jargon

A new study finds that common climate change terms can be confusing to the public. That includes phrases that describe the transition from fossil fuels to cleaner sources of energy. Here, wind turbines operate near a coal-fired power plant in Germany.

Science

Enough With The Climate Jargon: Scientists Aim For Clearer Messages On Global Warming

9:21am September 08, 2021

by Rebecca Hersher

People are likely to be confused by common terms such as "mitigation" and "carbon neutral," according to a recent study. How can scientists do a better job communicating about global warming?

Last year, in her first year of medical school at Harvard, Pooja Chandrashekar recruited 175 multilingual health profession students from around the U.S. to create simple and accurate fact sheets about COVID-19 in 40 languages.

How Medical Jargon Can Make COVID Health Disparities Even Worse

1:43pm May 24, 2021

by Fran Kritz

There's a lot of room for dangerous misunderstanding when doctors and public health officials talk to diverse groups about COVID-19. Health literacy projects aim to dispel confusion in all languages.

Belittled and unloved, corporate jargon endures, even thrives.

National

Forgive Me, For I Have Sinned ... Against The English Language

3:34pm November 18, 2020

by Uri Berliner

Corporate jargon endures, even thrives. I'll loop you in. Deep dive. Best practice. Moving forward. The use of such phrases can often be tied to where people stand in a social hierarchy.

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Daisy, the only dog Scott Simon's kids will get, runs on the beach in France.

Arts

Opinion: Want Another Dog, Kids? Let's 'Have That Conversation'

12:10pm May 25, 2019

by Scott Simon

"I think we should have that conversation" is this era's preferred nonanswer for politicians trying to avoid tricky subjects, NPR's Scott Simon says.

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