Entertainment

Merriam-Webster picks ‘vaccine’ as the 2021 word of the year

With an expanded definition to reflect the times, Merriam-Webster has declared an omnipresent truth as its 2021 word of the year: vaccine.

“This was a word that was extremely high in our data every single day in 2021,” Peter Sokolowski, Merriam-Webster’s editor-at-large, told The Associated Press ahead of Monday’s announcement.

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“It really represents two different stories. One is the science story, which is this remarkable speed with which the vaccines were developed. But there’s also the debates regarding policy, politics, and political affiliation. It’s one word that carries these two huge stories,” he said.

The selection follows “vax” as word of the year from the folks who publish the Oxford English Dictionary. And it comes after Merriam-Webster chose “pandemic” as tops in lookups last year on its online site.

“The pandemic was the gun going off and now we have the aftereffects,” Sokolowski said.

At Merriam-Webster, lookups for “vaccine” increased 601 percent over 2020, when the first US shot was administered in New York in December after quick development, and months of speculation and discussion over efficacy. The world’s first jab occurred earlier that month in the UK.

Compared to 2019, when there was little urgency or chatter about vaccines, Merriam-Webster logged an increase of 1,048 percent in lookups this year.

Debates over inequitable distribution, vaccine mandates and boosters kept interest high, Sokolowski said. So did vaccine hesitancy and friction over vaccine passports.

The word “vaccine” wasn’t birthed in a day, or due to a single pandemic. The first known use stretches back to 1882 but references pop up earlier related to fluid from cowpox pustules used in inoculations, Sokolowski said.

It was borrowed from the New Latin “vaccina,” which goes back to Latin’s feminine “vaccinus,” meaning “of or from a cow.” The Latin for cow is “vacca,” a word that might be akin to the Sanskrit “vasa,” according to Merriam-Webster.

Inoculation, on the other hand, dates to 1714, in one sense referring to the act of injecting an “inoculum.”

Earlier this year, Merriam-Webster added to its online entry for “vaccine” to cover all the talk of mRNA vaccines, or messenger vaccines such as those for COVID-19 developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.

While other dictionary companies choose words of the year by committee, Merriam-Webster bases its selection on lookup data, paying close attention to spikes and, more recently, year-over-year increases in searches after weeding out evergreens.

The company has been declaring a word of the year since 2008.

Among its runners-up in the word biography of 2021:

INSURRECTION: Interest was driven by the deadly Jan. 6 siege on the US Capitol. Arrests continue, as do congressional hearings over the attack by supporters of President Donald Trump. Some of Trump’s allies have resisted subpoenas, including Steve Bannon.

Searches for the word increased by 61,000 percent over 2020, Sokolowksi said.

INFRASTRUCTURE: President Joe Biden was able to deliver what Trump often spoke of but never achieved: A bipartisan infrastructure bill signed into law. When Biden proposed help with broadband access, eldercare and preschool, conversation changed from not only roads and bridges but “figurative infrastructure,” Sokolowski said.

“Many people asked, what is infrastructure if it’s not made out of steel or concrete? Infrastructure, in Latin, means underneath the structure,” he said.

PERSEVERANCE: It’s the name of NASA’s latest Mars rover. It landed Feb. 18, 2021. “Perseverance is the most sophisticated rover NASA has ever sent to the Red Planet, with a name that embodies NASA’s passion, and our nation’s capability, to take on and overcome challenges,” the space agency said.

The name was thought up by Alexander Mather, a 14-year-old seventh-grader at Lake Braddock Secondary School in Burke, Virginia. He participated in an essay contest organized by NASA. He was one of 28,000 K-12 students to submit entries.

NOMAD: The word had its moment with the 2020 release of the film “Nomadland.” It went on to win three Oscars in April 2021, including best picture, director (Chloé Zhao) and actress (Frances McDormand). Zhao became the first woman of color to win best director.

The AP’s film writer Jake Coyle called the indie success “a plain-spoken meditation on solitude, grief and grit. He wrote that it “struck a chord in a pandemic-ravaged year. It made for an unlikely Oscar champ: A film about people who gravitate to the margins took center stage.”

