‘Proto' Review: Ancient Speech, Carried Far

Roughly five millennia ago, a small band of nomads set out from their homeland around the Black Sea. On the wide-open grasslands of the steppe, they honed their skills as horsemen and herders and worshiped a god they called Father Sky. They neither erected great landmarks nor penned any texts. Yet their legacy persists, hidden within the words of the languages spoken by more than three billion people today.
In 'Proto,' Laura Spinney details the centurieslong effort to reconstruct Proto-Indo-European (PIE), what linguists believe to be the mother tongue of a diverse constellation of languages from Sanskrit to Gaelic. Ms. Spinney, a journalist whose previous book, 'Pale Rider' (2017), charted the worldwide spread and cultural impact of the 1918 influenza epidemic, here demonstrates how the language of those humble, preliterate nomads radiated across the prehistoric world and how their myths and rituals may have helped sow the seeds of modern civilization. It's a comprehensive and at times dizzying account that draws from the latest archaeological and genetic research to craft a compelling portrait of a people thought lost to time.
Thinkers from Dante to Leibniz had long noticed peculiar similarities among languages from far-flung places. But it wasn't until 1786, when William Jones, a British judge stationed in India, proposed a link among Latin, Greek and Sanskrit, that the idea of a common lingual ancestor was taken seriously. Since then, researchers have developed a hypothetical vocabulary for PIE that consists of about 1,600 word stems, which form the basis of many of our most common words. For example, 'daughter' in English, 'thugátēr' in Greek and 'duhitár' in Sanskrit are all believed to have been derived from a common PIE root that was transformed by local speech patterns over time. In this, Ms. Spinney sees 'a seam that connects east and west; a fiber stretched taut between them that thrums in all of us.'
While it's not clear precisely why PIE was able to establish such a wide domain, Ms. Spinney suggests that commerce likely played a role. 'In all of recorded history,' she writes, 'you'd be hard-pressed to find a single example of human beings trading in high-value goods without an effective means of communication.' By 4500 B.C., commodities such as gold, copper and salt were moving along a vast trade network centered on the Black Sea. PIE may have first spread thanks to its association with these valuable luxuries.

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2 days ago

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Let's celebrate: Today is the summer solstice, the longest day of the year

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2 days ago

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‘The biggest betrayal': A year on, staff grieve Ontario Science Centre's snap closure

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Critics have blasted the decision, noting that the report presented several options other than full closure, and have suggested the whole plan to move the science centre to a revamped Ontario Place was designed to lessen the heat a more controversial tenant — a waterpark and spa by European company Therme — has generated. Infrastructure Minister Kinga Surma has said she did not want to jeopardize anyone's safety with the science centre's roof panels at risk of collapse. The workers do not buy it. Toronto set a weather record in 2024 with 1,145 millimetres of precipitation, which included two 'once-in-a-century' storms that flooded thousands of homes last summer and the city's snowiest winter in years. 'And the science centre is still standing,' said Raluca Ellis, the president of Local 549 of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union. 'It just seems like it was a manufactured crisis and that's the biggest betrayal.' 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'Planning is underway for our new home at Ontario Place, with a competitive design process for our new flagship location on Toronto's waterfront,' Kortenaar said in a statement. Management is working on a 10-year master plan for the new science centre, he wrote. 'This work reflects our broader vision: we are reimagining what a science centre can be — not only a building, but a dynamic, provincewide platform for learning, discovery and connection.' The connection between management and workers has frayed since the closure. Working from home is not in the employees' DNA, said Ellis, the Local 549 president. 'We are not working in ideal conditions and many ask why we put up with this and the answer is because we love the science centre, but ever since we were shut down, we've lost that essence of what the science centre is,' she said. More than 20 union members have taken buyout packages over the past year, Ellis said, most due to the sudden change in job conditions. And the hope that workers could reunite in person at a new interim location was recently dashed. 'They told me the timeline for the interim location has been changed, that the process has paused and we don't know what the new timeline is,' Ellis said. For union steward Martin Fischer, who works in the education department, the loss of the original building has been 'heartbreaking.' 'It's been extremely difficult,' said Fischer, who describes himself and many colleagues as neurodivergent. 'I'm somebody who needs a physical workplace, I thrived in the environment at the science centre, being with classes a few hours a day, it could be kindergarten, it could be a high school class, it'd be adult and then I'd maybe go talk to the shops to help design and build stuff for the school program, but that's all gone now,' he said. He still goes to schools for presentations, but he also spends a lot of time at home in front of his computer. 'It's just not the same,' he said. 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Business Wire

