Big Picture Science

Fuhgeddaboudit (rebroadcast)

6 snips
Nov 7, 2022
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INSIGHT

Alphabetical Order Was A Late, Radical Choice

  • Alphabetical order developed slowly and wasn't always obvious or accepted.
  • Judith Flanders explains medieval and earlier societies used many other sorting systems.
ANECDOTE

Alphabetical Bias Affected School Selection

  • Seth recounts being disadvantaged in class lists because his name fell late in the alphabet.
  • He notes alphabetical ordering can create pervasive selection bias.
INSIGHT

Alphabetization's Era May Be Temporary

  • Alphabetization rose in prominence in the Middle Ages and may decline with digital search.
  • Judith Flanders suggests it could be an 800-year historical phase.
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