FYI: Findings

ILLUSTRATION: STEVEN VEACH

Placeholder author icon
By W. Barksdale Maynard ’88

Published Jan. 21, 2016

1 min read

Tweeting with a group of like-minded people on TWITTER means you are likely to use language the same way they do. That’s the ­finding of postdoctoral research associate Sebastian Funk and ­scientists from Royal Holloway, University of London, who discovered that groups of people who form communities on Twitter use their own distinctive languages. The researchers observed that those with similar interests  would misspell words the same way, so Justin Bieber fans were more likely to tweet the misspelling “pleasee.” The study was published in EPJ Data Science in ­February.

In a paper titled “Don’t Come Home, America: The Case Against Retrenchment” in the winter 2012–13 issue of the journal International Security, Professor of ­Politics and International Affairs G. John Ikenberry and co-authors Stephen G. Brooks and William C. Wohlforth ask whether the United States ought to withdraw from its prominent role as arbiter of world disputes, reversing course after 65 years of top GLOBAL LEADERSHIP. “According to many of the most prominent security-studies scholars — and indeed most scholars who write on the future of U.S. grand strategy — the answer is an unambiguous yes,” the authors note. But they urge continued involvement, saying that the benefits of leadership — including reducing the necessity for our allies to build huge military forces — outweigh the considerable financial costs.

0 Responses

Join the conversation

Plain text

Full name and Princeton affiliation (if applicable) are required for all published comments. For more information, view our commenting policy. Responses are limited to 500 words for online and 250 words for print consideration.

Related News

Newsletters.
Get More From PAW In Your Inbox.

Learn More

Title complimentary graphics