For many people, working out is a distinctly private pleasure. The way we run, the faces we make, the amount we sweat and the places we sweat from, the creaks and groans our bodies emit during a squat — these are our own little secrets. The last thing we want is to be filmed climbing up imaginary stairs, lifting, pulling, and pushing heavy things. But if you ever want to see what it’s like to be unburdened by these inhibitions, all you need to do is go to any gym and find a person hitting record. They’re setting up their tripods near StairMasters. They’re propping phones up on dumbbells. They’ve turned the squat rack into a studio. From Planet Fitnesses and Blinks to Equinoxes and Life Times, so very many people are filming themselves working out. At the same time, some of these Lycra-clad Narcissuses are alienating their fellow gym-goers, who are just trying to heft something heavy in peace. The clashing tension between the two raises some questions.Why are all these people filming their public workouts? Are there really that many fitness influencers? Is this making anyone stronger or faster? Where are all these videos going? Perhaps, most importantly, do gym filmers know how irritating they can be? Who’s going to tell them?Is that guy taking shirtless selfies on the bench press an influencer? Does he want to be?Normal people didn’t just start filming themselves at gyms overnight; many spent the past decade watching professionals do it first. “Filming really took off around 2015–’17, when fitness influencers started pushing themselves and their personal brands hard on platforms like Instagram and YouTube,” says James McMillian, the director of innovation at Tone House, a luxury strength training and training facility in New York City.During that era, fitness classes at boutique studios like Tone House (think: SoulCycle, Barry’s, Solidcore) became pop culture obsessions. Taking a class and posting about it had social cache; it was a certain type of status symbol. Gyms and the people working at them leaned into the hype: From the lighting to the mirrors, group fitness studios and luxury gyms are camera-ready. Trainers teaching those classes became mini celebrities themselves and would post their workouts and social lives to promote their businesses and personal brands. “Don’t spot me, bro. Just make sure I look great.” Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times via Getty ImagesTo no one’s surprise, it turns out that a lot of people liked watching attractive, fit people sweaty and shirtless or in tight athletic gear. Instagram’s algorithm still favors this type of content. It may seem counterintuitive, but the 2020 pandemic lockdowns actually accelerated filming, especially for regular fitness buffs. McMillian says that when in-person classes were put on pause, influencers and non-influencers alike started posting their workouts — outdoors, at home, at private gyms — more. For many, exercise was more than a health necessity or a hobby; it was a lifeline to feeling normal again. A heart-pumping, self-improving way to forget that we were in the middle of a pandemic; if you couldn’t share that with others in person, you at least could online.When gyms and workout classes opened again, people’s social media habits carried over. “Everyone became a content creator and the gym became their stage,” McMillian says. Wait, but really, why do people film at the gym?Being comfortable filming at the gym — combined with what Instagram’s algorithm surfaces — may help explain the abundant supply of videos featuring people squatting at racks, leg-lifting on StairMasters, lunging by the free weights, and bench-pressing. The world is full of many things and videos of people doing the same six or so workouts are some of them.This proliferation of exercise snippets has become so popular and so annoying that the backlash against gym filmers — i.e., people saying they’re selfishly hogging the equipment or being inconsiderate to their fellow gym-goers — has become its own social media subgenre that generates millions of views. “It’s vanity. It’s the end result of a culture obsessed with social media and watching videos of other people,” says Bobby McMullen, a trainer and founder of Adonis, an app that connects personal trainers to potential clients and vice versa.While McMullen concedes that some gym-goers who film are indeed fitness influencers, he says that’s a path that’s not as popular or as lucrative as it was before the pandemic. He asserts there’s a far greater number of gym filmers posting for the sheer dopamine rush — and the compliments. McMullen doesn’t just know the power of praise because he spends