Slog

News & Arts

Line Out

Music & Nightlife

« Fisking Fay | Vegetarian Masterpieces »

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Science Space Sugar

Posted by Charles Mudede on Tue, Nov 25, 2008 at 8:33 AM

A Headline:
Milky Way's sweetness throughout

An image:

A story:

A simple sugar that is an ingredient of life has been found for the first time in a relatively hospitable part of the galaxy.

As molecules go, glycolaldehyde is not an impressive one, but its link to the origins of life make it significant.

A sweet note:
The word "sweet" originally contained the meaning we now find in the word "fresh." A sweet apple was a fresh (rather than rotten) apple.

Share via

Comments (6) RSS

Oldest First Unregistered On Registered On Add a comment

Sa-WEEEEEEEEEET!!!

Posted by Cookie W. Monster on November 25, 2008 at 8:50 AM

Charles, I love ya, but ya gotta stop doing etymology. "Sweet" did not originally mean "fresh".

Posted by Fnarf on November 25, 2008 at 9:15 AM

Fnarf, sadly, is right.

Check your dictionary.

Posted by Will in Seattle on November 25, 2008 at 9:44 AM

"Sweet" was formerly used to mean "fresh" in the context of water. Freshwater (as opposed to saltwater) is sweet.

Sweet also means fresh in sexual relations.

Posted by lusk on November 25, 2008 at 9:52 AM

A few minutes with the OED will answer all your questions about the origin and range of meanings of the word "sweet". Lusk, "freshwater" is not a former usage, it is a current one.

Posted by Fnarf on November 25, 2008 at 11:53 AM

Sweet galaxy! Chocolate milky way!

Posted by Vince on November 25, 2008 at 1:16 PM