Nick Enfield’s book, Language vs. Reality: Why Language is Good for Lawyers and Bad for Scientists (MIT Press, 2022), argues that language is primarily for social coordination, not precisely transferring thoughts from one person to another. Drawing on empirical research, Enfield shows that human lexicons the world over are far more coarse-grained than our pe ... Show More
Nov 2
Our AI Moment
Introduction to the new show, and a discussion of our AI moment with host, Lee Vinsel, co-host Paula Bialski, correspondents, Gretchen Von Koenig, and Javaid Sofi, as well as special guests danah boyd and Adam Wynne. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com f ... Show More
1h 8m
Oct 30
Research: A Manifesto by Peter N. Miller (Princeton UP, 2026)
Today I’m speaking with Peter N. Miller, historian and president of the American Academy in Rome, about his new book, Research: A Manifesto (Princeton University Press, 2026). Globally, we spend around $3 trillion dollars a year on research, roughly 2% of global GDP. This activit ... Show More
1h 1m
Oct 19
The Ethics of Precision Medicine and Burned Agency with Paul Scherz and Travis Pickell
In this special installment of the University of Notre Dame Press's Books for Better Understanding, Paul Scherz, the Our Lady of Guadalupe Professor of Theology with the University of Notre Dame, and Travis Pickell, Assistant Professor at George Fox University, get together to di ... Show More
53m 7s
Apr 2024
Elizabeth Peterson, "Making Sense of 'Bad English': An Introduction to Language Attitudes and Ideologies" (Routledge, 2019)
Brynn Quick speaks with Dr Elizabeth Peterson about language ideologies and what we think when we hear different varieties of English. The conversation centers around Dr Peterson’s 2020 book Making Sense of 'Bad English': An Introduction to Language Attitudes and Ideologies (Rout ... Show More
53m 16s
May 2024
Netta Avineri and Patricia Baquedano-López, "An Introduction to Language and Social Justice: What Is, What Has Been, and What Could Be" (Routledge, 2023)
An Introduction to Language and Social Justice: What Is, What Has Been, and What Could Be (Routledge, 2023) is designed to provide the who, what, where, when, why, and how of the intersections of language, inequality, and social justice in North America, using the applied linguis ... Show More
47m 48s
Mar 2025
How Learning a New Language Rewires Your Brain—Lessons from the Pirahã Tribe | Daniel Everett : 1258
<p><strong>Is the Way You Speak Limiting How You Think?</strong></p><p>For years, scientists debated how language shapes the brain, but new research reveals it goes far beyond communication. Some languages lack numbers, grammar, or even complex sentences—yet their speakers naviga ... Show More
1h 11m
Jun 2025
Special Episode: Professor Steven Mithen & The Language Puzzle
From the earliest grunts and gestures to the complex sentences we use today to convey a multitude of concepts, language has evolved to become one of humanity’s most powerful tools. It allows us to connect, create, conspire, control, console, catch up, and so much more. How did we ... Show More
49m 29s