so much time at the gym or because he’s a fitness professional. He knows this because he’s an unapologetic, apex-level thirst-trapper himself. He has over 18,000 followers on Instagram, and his losing battle with shirtlessness is a recurring feature of his online persona. ”They’re doing it for the love of the game and their own social media,” McMullen says. Before social media, going through a fitness journey didn’t pay off until you showed up to a party or dinner out and receive that elusive “Hey, you look great!” Now, McMullen explains, you can get that same reaction within seconds. “It’s thirst-trapping. It’s showing off. It’s hoping that someone who watches their story sees it,” says McMullen. That’s not quite the story for everyone who films though: “Let me tell you. You do not want to know what your face looks like when you squat really hard,” says Morgan Hah, who works in accounting and is competitive powerlifter. Hah works out at a members-only powerlifting gym, where she and most of the clientele films their lifts. Hah films her lifts and sends videos to her coach so she can improve and refine her technique; many of her cohort do, too. It’s the only way to get better. Hah explained that while most of her filming is about improving as a lifter, there’s still a sense of achievement and pride. For Hah, it’s the thrill of watching your body doing something difficult, mixed with the excitement of gradual improvement. Some powerlifting coaches also create shared albums for their students and post their personal bests, which Hah says builds camaraderie and community. Hah also made clear that the recording atmosphere and motivations in powerlifting gyms are unique. Powerlifters take longer breaks between sets and are doing a minimal amount of reps, which makes recording quicker, if not easier. Because everyone at her gym is so used to it, they’ve developed a system of not getting in people’s way and getting the shots efficiently. They’ve also come to a respectful understanding about their fellow gym-goers filming. When people get irritated with gym filmers, it’s likely the thirst trappers are who they’re peeved at. This is gym filming reduced to its most narcissistic form, and seeing a stranger try and present “sexy” to an audience that you’re not a part of is one of the unsexiest things in the world. Even McMullen admits this, because being a thirst trapper and being annoyed at them are not mutually exclusive — one can flex in a mirror at one moment and roll their eyes when someone else does it seconds later. “The breaking point is when the person filming thinks they’re more important than the operation of the gym itself,” McMullen says. McMullen explained selfishness manifests in hogging a machine and taking way too long to find a perfect shot. It’s blocking dumbbells. It’s telling people to not get in the way of the camera. Essentially, the filming at the gym comes at everyone else’s expense. Not unlike people who use their phones at movie theaters, turn concerts into selfie opportunities, or treat bars like their living room, a person filming at a gym is using a public space as if it were private. To some, everything is content. At the same time, few people are particularly fond of becoming an involuntary background character in what’s socially understood as a shared space.Though many gyms have soft guidelines about respecting other people’s space, privacy, and time when filming, it seems all but impossible to go back to a world before phones and tripods. The best we can hope for is understanding that if you’re going to be annoying at the gym, be the least amount of annoying you can be. “The way to avoid being that person is to keep your setup compact and out of high traffic spaces, be quick to get your shot, don’t film during peak hours, and be aware of your surroundings,” McMillian, the director at Tone House, says. Not filming anyone without their consent, minimizing time on benches and machines people want to use, and keeping tripods out of walkways should be the baseline. McMullen, the personal trainer and thirst trapper, goes a little further. He thinks that if you’re on your phone at the gym, you shouldn’t be sitting on a machine or on equipment hogging up space — you should be standing, preferably in a corner out of everyone’s way. If you’re going to film at the gym, make sure it’s as empty as possible and that you’re in no one’s way. Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times via Getty ImagesHe also believes that any new gym opening up might as well lean into the filming aspect. This means designing the space and lighting to make filming as painless and efficient as possible. The less time people spend playing creative director, the less time everyone else will spend being irritated. Gyms could also implement rules like “no tripods” if they’ve already put in the work to be studio-ready. Despite these dreams of best practices and better gyms, there will always be someone who understands they’re annoying and does it anyway. “If you are so unbothered by the world at large around you that you can just throw ass in the mirror while knowing that everybody sees you doing it and is judging, then you’ve earned it,” McMullen says, comparing the glares and stares to a kind of social tax the oblivious are willing to pay. At that point, it’d be a bigger shame if they didn’t post.See More:

Industry insider Jeff Grubb has revealed an update on the shadow drop of Elder Scrolls Oblivion Remake, which is now feeling like the worst kept secret in gamingTech11:28, 15 Apr 2025Expect a sizeable visual upgrade(Image: Bethesda/4J Studios/Superscape)Microsoft, listen - you know it's coming, we know it's coming, so please give us the goods.After a series of reports over the last few months leading to suggestions an Elder Scrolls Oblivion Remake would debut this month, we reported more recently that the title would be a "shadow drop" for fans to jump into, seemingly without warning.‌Article continues belowA week later, and we're still waiting, and while some have started to question whether it's happening at all (including an Elder Scrolls-loving friend of mine...) we're seemingly just days away now.These things take time, and with Starfield in 2023 and Fallout 4 in 2015, it's now been almost 14 years since the last Elder Scrolls mainline title with Skyrim. An Oblivion Remake might not be a truly 'new' game, but everything we've heard suggests this is much more than a new coat of paint.‌Once again revealing an update via GameBreakingNews on Giant Bomb's YouTube channel, industry insider Jeff Grubb has narrowed down the date of the potential shadow drop."Alright, let's update on Oblivion and the shadow drop," Grubb said. "I'll give people a week now.""The week of April 21st, so basically the last week of this month - next week, essentially."‌"I think other people have said, but I've got separate confirmation that that will be the case," he added.Given Grubb's reputation, it seems pretty likely that we'll be playing Oblivion (again) in just a few short days.The game is reportedly being developed by Virtuos, which is also contributing to the Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater Delta Remake.‌We can barely contain our excitement(Image: Bethesda/4J Studios/Superscape)Earlier reports suggested the Elder Scrolls IV remake will see changes made to various in-game systems from the 2006 original, with blocking during combat apparently closer to a Soulslike title.Additionally, stealth, stamina, archery and the game's HUD will be reworked, as well as hit reaction from NPCs.‌Oblivion was an early title for the Xbox 360, arriving just a few months after the console before being ported to PS3 the following year.For more on Elder Scrolls, be sure to check out our rundown of everything announced last week for Elder Scrolls Online. We said:"With something new for old and fresh players alike, Elder Scrolls Online is showing no signs of slowing down in its 'old' age — and long may it continue."Article continues belowFor the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.‌‌‌

Nintendo Switch 2 physical games and accessories will be scarce at launch Michael Beckwith Published April 15, 2025 12:19pm Updated April 15, 2025 12:19pm How many of you already have yours pre-ordered? (Nintendo) There should be enough Nintendo Switch 2 consoles to go around, but accessories and physical games may be scarce at launch. After all this time, Nintendo’s launch plans for the Nintendo Switch 2 feel strangely underprepared. The April showcase wound up omitting a lot of important info, that fans have had to scramble to find on their own, including the price of the console and its games. As if that wasn’t enough, on the same day as the showcase, Donald Trump laid out his long-promised global tariff plans, which wound up forcing Nintendo to delay Switch 2 pre-orders in both the US and Canada. Even nearly two weeks later, there remains a lot of uncertainty, especially since Trump’s plans seem to keep changing, but reports suggest that Nintendo has got ahead of things and will have enough console stock to go around. Ahead of the Switch 2’s reveal, Nintendo said it was taking countermeasures to avoid stock shortages, namely by simply manufacturing a lot of consoles. While there are no official numbers, it’s