Being an academic, I regularly attend seminars on topics that may not be interesting to anyone else on the planet. Prior to the talk, an abstract is sent out by the speaker to give us an insight into what he/she will be discussing. A good abstract should be no more than an essential summary of what the speaker will discuss; it is usually no more than a paragraph in length, and is often tersely worded. The rare exceptions to this length requirement usually aren't the best at conveying the ... Read this and 10 comments.

One of my passions is the English language. I enjoy the flexibility and mutability of its structure and meaning, and in day to day conversations this inherent fuzziness makes up a large part of what I consider humorous. The normally flexibility of English is in stark contrast to the rigid definitions and strict interpretations that are found within technical jargon. This makes technical jargon ripe for manipulation and humorous interpretation when you relax the rigidness with which the words ... Read this and 16 comments.