Just Plain WEIRD #2

 

Why Are All Swedish Cottages Painted Red?

One company has exclusive rights to the source of the iconic pigment—a copper mine’s supply of iron deposits that may last just a century more. The color, known specifically as Falu red, has been a consistent symbol of pastoral life in Sweden. (Lars …

How COVID-19 is changing the English language

The coronavirus forced the editors of the Oxford English Dictionary to break with tradition. Illustration by Anurag Papolu/The Conversation; dictionary photo by Spauln via Getty Images and model of COVID-19 by fpm/iStock via Getty Images , CC BY-SA – By Roger J. Kreuz, …