claimed that, in the US at least, the Switch 2 should be relatively easy to come by once it arrives on June 5. On X, Nintendeal (who shares Nintendo related deals and is believed to have contacts at certain retailers) has said GameStop stores are expecting to receive about 100 consoles each. If so, that is a healthy amount of stock. However, the same may not apply to physical copies of games and Switch 2 accessories. That wouldn’t be too surprising since analysts warned months ago that Trump’s proposed tariffs would be detrimental to the physical games market and push companies into prioritising digital releases. These claims come after Bloomberg published a report saying Nintendo had already foreseen the effect tariffs would have on and managed to stockpile a lot of Switch 2 units in the US in February. As a reminder, Nintendo moved some of its console production out of China to Vietnam (since Trump was very public about imposing stronger tariffs on the former) and according to Bloomberg’s data, February 2025 saw Nintendo ship over 725,000 Switch 2 consoles from Vietnam to the US. That’s more than what was shipped in the previous six months combined. Not to mention it’s the vast majority of Nintendo’s global shipments, with only around 60,600 units going elsewhere. This doesn’t necessarily mean Nintendo is out of the woods though. Vietnam is still facing tariffs of 10% (which is down from the original 46%) and, according to a Nikkei Asia report, its shipments from China are expected to be subject to tariffs of a whopping 145%. There were reports of tech goods like smartphones and PCs being exempt from the tariffs, but it’s since been stated that any Chinese-made electronics will instead be moved to a different tariff ‘bucket’ (via BBC). Even though these tariffs are from the US, this is going to have ramifications for the rest of the world. In fact, Sony has already raised the price of the PlayStation 5 here in the UK as well as Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. More Trending As such, it wouldn’t be shocking if the Switch 2 saw a price hike too, though whether it will do so immediately or at a later date is unclear. But as unfair as it is, console manufacturers would prefer to raise the price by a smaller amount in all countries than increase it by a lot in only the US. Pre-orders have opened in the UK at select retailers, but they keep selling out almost imediately. Nintendo’s own online storefront still hasn’t made pre-orders available to the public, instead prioritising those with long-standing online subscriptions. This is part of the company’s efforts to counter scalpers, although it hasn’t been entirely successful since listings for Switch 2 pre-orders have popped up on eBay. Over in Japan, retailers are so eager to minimise scalping that they’re asking for members of the public to suggest countermeasures. According to Automaton, some ideas include making customers sign a warranty under their name, writing customers’ names inside the Switch 2 box, and even quizzing potential customers on their Nintendo knowledge. How much more would people be willing to spend on a Switch 2? (Nintendo) Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

Usually when a tech device is a huge hit, it’s harder to find at a great sale price, because people are so willing to pay full-freight for it. But the Meta Quest 3S, which is Amazon’s #1 best-seller in standalone virtual reality headsets, is defying that rule and going on sale for its lowest price ever, just $269. Actually it’s a whole bundle that’s on sale right now at Amazon for just $269 — the Meta Quest 3S VR headset, a download of the awesome Batman: Arkham Shadow game, the Touch Plus controllers you’ll need for games and workouts, and a free 3-month trial of Meta Quest+. The free add-ons of Batman: Arkham Shadows and the 3-month Meta Quest+ trial add up to $70 worth of free bonus content. See at Amazon So Real It’s Crazy The Meta Quest 3S shares the same super-powerful processor as the more-expensive Quest 3 — the Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2. Factor in this Amazon sale price and you’re getting the same processing power, same full-color passthrough technology for seamless transitions between VR and real-world settings, and many of the same other features you would get from the Quest 3 for a considerably lower price. It’s also a standalone device — the Meta Quest 3S doesn’t require a PC or gaming console for you to use. You just need a Meta account and a mobile device that you’ll use only for the inital setup. From there, the wireless VR headset and Touch Plus hand controllers are all you need to go along with your