Deciphering the large-scale patterns of the written record
A recent study led by SFI External Professor Marten Scheffer identified a set of striking patterns in the written record that suggest that, in the universe of language, an era framed by sentiment and individuality has been on the rise for decades. A response from External Professor Simon DeDeo gives a replication of the findings with similar results and also offers remarks on both the methodological challenges and some of the interpretive questions the work raises.