Other words in Merriam-Webster’s Top 10: Cicada (we had an invasion), guardian (the Cleveland Indians became the Cleveland Guardians), meta (the lofty new name of Facebook’s parent company), cisgender (a gender identity that corresponds to one’s sex assigned at birth), woke (charged with politics and political correctness) and murraya (a tropical tree and the word that won the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee for 14-year-old Zaila Avant-garde).

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Entertainment

ASPIRE’s A2RL Debuts Autonomous Racing Car in Abu Dhabi

-Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League to hold its first event in April 2024

– A2RL introduces an enhanced version of the 300 km/h Japanese Super Formula SF23 racing car

– Autonomous technology testing commences ahead of inaugural race in April 2024

ASPIRE’s grand challenge, the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League – A2RL, has for the first time revealed its autonomous, highly modified Super Formula SF23 development car. The first glimpse
unfolded at ASPIRE’s offices in Abu Dhabi, near the world-famous Yas Marina Circuit, where the premier event of the season – the Formula 1 (F1) Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2023 – is currently underway. The same venue will play host to the inaugural A2RL racing event scheduled for next April. Globally acclaimed journalists, representing the world’s most reputable automotive and
racing publications, were also present during the car’s spectacular reveal – further solidifying
the cars status as a trailblazer in the motorsports industry. In April 2024, ten teams spanning North America, Europe, the UAE, and Asia will battle it out to claim a stake in the US$2.25 million purse. The series aims to accelerate autonomous driving development and innovation, pushing the
technology forward for the eventual benefit of road car safety. The new series makes the best use of the forward-thinking and blisteringly quick Super Formula SF23 racing car, developed by motorsport powerhouse Dalarra. All cars will come equipped with an array of sensors and control units as well as a basic level of autonomous performance. The autonomous car unveiled today was fresh off the track, having completed a successful week of testing. Attendees were shown how A2RL’s extensive testing programme has begun to refine the base SF23 platform. This includes validating an array of sensors, controlmodules, and autonomous control software. Once finalized, this base platform will be madeavailable to the ten teams participating in the inaugural A2RL race at Yas Marina Circuit onApril 28, 2024.

His Excellency Faisal Al Bannai, Secretary General of the Advanced Technology
Research Council, ASPIREs parent entity, said, “This is an exciting opportunity to use
extreme sports as the basis for delivering technical advances. A2RL represents an
investment that will contribute to building an autonomous mobility ecosystem in Abu Dhabi,
showcasing safe deployment and encouraging OEM investments for widespread adoption,
ultimately enhancing road safety.”
Stephane Timpano, CEO at ASPIRE, commented: “We are thrilled to debut the A2RL
autonomous racing car to global media. It was an exciting opportunity to discuss our latest
developments and testing while also highlighting the motivation and competitors behind the
competition. A2RL will be the largest autonomous racing league in the world, shifting focus
from drivers to the engineers, scientists, and programmers behind brilliant autonomous
racing systems.”

Entertainment

Hollywood’s video game performers authorize strike if labor talks fail

Video game voice actors and motion capture performers have voted to authorize a strike if negotiations on a new labor contract fail, setting the stage for another possible work stoppage in Hollywood.

After voting closed on Monday, the SAG-AFTRA union said 98.32 percent of those who cast ballots had voted in favor of authorizing a strike.

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The union is scheduled to begin contract talks with gaming companies on Tuesday.

SAG-AFTRA is the same union representing film and television actors who went on strike in July, putting Hollywood in the midst of two simultaneous work stoppages for the first time in 63 years.

In May, roughly 11,500 Writers Guild of America members walked off the job. The writers union reached a preliminary labor agreement with major studios on Sunday.

The SAG-AFTRA agreement covering video game performers expired last November and has been extended on a monthly basis as the union negotiated with major video game companies.

The most pressing issues for SAG-AFTRA are higher pay, medical treatment and breaks for motion capture performers, and protection against artificial intelligence (AI).

These worries echo those brought by Hollywood writers and SAG-AFTRA members under a different contract.

“This is at an inflection point for our industry. In particular with AI, because right now there aren’t any protections,” Ashly Burch, “Horizon Zero Dawn” video game voice actor, told Reuters.

“So, there’s every possibility that someone could sign a contract and be signing away the right to their voice or their movement,” Burch added.

