language
Want to know what mice in labs are saying? Try DeepSqueak.
A breakthrough app for ultrasonic squeak analysis.
10 Buddhist koans, and why understanding them is pointless
To go beyond meaning you might need a helpful phrase.
Do emoji have a place in serious ???? ✍️?
They're fun, so why not? Well, maybe because they're often inscrutable.
Why you should tolerate intolerable ideas
Just because you disagree with something doesn't mean that it isn't true for someone else.
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How to bring more confidence to your conversations
Entrepreneur and author Andrew Horn shares his rules for becoming an assured conversationalist.
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Can AI laugh? We investigated.
Comedy, A.I.-style. Our roving reporter, Evan Fleischer, went into The Laughing Room and here's what happened
Forced examination: How the free speech of others benefits us all
Americans say we value free speech, but recent surveys suggest we love the ideal more than practice, a division that will harm more than it protects.
Compelling speakers do these 4 things every single time
The ability to speak clearly, succinctly, and powerfully is easier than you think
Why free speech is sacred—even when it’s dangerous
The bedrock of freedom? Denying the government the power of censorship.
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Stephen King says writers should stop using this one “very tired” word
The 71-year-old author suggests replacing the adjective "amazing" with something more "pungent & specific".
7 brilliant Japanese words we need in English
Ever wanted to describe precisely how crummy you feel after a bad haircut?
Saudade: the untranslatable word for the presence of absence
Saudade: the untranslatable Portuguese word that names the presence of absence and takes melancholy delight in what's gone.
Is postmodernism really anti-science?
Postmodernists like to question the very foundations of our modern society. Does this make them anti-science?
6 lies my English teacher told me
Sticklers, pedants, and English teachers love to correct your grammar, but they can put their red pens down when it comes to these six folk errors.
Hungry for meaning: Is there a conflict between science and spirituality?
Spirituality plays a different ballgame than science, so the language used in either of them doesn't often match up to the other side. This, says religious teacher Rob Bell, creates a lot of conflicts.
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People with depression use language differently – here’s how to spot it
What's the secret language of depression?
How Thinking in a Foreign Language Reduces Superstitious Belief
A new study shows that “magical thinking” can be reduced by presenting and processing information in a second language.
The Way You Speak Reveals Your Subconscious Stress
We know that body language reveals a lot. But language is an even bigger tell if you know what to look for.
This Twitter algorithm predicts mental illness better than trained professionals
A supervised learning algorithm can predict clinical depression much earlier and more accurately than trained health professionals.
How Growing Up Bilingual Affects Cognitive Development
The positive effect of bilingualism may be particularly beneficial for kids who grow up in low-income households, an environment that usually has negative effects on cognitive performance.
Time To Update Science’s Mobile Army of Metaphors?
“Scientists should think like poets,” says E.O. Wilson, because new metaphors mobilize new thinking.
‘Booty’ Is The Funniest Word In The English Language, Study Says
A study surveyed 821 people to find the funniest words in the English language.
“Grief-Bacon” and Other Great Words with No English Equivalent
Sometimes single words contain whole worlds. Here are some of the best.
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Behind the Secret Struggle to Define the Word “B*tch”
From olde English dogs, to immoral women, to weak men, to irritating women, to its prideful reclaiming, to ownership over a woman (there's a theme here), the word "b*tch" has a long and fascinating history, and it's all stored in the archives of the Merriam-Webster lexicography department.
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Why It’s Time to Retire the Term “Political Correctness”
Political correctness can go the f*ck to sleep, says Adam Mansbach. The term has been co-opted by so many social factions that it's more of a hindrance to the cause of respect than a help.
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Memes 101: How Cultural Evolution Works
We are what we are because of genes; we are who we are because of memes. Philosopher Daniel Dennett muses on an idea put forward by Richard Dawkins in 1976.
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Language Controls What Colors You Can and Can’t See, or Does It?
Not every language agrees on how many colors there are. With some having more terms and others fewer. But does that mean we see the world differently?
Are Science’s Preferred Languages Limiting How Smart Folk Think?
Few see how strongly science's preferred languages shape and limit the thinking of many experts.
Anthony Scaramucci: Choosing the Right Words Can Turn Failure into Success
Anthony Scaramucci is no angel, but he does choose his words carefully. If you don't evolve along with language, it can be catastrophic for businesses and team dynamics.
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