5 days ago

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DESKi Closes $6M Seed Round to Bring AI-Powered Heart Scans to Market

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This milestone builds on growing momentum for HeartFocus, which recently received FDA clearance, along with a Predetermined Change Control Plan (PCCP) that makes it easier to update and expand the software over time. Clinical studies also showed that even first-time users, guided by HeartFocus AI, can capture diagnostic-quality heart scans. 'This funding moves us one step closer to a world where early heart disease detection is possible at any point of care,' said Dr. Bertrand Moal, MD, PhD, CEO and co-founder of DESKi. 'It allows us to continue improving HeartFocus and ensures that more providers can access the tools they need to deliver life-saving diagnoses.' Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the U.S. and around the world, yet access to echocardiography is often limited by a shortage of trained specialists. HeartFocus bridges this gap with real-time AI guidance that enables any healthcare professional to perform cardiac ultrasounds after just a few hours of training, making early diagnosis possible even in primary care, rural clinics, and other resource-limited settings. 'With Heartfocus, DESKi is tackling one of the most urgent challenges in healthcare: how to make life-saving diagnostics available far beyond the walls of a hospital,' said Léa Zaslavsky, Partner at Racine². 'We are proud to lead this round and support the company's evolution from clinical validation to real-world impact.' 'We invest in solutions that improve the patient journey for better care at better costs,' said Sophie Pierrin Lepinard, Director of Partnerships at BNPParibas Développement. 'We believe HeartFocus is uniquely positioned to transform how cardiovascular disease is detected and managed worldwide, with faster access, and we're excited to continue supporting the team as they bring innovation to a variety of care settings.' 'Épopée is honored to support this milestone and contribute to the international expansion of a high-impact ultrasound solution' said Camille Le Roux Larsabal, VC Partner at Épopée Gestion. For more information, visit About HeartFocus HeartFocus is a revolutionary, AI-driven heart exam software that empowers any healthcare professional to perform world-class echos from any device, anywhere. Created in 2023 by French brothers Bertrand and Olivier Moal, HeartFocus leverages proprietary and ground-breaking algorithms trained on over 10 million data points and validated through clinical trials. Bertrand, a Medical Doctor with a PhD in biomechanical engineering, and Olivier, a Berkeley and EPFL engineering alum, were moved by the devastating impact of cardiovascular disease exacerbated by increasingly overburdened healthcare systems. Driven by the belief No heart can wait™, HeartFocus provides a life-saving solution for heart patients, facilitating early detection and disease prevention. In 2024, HeartFocus was awarded the coveted France 2030 Award by the French Ministry of Health and is currently partnered with several US and European app platforms and Software Development Kit providers to bring the technology to healthcare providers globally. HeartFocus is the latest offering by DESKi, a provider of innovative AI products developed in conjunction with medical practitioners and researchers. For more information visit About Serena and Racine 2 Serena is one of Europe's leading venture capital funds, with 1 billion euros under management. In February 2025, the fund was recognized among the Top 5% value-add seed investors by Dealroom. Founded in 2008, Serena invests at early stages, from seed to series A, and supports innovative and ambitious entrepreneurs' success to serve a better world. Born of the profound conviction that a venture capital fund should be at the service of its portfolio companies, Serena has set up the largest operational platform team in Europe and the most active startup community, the Serena Squad, with more than 550 active C-levels. Serena focuses on AI, SaaS, Climate Tech, Deep Tech, and Impact. Serena has invested in more than 100 startups with several international success stories such as Dataiku, Malt, The Fork, Electra, Descartes Underwriting, Accenta, Lifen, and AramisAuto. Combating climate change, protecting biodiversity, promoting sustainability, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of Serena's DNA. Racine 2 is an impact investment fund operated by makesense and Serena for MGEN. With €85 million, it supports innovative and ambitious companies that generate a positive impact on society and its environment. The fund focuses on 4 areas: physical activity and sports, sustainable lifestyles, education for all, and preservation of the environment and health.