Renowned American linguist and political critic Noam Chomsky has been surrounded by false reports of his death, causing confusion and concern among followers and the general public. Chomsky, 95, is alive and recuperating at home after being discharged from a São Paulo hospital, where he was treated for a stroke suffered in June 2023.Valeria Wasserman Chomsky, his wife, along with collaborators and medical professionals, have clarified that Chomsky is continuing his recovery process after the health scare. Despite the spread of misinformation, which led to premature obituaries being published by various media outlets, Chomsky’s condition has been stable, and he has been actively following current events.Chomsky’s significant contributions to linguistics and his outspoken political activism have made him a central figure in intellectual debates for decades. His theories on generative grammar and his critiques of capitalism, U.S. politics, and foreign policy have influenced academic and political thought worldwide. The incident underscores the ongoing challenges of combating misinformation in the digital age, a topic that Chomsky himself has addressed extensively in his work.
Key points
- Noam Chomsky, aged 95, was falsely reported to have died, but is actually alive and recovering from a stroke.
- Chomsky was discharged from a hospital in São Paulo to continue treatment at home.
- The spread of false information about Chomsky’s death highlights the prevalence of misinformation in media.