Meta account. Released this past October, the Meta Quest 3S is still selling like hotcakes at Amazon — over 10,000 more sold in just the past month. When you compare the Quest 3S to the previous-gen Quest 2 and see all of the upgrades and improvements, it’s easy to see why. The Meta Quest 3S has twice the graphics power of the Quest 2, and its advanced mixed-reality features are more interactive than ever. It’s also far easier to access social media accounts like WhatsApp and Instagram with the Meta Quest 3S. Don’t Forget the Games The Meta Quest 3S is great for social-media interaction and friend meet-ups, watching movies in the new and incredibly immersive Theater Mode, workouts, and even meditation sessions. But it’s a really amazing gaming platform, and this bundle comes with a free 3-month trial of Meta Quest+, which gives you access to a huge library of VR games, 2 new titles every month, and other great deals. The game that’s already built into the bundle, Batman: Arkham Shadow has been one of the biggest hit titles of the gaming world since it dropped last October. Arkham Shadow is the second VR Batman: Arkham game, and the amazingly detailed VR version of Gotham is every bit as grim and dangerous (and outrageously fun) as you would imagine it to be. Except this time you’re not seeing it on a flat screen — you feel like you’re actually in it, with the Meta Quest 3S headset and TruTouch haptics from the Touch Plus hand controllers giving you a powerful dose of reality. The Meta Quest 3S bundle with Batman: Arkham Shadow and free 3-month Meta Quest+ access is the perfect entrée into the ever-expanding world of VR interaction, especially now that it’s at its lowest price ever — just $269 at Amazon.  See at Amazon

Expo Osaka 2025 Opens in Japan as a Laboratory for Future SocietySave this picture!Expo Osaka 2025 aerial view. Image © Expo 2025 , OBAYASHI CORPORATION Co., Ltd, photo by shinwa Co., LtdExpo 2025 Osaka has officially opened on April 13, 2025, at Yumeshima, Osaka. Under the overarching theme "Designing Future Society for Our Lives," the Expo set out to explore three pivotal subthemes: Saving Lives, Empowering Lives, and Connecting Lives. These themes aim to unite architectural and design enthusiasts by demonstrating how cutting-edge technology and innovative solutions can address global challenges, foster dialogue inspire collective action. Save this picture!Save this picture!The Expo will span 184 days, from April 13 to October 13, 2025, transforming Yumeshima, a reclaimed site in Osaka Bay, into a hub of international collaboration and experimental architecture. The master plan, designed by Sou Fujimoto to embrace the natural beauty of the sea and sky, emphasizes "Unity in Diversity." It aims to unite the different sections of the Worl Expo through the introduction of the main architectural element of the event: the prominent Grand Ring, also designed by Sou Fujimoto, which has now become the largest wooden architectural structure in the world, according to the organizers.This structure integrates modern construction techniques with traditional Japanese Nuki joints, creating a blend of innovation and heritage. As the heart of the Expo, the Grand Ring will facilitate intuitive movement across the site, providing a comfortable and accessible experience for all visitors, while sheltering them from the elements. Related Article Expo 2025 Osaka: 8 Must-See National Pavilions Save this picture!Expo 2025 Osaka aims to attract participants from more than 160 countries and regions, each showcasing futuristic exhibits within approximately 80 architecturally unique pavilions. Highlights include the US pavilion's space travel focus, and Japan's contribution focused on the pluralities of life on earth.Save this picture!Save this picture!Several high-profile architects are contributing to the designs of the national pavilions. Among them are Kengo Kuma giving shape to the Qatar Pavilion by taking inspiration from the country's desert landscapes, Lina Ghotmeh working with the Bahrain Pavilion to showcase he nation's maritime heritage and craftsmanship, and Mario Cucinella Architects' bio-based design for Italy's contribution. Additionally, the France Pavilion by Coldefy and Carlo Ratti Associati illustrates the interaction between human and ecological habitats. Each national pavilion aims to become a platform for global dialogues on culture, heritage, innovation and environmental responsibility, further highlighting the Expo's architectural significance.We invite you to check out ArchDaily's comprehensive coverage of the Expo Osaka 2025. Image gallerySee allShow less About this author Cite: Maria-Cristina Florian. "Expo Osaka 2025 Opens in Japan as a Laboratory for Future Society" 15 Apr 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1029109/expo-osaka-2025-opens-in-japan-as-a-laboratory-for-future-society&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save世界上最受欢迎的建筑网站现已推出你的母语版本!想浏览ArchDaily中国吗?是否 You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

