Table of contents for No 468 in Speak Up

El humor es sin duda la menos seria de las manifestaciones del lenguaje, y a pesar de (o gracias a) ello la más compleja, la más polémica; tal vez la más interesante. Si bien hay un tipo de humor que no necesita palabras —el de las caídas y tortazos que provoca una reacción primitiva, casi visceral—, la capacidad del lenguaje para expandirse y generar significados, establecer conexiones nuevas y estimular el intelecto se lleva al extremo cuando consigue hacernos reír. Entonces, si el humor está tan íntimamente ligado al lenguaje y el lenguaje contiene en sí una capacidad infinita para el humor, ¿existen tantos tipos de humor como idiomas? Si logramos definir por fin los límites del humor, ¿podemos establecer los límites del lenguaje? En el año 2001, el Dr.…

SCIENCE Dreamers and amateur astrologists should look to the night sky in mid August. The Perseid meteor shower1 will light up2 the heavens, in a dazzling3 display of shooting stars4. They are visible for several weeks, but they will be brightest on certain nights. With the moon setting5 around midnight, the sky will be dark enough for viewing. The pre-dawn6 hours offer the best conditions to watch the show — and perhaps to make a wish. ROCKS AND ICE So what is a meteor, exactly? It is not actually a star, but rather a piece of space debris7 falling down to Earth. It comes from the rubble8 trailing9 behind a comet, consisting of rocks and ice. While in space, it is called a ‘meteoroid’ and, once on the ground, it is…

CURRENT AFFAIRS Here are five of Europe’s most overcrowded cities, resulting from overtourism, and what they’re doing to alleviate the problem: 1. Venice, Italy Home to about fifty thousand residents, Venice is one of the most-visited cities in the world, with about thirty million visitors per year. Overtourism, as well as climate change, is having such a negative impact on its environment that the United Nations has considered including it on the World Heritage in Danger list. Venice already has an overnight tax1 for visitors based on the number of nights they stay and the number of stars their accommodation has. This year, it introduced a tax of €5 for daytime visitors, to be imposed on its busiest2 days. 2. Barcelona, Spain In 2019, Barcelona, a city of 1.6 million…

PEOPLE ASpanish galleon steers1 into the Florida Straits2, a narrow3 passage of water connecting the Gulf of Mexico with the Atlantic Ocean. There, between the Florida Keys archipelago and Cuba, it runs into trouble4, perhaps hit by a hurricane or perhaps grounded5 on the hazardous6 reefs7 that lie just beneath the surface. Centuries on, a team of divers8 and archaeologists discover the wreckage9 of the galleon and retrieve10 its treasures. Many then go on display11 at the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum in Florida’s Key West, the southernmost12 city in the US. TREASURE HUNTER Mel Fisher was a charismatic American diver who has been called “the world’s greatest treasure hunter.” In the Spanish colonial period, thousands of ships are estimated to have sunk13 in the treacherous14 waters of the Florida Straits. Fisher…

You have seen it countless1 times on films and TV series, and now you are about to experience it firsthand. You have fantasised about driving a blue Mustang along an endless, deserted highway on your way to the Grand Canyon. You have dreamt of savouring2 a mouth-watering3 burger or a pile of pancakes in one of those iconic diners where smiling waitresses generously refill coffee mugs4 again and again. You might even have booked a couple of surfing lessons in the waters off an idyllic Malibu beach. Yes, it’s happening — the American dream… Unless it becomes a nightmare… If you don’t want that to happen, keep reading. The first thing you need to know before visiting the United States is that you will need a visa. If you’re travelling…

PEOPLE Are all nepo babies really created equal? Should Timothée Chalamet, whose uncle Rodman Flender directed Leprechaun1 2, appear on nepo baby listicles that include stars with actually famous family, such as Lily-Rose Depp, Hailey (Baldwin) Bieber, or Sofia Coppola? Outing supposed nepo babies is one of social media’s favourite parlour games2, and it only grew more popular after becoming the subject of a 2022 New York magazine cover. Dynasties have existed since the dawn3 of the star system, but younger generations are more willing4 to count an Oscar-winning father or supermodel mother as a strike against5 an up-and-comer6. Sometimes, there are debates over the title’s true definition, as we see with Chalamet or Billie Eilish, whose mom is a television actor and indie screenwriter. But there is a certain category…