SAG-AFTRA is seeking wage increases for video game performers, saying their pay has not kept pace with inflation, and more protections for the motion-capture performers who wear markers or sensors on the skin or a body suit to help game makers create characters’ movements.

The union is asking for “on-camera performers to have the same five minutes per hour rest period that off-camera performers are entitles to,” SAG-AFTRA said in a statement on its website.

The union will be negotiating with large video game companies, including Activision Blizzard, Electronic Arts, Epic Games, Formosa Interactive and others.

“We will continue to negotiate in good faith to reach an agreement that reflects the important contributions of SAG-AFTRA-represented performers in video games,” Audrey Cooling said Monday on behalf of the video game companies, following the strike authorization vote results.

“We have reached tentative agreements on over half of the proposals and are optimistic we can find a resolution at the bargaining.”

Striking writers, Hollywood studios to meet again to resolve five-month standoff

Striking Hollywood writers, studios to resume negotiations next week

Entertainment

Mohammed Sherif: Deep dive into the ancient martial art of ‘Kalarippayat’

‘Kalarippayat,’ originating in the South Indian state of Kerala, is considered “a complete martial art,” as it incorporates unique fighting techniques and scientific exercises based on the traditional understanding of human anatomy – something that the latest findings on exercise science and sports medicine are rediscovering.
“Kalarippayat is also the only martial art in the world that has a comprehensive traditional sports medicine for accidents and sports-related injuries, which is unparalleled in any other system,” said 69-year-old international Kalarippayat gurukkal or master, Chirammal Mohammed Sherif, who has spent more than 55 years, learning and perfecting the intricacies of a tradition and knowledge system that is 5,000 years old and has been transmitted through oral sources and also written down in palm leaf manuscripts, similar to that of Yoga and Ayurveda.
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‘Kalari Marma Chikitsa’ or therapy treats the vital body points, releasing positive energy throughout the body.
Sherif Gurukkal’s passion for Kalarippayattu and his dedication to preserving and propagating this traditional martial art have led him to become one of the pioneers in introducing Kalarippayattu to the West.

Chirammal Mohammed Sherif (left), in his younger days, honing his weapong fighting skills. (Supplied)

He started teaching European students as far back as 1986 and played a pivotal role in spreading the knowledge and practice of Kalarippayattu across Europe and other countries, with many of his students now teaching this ancient art in countries such as Germany, France, Italy, Latvia, Poland, the UK, Turkey, USA, and Japan.
Sherif Gurukkal is visiting Dubai after having recently toured Europe.
Instead of mythologizing, Sherif Gurukkal is focused on the scientific benefits of Kalari and says that the latest medical findings on the neuromyofascial web (NFW), the fluid-like connective tissue within the human structure that overrides even our nervous system and correlates with the practice of Kalarippayat.
Sherif Gurukkal has also treated and trained world-famous sportspersons – among them, a World Kickboxing champion, an Olympic fencer, marathon runners, and others. He is of the opinion that Kalari treatment and practice are extremely useful in attaining peak fitness, quick recovery from sports injuries, and extending the sporting life of athletes at the highest level.
“The practice of Kalarippayat is very good for the training attributes necessary for almost every sport, particularly football, basketball, tennis, boxing, kickboxing, fencing, and athletics. With the Arabian Gulf region emerging as a center of excellence in sports, Kalari Marma treatment can play a very vital role,” he says.

Most ancient martial art in the world

Kalarippayat, or Kalari, is considered the most ancient martial art in the world. ‘Kalari’ can be translated literally as the place where exercises are taught and ‘payat’ as the art of combat. It is a holistic martial art involving training in armed and unarmed combat and a complete treatment system for injuries.

Kalarippayat is a holistic martial art involving training in armed and unarmed combat and a complete treatment system for injuries. (Supplied)

Kalarippayat training, being extremely comprehensive and scientific, allows students to develop high levels of fitness, self-confidence, and technical ability, thereby enabling very effective self-defense.
Traditionally, training is divided into four areas: body control exercises; training with wooden weapons such as longstick, shortstick, otta (in the shape of an elephant tusk); training with metal and sharp-edged weapons (sword, dagger, spear etc); and unarmed combat, using marmas of the vital/vulnerable body points.
The training helps develop abilities like speed, agility, strength, flexibility and coordination. These qualities are needed for a variety of stances, foot movements, kicks, blocks, strikes, and jumps.

