<p>Acclaimed Australian linguist Professor Nick Enfield has come to the conclusion that language is good for lawyers, for the purposes of persuasion, but bad for scientists who seek to accurately represent reality. It's a fascinating idea he explores in his new book Language vs Reality. What can language describe and where does it fail? Presenter Michael Ros ... Show More
Mar 2022
N. J. Enfield, "Language Vs. Reality: Why Language Is Good for Lawyers and Bad for Scientists" (MIT Press, 2022)
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 ... Show More
1h 6m
Jan 2022
Keith Kahn-Harris, "The Babel Message: A Love Letter to Language" (Icon Books, 2021)
A thrilling journey deep into the heart of language, from a rather unexpected starting point. Keith Kahn-Harris is a man obsessed with something seemingly trivial – the warning message found inside Kinder Surprise eggs:
"WARNING, read and keep: Toy not suitable for children under ... Show More
47m 2s
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 2024
How Can We Be More Effective With Language?
Have you ever wondered what’s up with double negation, the history of gender neutral pronouns, or why swearing is taboo? Then get ready for this week’s guest, linguist Anne Curzan! Anne and Jonathan talk about how the English language has evolved since the 1300s and how our words ... Show More
53m 20s
Aug 2023
The Creation of the Klingon Language | Unsung Science with David Pogue
Where do fictional languages come from? How are they devised? Hear from the creator of the Klingon language, Marc Okrand, on his process of designing the famous conlang (constructed language) and his first few Star Trek gigs. You'd be surprised by the amount of vocabulary, syntax ... Show More
38m 6s
Oct 2023
Ep28 "Does your language shape your thinking?"
Are there really dozens of words for snow in northern cultures? What did the movie Arrival have to do with language and cognition? Why are Russians better than Americans at distinguishing certain shades of blue? And what does any of this have to do with space, time, gender, and h ... Show More
33m 39s
