The words humans use to describe nature are disappearing.

(Dan Tri) - In the modern world, as life becomes increasingly urbanized and dependent on technology, the connection between humans and nature is gradually fading.

A groundbreaking study by psychologist Miles Richardson from the University of Derby, UK, has revealed a worrying reality: the words we use to describe the natural world are gradually disappearing from everyday language.

This phenomenon is not simply a change in language, but also a warning signal of the deepening rift in the relationship between humans and their environment.

The relationship between humans and the environment is gradually cracking (Illustration: Getty).

To quantify this connection, Richardson took a unique approach: analyzing data from the Google Books Ngram Viewer between 1800 and 2019. He mapped the frequency of use of 28 words related to nature, including “river,” “meadow,” “coast,” “branch,” and more.

The analysis revealed an alarming decline: the use of these words has dropped by about 60%, especially since 1850 – a time of explosive industrialization and urbanization.

“These words reflect what people pay attention to, value, and write about,” Richardson explains. “And when you analyze their use over time, you can see this decline.”

While this approach has its limitations, it is not the only study to come to a similar conclusion. A 2017 analysis by researchers from the London Business School also found that references to nature are disappearing from fictional books, song lyrics, and even movie plots.

One of Richardson's most striking findings was the strong correlation between the data from the books and the computer model he developed to simulate the decline of humans' connection to nature.

“This model, built from the ground up to simulate human-nature interactions, closely mirrored, with an error of less than 5%, the actual decline in the use of words about nature,” Richardson stressed. This striking match suggests that the simulation may be close to the truth, and that our connection to nature has declined by more than 60% over the past two centuries.

The model also shows that this dramatic decline is largely due to an intergenerational disconnect. As adults become less connected to nature, they are also less able to inspire and share that connection with their children, creating a vicious cycle of further disconnection from nature. This is a major challenge, especially as our habitats become increasingly urbanised and degraded.

The disconnection from nature is not just a linguistic issue. It is also one of the root causes of the environmental crisis. “Connection to nature is now considered a major root cause of the environmental crisis,” Richardson says. “It is also incredibly important for our mental health.”

Richardson’s research is a powerful wake-up call. It shows that solving the environmental crisis requires not just technological solutions, but also transformational changes in our relationship with nature.

This requires us to reconnect with the natural world, share that appreciation with future generations, and recognize that our survival depends on the survival of this planet.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/khoa-hoc/nhung-tu-ngu-con-nguoi-dung-de-mieu-ta-thien-nhien-dang-dan-bien-mat-20250831232935375.htm