Kalarippayat training helps develop abilities like speed, agility, strength, flexibility and coordination. (Supplied)

The weapon training, in tandem with a partner, includes striking, blocking, locks and other disarming and controlling techniques that also improve reflexes and focus.

Trained in three styles

Born in a North Kerala family with a warrior lineage of more than 300 years, Sherif was fortunate to train under the best masters of that time who came from authentic lineages from all three styles: Northern style, Southern style, and Central style, all of which are prevalent now.
Having lost his father at the age of seven, Sherif Gurukkal recalls the care and immense love he received from his Kalari teachers through the years, who instilled in him the quality of never giving up, no matter what. “This resolve took me on the path of a relatively obscure martial art at that time, mastering it and spreading it to different countries,” Sherif said.
“The philosophy of Kalari is of patience and perseverance, along with a very positive attitude and the ability to learn from one’s own mistakes,” he said, adding: “The training was very hard in those days: Non-stop training every day for three hours throughout the four months of the monsoon season and undergoing powerful Kalari massage every year for two weeks. This makes your body strong and flexible like a panther.”
In 1986, Sherif Gurukkal started receiving students from Europe. “Apart from being attracted to Indian culture, quite a few of them found out that Kalari helped them find an answer to life’s many challenges, such as troubled childhood, mental issues, and drug addiction. As soon as they started practising, quite a few of whom were depressed, they found out that they could shake off their despondence. Those who were diabetic soon brought the condition under control with a long-term effect,” he further said.

Mohammed Sherif gurukkal, with a group of his senior and junior students, pose in front of the Malabar Kalarippayat Academy in Kannur, Kerala. (Supplied)

For Sherif Gurukkal, teaching students from the West was a challenge because they wanted to know the ‘why’ of everything. “So, I had to learn more and always keep updating myself – just like a student.”
Recalling his younger days, he says: “I was concentrating more on learning fighting skills, but eventually, I realized I was missing something that I saw my teachers practise. I observed that they were always helping the poor who could not afford modern treatment. They considered it as their duty towards the community. In many cases, Kalari ‘marma’ treatment was highly effective – even more than other systems – cost-wise and also in terms of less time consumed.”
In the past, it was very common in Kerala to approach the Kalari masters for treatment of any sort of neuro-muscular-skeletal injuries because the knowledge for this treatment form was garnered over thousands of years, coupled with first-hand experience of taking care of injuries sustained during the practise of Kalari.
In Europe, too, Sherif Gurukkal finds that Kalari Marma (vital body point) treatment is becoming popular among leading sportspersons as it often helps them avoid surgeries – especially of the knees and the back – which could sometimes end their careers.
“Apart from my own experience as a healer, I have observed that Kalari treatment is highly effective for various types of sports injuries, as well back pain, neck and shoulder issues, migraine, headaches, vertigo, knee pain, tennis elbow, postural problems, proprioception (perception or awareness of the position and movement of the body) issues, emotional problems arising out of physical reasons,” he said.
“The various therapies practised can lead to a dramatic improvement in many common disorders, such as lumbago, rheumatoid arthritis, tendinitis, and cervical spondylosis,” he added.
To further illustrate the point, he says: “For example, a person who gets angry very quickly can be having a neck problem as well as depression, according to the science of Marma.”
He says it has been recently observed that Kalarippayat training and treatment are highly effective for differently-abled children, especially those with autism and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).
Some of Sherif Gurukkal’s European students are professional athletes who found Kalari training very useful for their specific sport.
Sherif has had the privilege of training and providing sports injury treatments to an impressive roster of international athletes, notably Joppe Lemmens (Germany), two-time world title holder in kickboxing under WAKO (World Association of Kickboxing Organizations); Mark Leo Lemmens (Germany); European kickboxing champion; Jessilyn Morton (USA), marathon runner, winner of Bighorn100; Eduardo Lupiere (Italy), Italian Olympic fencer, under-18 champion in Youth Olympics 2010, under-20 youth world championship 2011, and European Champion 2011, with multiple silver medals in Junior World Championships; Srdjan Jovanovic (Czech Republic), basketball player for the Czech Republic team. Numerous Yoga instructors were also treated by him.
“Leading kickboxing champion Joppe Lemmens suffered multiple injuries during training and fighting. Doctors advised him to stop performing. However, our treatment helped him win the world title,” says Sherif Gurukkal, who believes that Kalari Marma treatment “is a boon for humanity in terms of pain relief.”
“More professionals are coming forward to learn Kalari Marma, along with Kalarippayat training,” he added.
Some of Sherif Gurukkal’s advanced students include Steffen Geissler, a manipulative and physiotherapist from Hannover, Germany, for the past 28 years; Nelly Dargent, an osteopath for the past 18 years from Toulouse, France; Gero Gorancy, exercise science specialist from Hamburg, Germany; and Kamila Ewa Hitzer, a massage therapist from Hamburg, Germany.

