Apparently,
from words you use to write a story or an article - how many in number,
how they are placed, how often you repeat the same words or
expressions; the experts of linguistic science can tell whether you
suffer, or about to develop, Alzheimer or some kind of dementia. I
didn't know that, did you?
Two investigators of the University of Toronto have concluded, after analysing the linguistic of the novels of Agatha Christie, that the famous British authoress had likely suffered Alzheimer. The study, carried out by Ian Lancashire, professor of the English Department, and by Graeme Hirst, professor of the Informative Science Department, thoroughly analysed 16 novels Christie wrote in the period when she was between 28 and 82 years old, after the digitalisation of her work. The authors counted the numbers of the vocabulary used in the first 50.000 words of each novel. Then they counted the number of different types of phrases. Finally, this is very interesting and rather intriguing, the number of repetitions of infinitives of the verbs. How very curious! The possibility of a connection is way, way above my head! According to Lancashire and Hirst, the analysis suggested that the repetition of phrases and, in particular, the use of indefinite terms, are 'significant signs of invasive dementia.'. They informed that at present, they are analysing works of other authors who had not been suspected of the disease. Should I read this little Blog now from the beginning, and start counting ...? On second thought, what's the point if one is predestined to the disease? I might as well concentrate on more pleasurable things while I still can. |
Current Mood: 
Blah
Blah
No comments:
Post a Comment