon wither, after they’ve released their payload of spores. Then forests of green, corrugated stems and whorls of thread-like leaves, shaped like miniature Christmas trees, will rise from their creeping underground stems. Continue reading...

House hunters are deterred from evicting incumbents by strong vibrations from insideHermit crabs shake in their shells to ward off competitors who have designs on their homes, scientists have found.Field tests conducted on a beach in Costa Rica showed Pacific hermit crabs are swiftly deterred from ousting an incumbent when they sense strong vibrations coming from inside. Continue reading...

Prompted by loss of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, system tracks planes anywhere on earthA satellite air traffic surveillance system capable of tracking aircraft anywhere around the planet has been launched.The system, which will start tracking planes over the north Atlantic, has been developed to fill the holes in radar coverage – some 70% of global airspace – that became apparent in the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. Continue reading...

Report by Environment and Climate Change Canada suggests the majority of warming is the result of burning fossil fuelsCanada is warming twice as fast as the rest of the world, a landmark government report has found, warning that drastic action is the only way to avoid catastrophic outcomes.“The science is clear – Canada’s climate is warming more rapidly than the global average, and this level of warming effectively cannot be changed,” Nancy Hamzawi, assistant deputy minister for science and technology at Environment and Climate Change Canada, told reporters on Monday. Continue reading...

Space agency chief says shooting down of satellite has created 400 pieces of orbital debrisIndia’s destruction of one of its satellites has been labelled a “terrible thing” by the head of Nasa, who said the missile test created 400 pieces of orbital debris and posed a threat to astronauts onboard the International Space Station (ISS).Jim Bridenstine was addressing employees five days after India shot down a low-orbiting satellite in a missile launch that it says elevated the country to the elite tier of space powers. Continue reading...

Underwater haul of Tiwanaku ceremonial relics is unprecedented, say academicsAn ancient ceremonial site described as exceptional has been discovered in the Andes by marine archaeologists, who recovered ritual offerings and the remains of slaughtered animals from a reef in the middle of Lake Titicaca.The remarkable haul points to a history of highly charged ceremonies in which the elite of the region’s Tiwanaku state boated out to the reef and sacrificed young llamas, seemingly decorated for death, and made offerings of gold and exquisite stone miniatures to a ray-faced deity, as incense billowed from pottery pumas. Continue reading...

Gas detected by Curiosity rover may have been released from fractured Martian permafrostA waft of methane detected by Nasa’s Curiosity rover on Mars may have been released from a layer of permafrost containing bubbles of the gas that was fractured by a geological event, researchers have said.It is the first time scientists have identified a potential source of methane on Mars, though the scientific community is still divided on whether the gas is really produced on the planet at all. Some says the methane detections on Mars are spurious or have come from other sources such as the rover itself. Continue reading...

US researchers reveal haul of perfectly preserved fossils dating back to Chicxulub impact that wiped out most of Earth’s lifeScientists in the US say they have discovered the fossilised remains of a mass of creatures that died minutes after a huge asteroid hit the Earth 66m years ago, sealing the fate of the dinosaurs.In a paper to be published on Monday, a team of paleontologists at the University of Kansas say they found a “mother lode of exquisitely preserved animal and fish fossils” in what is now North Dakota. Continue reading...

New research suggests boys are bigger liars than girls, and privileged children blag more than underprivileged onesThe American philosopher Harry G Frankfurt opens his bestselling treatise, On Bullshit, with a heartfelt lament on the sheer quantity around. “There is so much bullshit,” the Princeton scholar wrote in 2005, before conceding that we are all to blame.In new research, scientists claim to have identified the most common practitioners of the ignoble art. Their study of 40,000 teenagers reveals that boys; those from privileged backgrounds; and North Americans in particular, top the charts as the worst offenders. Continue reading...

Venus is at her most brilliant – the third brightest object in the sky after the sun and the moonThe planet Venus is a glorious sight in the morning sky, shining brilliantly around magnitude –3. (On the magnitude scale, the smaller the number, the brighter the object.) It is the third brightest object in the sky, beaten only by the sun and moon. From the northern hemisphere, Venus rises about an hour before the sun. At the beginning of this week, it will be joined in the dawn sky by the moon. The chart shows their positions at 0630 BST on 2 April. The moon will be a slim waning crescent with just 9% of its surface illuminated. From northern latitudes, it will be a distinct challenge to see, as the moon will rise only about 30 minutes before the sun, so skywatchers will need a very clear eastern horizon. From the southern hemisphere, the pair will rise about an hour earlier. A day later, the moon will disappear from view as it passes the sun to re-emerge in the evening sky. New moon occurs on 5 April but it won’t be visible in light of sunset until a day or two after this. Remember, never look directly at the sun, it is so bright that it can cause permanent eye damage. Continue reading...

