Core77’s editors spend time combing through the news so you don’t have to. Here’s a weekly roundup of our favorite stories from the World Wide Web.
Millennials are Slowly Killing Off Punctuation Marks
Linguist David Crystal has recently declared that the use of the period is dwindling away as text messages reign as one of our top preferred tools for communication. He even notes that “the period is being deployed as a weapon to show irony, syntactic snark, insincerity, even aggression… If the love of our life just canceled the candle-lit, six-course, home-cooked dinner you have prepared, you are best advised to include a period when you respond ‘Fine.’ to show annoyance.” The reasons behind this linguistic shift make for a fascinating read and reveal interesting nuances of language in our present culture.
—Allison Fonder, community manager
Photographing The World’s Secret Subterranean Spaces
Ever wonder what lies beneath your feet? This may be your best chance of finding out.
—Molly Millette, editorial intern
The Switch
Today I’m watching the new Nike Football commercial featuring Cristiano Ronaldo, “the hardest working man in football” and the luck kid with whom his fate collides. Nike always makes fantastic soccer commercials, and this one’s no different: Damn thing just went live yesterday and already has 10-million-plus views.
—Rain Noe, senior editor
What Are the Odds We Are Living in a Computer Simulation?
A thoughtful piece on what philosophers call the “simulation argument,” sparked by Elon Musk’s claim last week that he believes there is only a “one in billions” chance that we are not living in a Matrix-style simulation. “In the end, it’s a story about limits,” the author explains. “On the one hand, we maximize human potential by creating worlds of our own; on the other, by doing so, we confirm the impossibility of ultimate knowledge about the universe in which we live.
—Alexandra Alexa, editorial assistant
http://www.core77.com/posts/53838/A-Tour-of-the-Secret-Spaces-Beneath-Our-Streets-and-What-Are-the-Odds-That-Were-Living-in-a-Matrix-Like-Simulation