Importance of the fascial web

Sherif Gurukkal says today, there is a newfound interest in the medical field in the study of the fascial system of the human body, also known as the fascial web, in relation to the health of the individual.
Modern medical science has come to realize the vastness of this neuromyofascial web (NFW) within the human body, and since then, researchers throughout the world have been investigating the significance of this discovery. Much more research is needed to clearly identify the role of NFW, but it appears the fascial web communicates joint position sense and even muscular tension faster than the nervous system.
Interestingly, Sherif Gurukkal notes that Kalari Marma treatment reaches deep into the body and works on the muscles, ligaments, bones and the Marma points located under the fascia, predated thousands of years of modern fascia-based forms of therapy.
“This knowledge was part and parcel of our society in Kerala for thousands of years and integrated through the practise of Kalarippayat and its parallel Kalari Marma treatment,” Sherif said.
The massage practice in Kalarai Marma treatment is paramount in the application of the concept of rehydration of the body. Undergoing this treatment for a prescribed period once a year restores body functions and facilitates overall well-being.
The theory of Kalari highlights the physical substrate of an energetic body. By applying pressure through massage and acupressure, it can not only release adhesions and tensions in the gross body, helping one to return to normal function, but can also open up the nodes in the body and facilitate the return of energy flow within an individual’s body. In the same way, martial arts trains a practitioner to attack and defend these Marma points, as this is the simplest way to stop the aggression of any opponent without causing any lasting harm.
Just as acupressure to the Marma point encourages energy flow, a correctly aimed attack can hinder energy flow, leading to numbness, paralysis, pain and /or loss of consciousness.
A revival technique can later be applied to return the aggressor to normal function. This way, there is no lasting harm.
“In both martial and healing art, there is a deep understanding of the NFW and expert knowledge on how to keep it in good condition. This knowledge remains intact to a great extent in the stronger lineages of Kalarippayat in Kerala and those practitioners carry an understanding that may prove vital in our future investigation of this body-wide intelligence,” says Sherif Gurukkal.
Unlike modern anatomical understanding, muscles are not seen as segments but as an interconnected chain. So, if one chain is affected, it gradually affects all other chains.
“Therefore, if you had an ankle sprain in the past, it will affect this chain, gradually producing knee pain, then back pain, and possibly the shoulder will gradually be affected, leading to migraine attacks. It all started from an ankle sprain, which was not treated properly,” he says.
International recognition
Sherif Gurukkal has donned the role of a cultural ambassador. He was sponsored by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) under the Ministry of External Affairs, representing India and its rich martial heritage at prestigious platforms abroad, from the East to the West. He has also been featured in leading martial arts media and publications.
“I have a dream to have an international center for Kalari Marma treatment in Dubai, addressing sports injuries to athletes from all over the world because the UAE and the Gulf countries are promoting sports and tourism in a big way that is creating waves internationally,” he reasoned.
Sherif Gurukkal’s journey is a testament to his unwavering commitment to preserving, promoting and advancing the ancient art of Kalarippayattu. Through his tireless efforts, he has not only showcased the rich cultural heritage of India but has also inspired countless individuals to embrace the profound wisdom and grace of this form of martial art.
His contributions continue to resonate globally, leaving an indelible mark on the world of martial arts and healing practices.