The record number of pills being handed out for depression is a cause of concern, especially when access to other treatments is restrictedAlmost 71m prescriptions for antidepressants were given out in England last year – not including drugs dispensed in hospitals outside the NHS. This is a vast number of pills – more than twice the number of prescriptions given for antibiotics; 20m more than for cholesterol-lowering statins. In a decade, the number of antidepressant prescriptions has doubled; it has risen by 3m in a year. Around 7 million adults (16% of the English adult population) are now taking this medicine, and around 330,000 children.The new data can’t say whether more people are depressed than previously – only that more are being medicated. The most recent official survey, in 2016, revealed an increase in rates of the most common mental health conditions among women, particularly teenage girls. Recent reports from a commission assembled by the Lancet medical journal, and the World Health Organization, have warned of a growing global mental health crisis, and called on policymakers and professionals worldwide to make this a priority. Continue reading...

The Oxford English Dictionary’s inclusion of regional terms shows off what the UK has in common – linguistic ingenuityIn a rare piece of happy news to distract us momentarily from all the chaos, those lovely linguists at the Oxford English Dictionary have announced an abundance of new words all taken from regional dialects.The new entries include the Indian-English phrase “kiss my chuddies”; the delicious word “jibbons”, which is what spring onions are called in Wales; and the Scottish words “sitooterie”, which is (obviously) a place to sit out, and “bidie-in” (“a person who lives with his or her partner in a non-marital relationship”), which surely should have been in the dictionary ages ago, since the author Val McDermid, a fine connoisseur of the English language, uses it in her Twitter bio. Continue reading...

What do you ask the man who knows everything? The theoretical physicist and bestselling author answers questions from famous fans and Observer readersTheoretical physicists and mathematicians are fond of describing their theories and equations as beautiful but very few writers are able to bring this elegance to life for the general public. The Italian physicist Carlo Rovelli has proved himself to be one of those rare figures. His first attempt at writing a book for a mainstream audience, Seven Brief Lessons on Physics (2014), outsold Fifty Shades of Grey in his home country, has been translated into 41 languages and sold more than 1m copies. His second, The Order of Time, is an appreciation and lucid deconstruction of a quality we take for granted – “We inhabit time as fish live in water,” he writes.Like other popular scientists such as Stephen Hawking, Carl Sagan and Brian Cox, Rovelli feeds our fascination with the fundamental forces that make our universe tick. Here, famous fans and Observer readers question him further. Continue reading...

The art of magic offers a fascinating insight into the psychology of reality and perceptionThe magician picks up a coin, conceals it in his hand and, after a magical gesture, it mysteriously disappears, only to reappear from behind your ear. As you watch this performance, you fully understand that objects cannot simply materialise from thin air, yet this is exactly what you have just experienced. Conjuring is one of the oldest forms of entertainment and throughout history, tricksters have amazed audiences by performing illusions of the impossible.The art of magic has never lost its appeal, and even in our modern lives, which are dominated by science and technology, we are still captivated by experiencing things we believe to be impossible. This universal appeal can be traced back to a deep-rooted psychological drive to explore things we do not understand. Indeed, from an early age, infants are captivated by events that confound their understanding of the world, and the same is true for adults. Most people simply think of magic as just another form of entertainment, but the ancient art of conjuring is now helping scientists uncover some of the mysteries of the human mind. Continue reading...

The spandex-based controversy has been broiling in the west for years; and it’s not just men policing women’s bodies, women are doing it to themselvesSign up for the Week in Patriarchy, a newsletter​ on feminism and sexism sent every Saturday. Continue reading...

The country’s anti-satellite missile test should be condemned, writes Sa’id Mosteshar On Wednesday the space Mission Shakti was carried out by India, in which it successfully targeted a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite (Report, 28 March). Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared: “In the journey of every nation there are moments that bring pride and have a historic impact on generations to come. One such moment is today … India has successfully tested the anti-satellite missile (Asat).”He added that the target satellite was at an altitude of 300km, and that India had not breached any international laws or treaties. Continue reading...

East Antarctica drilling project will give snapshot of Earth’s atmosphere and climateScientists are planning to extract ice samples from more than 1.5m years ago in a bid to discover more about our ancient climate – and hopefully learn more about our future climate.The Beyond Epica project plans to extract samples from the bottom of a 2.75km-thick ice sheet in East Antarctica. The ice cores will be the oldest ever drilled for. Continue reading...

Police struggling with shifting meanings of youth dialect have enlisted slang translatorsDo you know your “tum-tum” from your “ching” and your “corn” from your “gwop” (gun, knife, ammunition and money)? Neither do police and prosecutors, who have begun consulting a linguistics professor to help decipher urban slang and drill lyrics used as evidence in criminal investigations.The complexity of inner-city dialects and the growing use of texts and social media posts in court evidence has forced detectives and lawyers in London, the West Midlands and Essex to seek translations, according to Tony Thorne, an academic at King’s College London, who has been studying youth slang since 1990. Continue reading...