Foraging Se habla mucho de la dieta paleolítica y del ayuno intermitente que tan bien le sienta al metabolismo de cazadoresrecolectores que aún conservamos, pero quien quiera regresar de veras a los orígenes del estilo de alimentación debe probar con el foraging, la práctica de salir a buscar la comida a la naturaleza. Nvidia Apple, Google o Meta son el símbolo del éxito de Silicon Valley. Pero detrás de las pantallas y haciendo funcionar los algoritmos que rigen nuestras vidas se encuentra Nvidia, la compañía que manufactura los chips de silicio que impulsan la inteligencia artificial, y que recientemente ha sido coronada como la empresa más valiosa del mundo. Shetland Este archipiélago escocés compuesto por unas cien islas es el punto más al norte del Reino Unido. Hasta mediados del…

LANGUAGE Duh!’ is an expression used to indicate that something is self-evident1 or too obvious. This short, funny word, pronounced more or less ‘da’ (/dʌ/), is often used jokingly in a slightly2 mocking3 tone and adds a touch of humour to conversations. However, it isn’t really a slang4 word, but rather5 a sarcastic alternative to ‘obviously’, ‘of course’, ‘no kidding’ or ‘that’s so obvious!’ It is used to indicate that something is exceedingly apparent6, very clear and easy to understand, or to express annoyance7 at banality, stupidity or obviousness. In fact, a lot of people use ‘duh’ for themselves more than they use it for others when they realise that they have said or done something dumb8. For example, you are standing in front of a door and try to push…

On 27 July 1949, a new kind of aeroplane took off1 from a small airstrip2 in Hatfield, UK. It was the maiden flight3 of the de Havilland DH.106 Comet and it changed the future of civil aviation forever. Nicknamed4 the Comet, it was the world’s first commercial jet airliner5. Thanks to its pioneering design, passengers could travel large distances in speed and comfort. The age of modern air travel had arrived. FUTURISTIC DESIGN The design of the aircraft started during World War Two. The government was considering the air travel requirements of the British Empire after the war ended. Aviation company de Havilland proposed a jet-propelled6 aircraft with a pressurised cabin to allow higher altitudes, greater speeds and longer distances. The proposal was accepted and the Comet project began. De…

Tourists contribute significantly to the economies of the places they visit. Tourism creates jobs, increases revenue1 and reduces poverty, and local businesses benefit from the increased demand for their services and products. It is no surprise, then, that culturally-significant cities or towns in Europe want to attract tourists. However, in recent years, many popular destinations have suffered overtourism, a trend2 that has become more evident since the pandemic ended and borders reopened. A BILLION TRAVELLERS About a billion people cross international borders every year. The World Tourism Organization expects that number to rise to 1.8 billion by 2030. The problem isn’t so much the number of people travelling, but that so many go to the same places at the same time. For residents, the sheer3 numbers can be overwhelming4 and…

CROSSWORDUPPER INTERMEDIATE Across 1 Cascade. Water falling from a height.6 Person who runs.9 Not responsible.11 Hello!!12 Perfect.13 Aches; bad physical feelings coming from an injury or illness (plural).14 Part of a jacket that can be used to cover the back and top of your head.16 To attach or fasten with string or rope.17 From the north (adjective).20 Regulation; law; something you must follow.23 Relax! Don’t work!25 Get as far as.27 Strict, very hard. Very serious.28 Short for ampere; the unit of electrical current.29 Adjective describing an event that happened a short time ago.32 Vital, extremely important, absolutely necessary.35 Not cooked.36 Sums of money that must be paid, particularly for services (plural).38 Flying mammal.39 Homophone of ‘here’.41 Adverb used in comparisons.42 The period of time that someone or something has existed.43…