language
Scientists Have Reported a Breakthrough In Understanding Whale Language
Researchers have identified new elements of whale vocalizations that they propose are analogous to human speech, including vowels and pitch.
Slavic Speedrun: I Took Speed Every Day for Two Weeks to Master the Polish Language
Unemployed, broke, bored and having had great success with amphetamine sulphate, aka speed, during many exam seasons, I decided on a two-week crash course.
Is That Dog Talking or Are We Fooling Ourselves?
The internet is filled with footage of pets pressing buttons to ask for food and ponder the meaning of life, prompting serious scientific inquiry.
I Tried to Cut Small Talk Out My Life. It Went Badly.
Testing a list of alternative, Harvard professor-approved opening lines – like “What excites you right now?” – in the local boozer.
A Lost Language Translated From Ancient Tablets Reveals Names of Gods in Stunning Find
Our knowledge of the Amorite language was so slight that some doubted its existence, and now we know the names of their gods.
In Japan’s Oscar-Nominated ‘Drive My Car,’ Silence Is the Loudest Character
Clocking in at just under three hours, Best Picture nominee “Drive My Car” is a medley of roaring silence and quiet exchanges.
Why We Use “lol” So Much
The word rarely means “laugh out loud” anymore, but you probably knew that lol.
Why We Listen to Music With Lyrics We Don’t Understand
A musicologist and music therapist-in-training explain why the language of song lyrics doesn’t always matter.
The Fan Translators Behind K-Pop’s Worldwide Success
Next time you read translations, you know who to thank.
Why Are Letters Shaped the Way They Are?
Linguistic games and research are revealing a hidden connection between what words look and sound like, and what they mean.
‘Wordle’ Is Even Harder in Filipino
As a Filipino writer, the fact that I can’t win ‘Saltong,’ a Filipino version of ‘Wordle,’ is just embarrassing.