Pinpointing when animals became our companions is harder than it sounds. Every fossil find and genetic study tweaks what we think we know about the timeline or the circumstances under which domestication occurred. When it comes to cats, the story is still evolving. Scientists continue to debate where and how our feline friends first went from wild hunters to household companions.For a long time, ancient Egypt was thought to be the starting point — home of cat worship, divine felines, and famous mummified remains. But that idea was shaken by the discovery of a more-than 9,000-year-old grave on the island of Cyprus, where a cat was buried alongside a human. The age of the burial predates any known Egyptian records, hinting that cat domestication could have begun somewhere else.In a pair of preprint studies posted in March 2025 to bioRxiv, European researchers recently revisited this question — and introduced a gruesome theory: maybe cats were first tamed not to be pets, but to be sacrificed.European Wildcats and the Cyprus FindThe 9,500-year-old cat buried in Cyprus sparked theories that European wildcats could be the original ancestors of domestic cats. Some researchers thought these animals may have followed early farmers, gradually becoming tamer as they adapted to life around humans.To explore that possibility, one study led by Sean Doherty from the University of Exeter compared bone measurements of the Cyprus cat with bones from known wild and domestic cats across Europe. The results showed that the Cyprus cat was a European wildcat — no more closely related to modern domestic cats than the African wildcat is.To double-check, the other study led by Claudio Ottoni, a paleogeneticist at the University of Rome Tor Vergata, analyzed the cat’s nuclear DNA. His team confirmed the same result: the remains belonged to a wildcat. That meant the Cyprus find likely wasn’t an early domestic cat after all.Read More: Cats Ruled These 4 Ancient CivilizationsAncient Egypt and Cat MummiesGenetic analysis still points to the North African wildcat as the closest living relative to today’s domestic cat. Egyptian cat mummies dating from 500 to 0 B.C.E. remain the oldest confirmed examples of domesticated cats, reinforcing Egypt’s claim as the domestication hub.The usual explanation is that cats were drawn to human settlements by rodents, then gradually grew friendlier and stuck around. But it could be that cats were tamed incidentally as part of a large-scale religious industry. In ancient Egypt, people worshipped Bastet, a goddess often depicted with feline features. Mummified cats were common ritual offerings, and to meet demand, breeding centers were created to raise cats for sacrifice.Raising large numbers of cats in close quarters would have favored individuals that were more tolerant of people and other animals. Over time, this could have created a population of cats that were more docile and social than their wild ancestors.Egyptian Sacrifice? Not all experts are sold on the sacrifice theory, with some arguing that the Cyprus cat might still have been in the early stages of domestication. That leaves open the possibility that Europe played a role after all. What's more, other feline finds in Egypt have suggested that domestication had occurred or was at least in progress centuries before mass mummification practices began.So, did cats become our companions through cozy coexistence — or through cultish mass breeding and ritual death? The answer is still unfolding. What’s clear is that once domesticated, cats spread quickly — likely aided by Roman expansion — and now enjoy global popularity, with nearly a billion living among us.Read More: We've Relied on These 5 Animals Throughout HistoryArticle SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:Having worked as a biomedical research assistant in labs across three countries, Jenny excels at translating complex scientific concepts – ranging from medical breakthroughs and pharmacological discoveries to the latest in nutrition – into engaging, accessible content. Her interests extend to topics such as human evolution, psychology, and quirky animal stories. When she’s not immersed in a popular science book, you’ll find her catching waves or cruising around Vancouver Island on her longboard.

