Language & Notation

Why we write and say things the way we do — spelling rules, units, numbers, and notation

Are Mandu, Gyoza, and Dim Sum the Same Thing? — Names That Don't Sit on the Same Level
Language & Notation

Are Mandu, Gyoza, and Dim Sum the Same Thing? — Names That Don't Sit on the Same Level

Line up mandu, gyoza, dim sum, and samosa and it feels natural to ask what separates them. But the names don't point at the same level to begin with — one is a whole style of eating, another a specific item, and the same written character can mean different foods depending on the country. We check what each of these words actually refers to.

#mandu#gyoza#dim sum#mantou#food classification#HS code
Converting Old Money to Today: Why There's No Single Answer
Language & Notation

Converting Old Money to Today: Why There's No Single Answer

If a painting sold for 400 francs in 1890, how much is that in today's money? It seems like there should be a single number—but economic historians use at least four different measures: real price (CPI), labor value (wages), income value (GDP per capita), and economic share (share of GDP). Pick a different measure, and the answer shifts by 54-fold or more—162-fold for a national-scale deal like the Alaska Purchase.

#inflation#currency value#CPI#purchasing power parity#economic history#Van Gogh