Decolonizing Chinese Typography With New Font “Ku Mincho Hong Kong native Julius Hui is on a mission to build a new typeface that traces the lineage of the Chinese language, a font he calls Ku Mincho. In China, typography has a sordid history of colonialism and political standardization—first, calligraphy styles were dictated by the whims of emperors, then by Japanese imperialism, and then by the …
To understand the “clicks” sperm whales make to talk (stringing together a series of statements called “codas”), researchers have launched a five-year-long quest called Protect CETI. It’ll be the most comprehensive attempt at interspecies communication ever, the team believes. CETI (Cetacean Translation Initiative) begins with the capturing and cataloging of millions of morse-code-like whale vocalizations. Video and audio tools will be used, and the data …
Gender Inclusive Language in Space While “semantics” are oftentimes brushed off as trivial or nit-picky, the importance of meaning, reference and truth within words cannot be underestimated—and its significance exists everywhere, even in space. NASA is working to recognize and replace “inaccurate and harmful language” that abides by outdated gender biases within the American space program by continually updating their style guide. Today, it’s still …