This article was originally featured on The Conversation. Languages are windows into the worlds of the people who speak them – reflecting what they value and experience daily. So perhaps it’s no surprise different languages highlight different areas of vocabulary. Scholars have noted that Mongolian has many horse-related words, that Maori has many words for ferns, and Japanese has many words related to taste. Some links are unsurprising, such as German having many words related to beer, or Fijian having many words for fish. The linguist Paul Zinsli wrote an entire book on Swiss-German words related to mountains. In our recently-published study we took a broad approach towards understanding the links between different languages and concepts. Using computational methods, we identified areas of vocabulary that are characteristic of specific languages, to provide insight into linguistic and cultural variation. Our work adds to a growing understanding of language, culture, and the way they both relate. Japanese has many words related to taste. One of these is umami, which is often used to describe the rich taste of matcha green tea. Image: DepositPhotos Our method We tested 163 links between languages and concepts, drawn from the literature. We compiled a digital dataset of 1574 bilingual dictionaries that translate between English and 616 different languages. Since many of these dictionaries were still under copyright, we only had access to counts of how often a particular word appeared in each dictionary. One example of a concept we looked at was “horse”, for which the top-scoring languages included French, German, Kazakh and Mongolian. This means dictionaries in these languages had a relatively high number of words for horses. For instance, Mongolian аргамаг means “a good racing or riding horse” words related to horses. For instance, Mongolian чөдөрлөх means “to hobble a horse”. However, it is also possible the counts were influenced by “horse” appearing in example sentences for unrelated terms. Not a hoax after all? Our findings support most links previously highlighted by researchers, including that Hindi has many words related to love and Japanese has many words related to obligation and duty. ‘Silk’ was one of the most popular concepts for Mandarin Chinese. Image: DepositPhotos Wan chengpeng We were especially interested in testing the idea that Inuit languages have many words for snow. This notorious claim has long been distorted and exaggerated. It has even been dismissed as the “great Eskimo vocabulary hoax”, with some experts saying it simply isn’t true. But our results suggest the Inuit snow vocabulary is indeed exceptional. Out of 616 languages, the language with the top score for “snow” was Eastern Canadian Inuktitut. The other two Inuit languages in our data set (Western Canadian Inuktitut and North Alaskan Inupiatun) also achieved high scores for “snow”. The Eastern Canadian Inuktitut dictionary in our dataset includes terms such as kikalukpok, which means “noisy walking on hard snow”, and apingaut, which means “first snow fall”. The top 20 languages for “snow” included several other languages of Alaska, such as Ahtena, Dena’ina and Central Alaskan Yupik, as well as Japanese and Scots. Scots includes terms such as doon-lay, meaning “a heavy fall of snow”, feughter meaning “a sudden, slight fall of snow”, and fuddum, meaning “snow drifting at intervals”. You can explore our findings using the tool we developed, which allows you to identify the top languages for any given concept, and the top concepts for a particular language. Language and environment Although the languages with top scores for “snow” are all spoken in snowy regions, the top-ranked languages for “rain” were not always from the rainiest parts of the world. For instance, South Africa has a medium level of rainfall, but languages from this region, such as Nyanja, East Taa and Shona, have many rain-related words. This is probably because, unlike snow, rain is important for human survival – which means people still talk about it in its absence. For speakers of East Taa, rain is both relatively rare and desirable. This is reflected in terms such as lábe ||núu-bâ, an “honorific form of address to thunder to bring rain” and |qába, which refers to the “ritual sprinkling of water or urine to bring rain”. Our tool can also be used to explore various concepts related to perception (“smell”), emotion (“love”) and cultural beliefs (“ghost”). The top-scoring languages for “smell” include a cluster of Oceanic languages such as Marshallese, which has terms such as jatbo meaning “smell of damp clothing”, meļļā meaning “smell of blood”, and aelel meaning “smell of fish, lingering on hands, body, or utensils”. Prior to our research, the smell terms of the Pacific Islands had received little attention. Some caveats Although our analysis reveals many interesting links between languages and concepts, the results aren’t always reliable – and should be checked against original dictionaries where possible. For example, the top concepts for Plautdietsch (Mennonite Low German) include von (“of”), den (“the”) and und (“and”) – all of which are unrevealing. We excluded similar words from other languages using Wiktionary, but our method did not filter out these common words for Plautdietsch. Also, the word counts reflect both dictionary definitions and other elements, such as example sentences. While our analysis excluded words that are especially likely to appear in example sentences (such as “woman” and “father”), such words could have still influenced our results to some extent. Most importantly, our results run the risk of perpetuating potentially harmful stereotypes if taken at face value. So we urge caution and respect while using the tool. The concepts it lists for any given language provide, at best, a crude reflection of the cultures associated with that language.

Nature, Published online: 15 April 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01147-3A graduate student from southeast Asia, now based in a European country and missing her homeland, agonizes over her next career move.

Clone Robotics' Protoclone android can be seen flexing its bionic muscles in a new video, creepily jerking its limbs back and forth as it hangs from the ceiling.