“Nerds will save the world.”
—Wil Wheaton
I’ve never been one of the “cool kids.” In my youth, I had an interest in playing sports, but life’s circumstances didn’t let that materialize, either.
I was a good student from an early age. Science fairs, spelling bees, and other academic competitions were things I could participate in, so I did.
As I started to come into my own during high school, I discovered journalism, photography, and technology. I hung out with the other kids in the Publications Room throughout the day.
I quickly self-identified as a nerd. Even though I wasn’t allowed to watch the movie until later in life, I related to the outcasts from movies such as Revenge of the Nerds and the techies in WarGames and Sneakers.
Today, I find myself surrounded by “geeks” and “nerds” as I work in a supporting role for an IT department. And I feel right at home among the conversations around databases, network configurations, and data reporting.
I never knew the origin of the word. So I took an interest in NPR’s research into the origin of the word in the article “Nerd! How the word popularized by Dr. Seuss went from geeky insult to mainstream.”
I had no idea the word’s first published use was traced back to a Dr. Seuss book. The history of the word and how its definition and acceptance have changed over the years is fascinating to me.
For a look at the origin and evolution of the word (nerd language: etymology), the article is beautifully interlaced with media references and real-life cultural influences.
Definitely worth a couple of minutes of your time to check it out!
PHOTO CREDIT: This screenshot shows the page in the Dr. Seuss book If I Ran the Zoo that is possibly the earliest published mention of the word “nerd.” (Internet Archive/Screenshot by NPR)
