Scottish King James IV was, by all accounts, a learned man. As a polyglot, he was especially interested in the origin of language -- so much so, in fact, that he allegedly conducted an experiment that would scandalize modern scientists: James had two children spirited off to the remote island of Inchkeith, where they were raised without language by a mute ca ... Show More
Yesterday
The Spiritualism Movement Was Utterly Ridiculous, Part One: A Prank Goes Viral
It's a pickle for the ages: What happens when you die? The Spiritualism movement may seem obscure today -- but back in the mid-19th century, this religious and social phenomenon absolutely rocked the modern world. In the first part of this special two-part episode, Ben, Noel and ... Show More
54m 12s
Mar 3
History's Weirdest National Anthems
Let's be honest: national anthems are cool... but definitely propaganda, and often objectively weird. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max explore some of history's strangest national anthems. Some are inspiring, some are plain odd -- and, as the guys learn, a lot of national an ... Show More
33m 55s
Dec 2020
Pourquoi le français a été la langue officielle de l'Angleterre ?
En France, nombreux sont ceux qui fustigent l'emploi abusif d'anglicismes dans le langage courant. Pourtant, historiquement, c'est bien l'anglais qui a été influencé par la langue française, au cours de son histoire. En effet le français a - pendant longtemps – été la langue de l ... Show More
2m 41s
Mar 2021
Languages of the World in 3000 BC
<p>Language is one of the foundational pieces of being human, but in the absence of writing, what can we know about it in the deep past? Historical linguistics and the comparative method shed valuable light on these long-lost languages, and uncover the roots of some of today's mo ... Show More
45m 7s
Oct 2019
Why language is humanity’s greatest invention | David Peterson
Civilization rests upon the existence of language, says language creator David Peterson. In a talk that’s equal parts passionate and hilarious, he shows how studying, preserving and inventing new languages helps us understand our collective humanity -- and gives a quick lesson on ... Show More
14m 21s
May 2016
From Medieval England to Lingua Franca: The Evolution of English
The English language is spoken by millions of people around the world, and despite that fact, it remains relatively fluid. Because it’s so adaptable, who knows what the future will hold in store for English? On today's Please Explain, we’ll attempt to find out with Simon Horobin, ... Show More
32m 21s
