🗣️ Language

• 🖨️Reclaiming the Cliché

  What is it that makes the output of large language models and other varieties of generative AI so interesting, and then so boring? For me the most useful operative metaphor for AI’s promise and problems is the cliche.

• 🧠Wise Guise

  People have been debating what counts as wisdom for a long, long time. Indeed, arguably the oldest literature we have is wisdom literature.

• 🗣️What’s the Word?

  How gossip evolved from a term of kinship to a tool for social bonding and information sharing, tracing its journey from Shakespeare to evolutionary psychology.

• 🎨A Rose By Any Other Name

  Explore how a groundbreaking study using paint chips reveals universal patterns in how cultures distinguish colors.

• 🧠Positive Neuroscience

  How our brains are wired for joy, resilience, and well-being.

• 🤔Free Will

  Choice matters - New insights into the philosophy, psychology, theology, and neuroscience of free will

• 🌍What Is Cultural Evolution?

  Explore how cultural evolution shapes societies and predicts future changes, from songbirds' trills to the spread of lactose tolerance.

• 🔬Is One of Biology’s Perennial Themes Ready For a Fresh Look? Alan Love on the Science of Purpose.

  University of Minnesota philosopher Alan Love studies the interplay between philosophy and biology.

• 🧩India’s Patchwork Pluralism

  A groundbreaking nationwide survey explores what Indians believe about their own and their fellow citizens’ religious faiths

• 🔍The Hunt for Hieroglyphs

  Join the hunt for hieroglyphs! Discover how a stone found by French soldiers in 1799 became the key to unlocking ancient Egypt's secrets.

• 🌍$2.9 Million to Globalize the Philosophy of Religion

  Amplifying new voices and uncovering important scholarship beyond the Christian and Anglophone worlds

• 🎓New Project to Extend the Digital Reach of Classical Liberal Ideas

  Explore how a new project is revolutionizing PPE education with cutting-edge digital content on core topics like market failure and public choice.

• 🧠Creativity and Cooperation in the Dynamics of the Lexicon - from Lexis to Logos

  A word-by-word look at how we learn languages — and how we may change them in the process

• 🌐Creating a Society for the Study of Cultural Evolution

  Forming connections and framing grand questions on the links between evolutionary inheritance and cultural change

• 🦠Metaphor as metastasis

  A thought-provoking exploration of the language and metaphors we use to discuss economic growth and regulation.

• 🌍Technology is not the enemy (uncoolness is)

  An exploration of how technology's role in language preservation is changing perceptions among indigenous communities.

• 📖Citation Needed

  Reflecting on the quirks and community-driven nature of Wikipedia's content and editing processes.

• 📚Love and language

  Elif Batuman reflects on her journey through love, literature, and the unexpected choices we make.

• 🎬Subtleties

  Reflecting on the complexities of subtitles and their role in film enjoyment and cultural exploration.

• 🎨Religious art for nonbelievers

  In exploring the significance of religious imagery in art for nonbelievers, Aaron Rosen examines how these symbols reveal deeper truths about existence.

• 🤖The market and the story

  A fascinating exploration of the disconnect between automated trading algorithms and the narrative-driven explanations provided by the financial press.

• 📚Language that does not forget the world of nouns

  Sven Birkerts reflects on the enduring value of novels in a digital age where concentration is a challenge to be fought for.

• 🌍The Garifuna Mass

  New York City's linguistic tapestry showcases endangered languages thriving in unexpected places.

• 🦁As sherp as muckle needles

  Here's a delightful excerpt that showcases the charm of Scots language through a whimsical tale featuring beloved characters from a classic series.

• 🎶A graphical analysis of national anthem lyrics

  My quest to learn "La Marseillaise" led me to explore the curious and often violent lyrics of national anthems from around the world.

• 🎭Medieval helpdesk

  A humorous reflection on the challenges of cultural products in the modern tech landscape, reminiscent of bygone debates on books and technology.

• 🏫Indian schoolroom posters

  Reflecting on the curious and vibrant world of Indian educational posters, a blend of culture and taxonomy awaits discovery.

• 🎁Spend less, give more

  Exploring a meaningful approach to the holiday season that emphasizes giving, creativity, and community rather than consumption.

• 📞You had me at 'hello'

  An exploration of how the word "hello" transcended technology and culture through the evolution of telephonic communication.

• 🍈Forbidden fruits, delightful longings

  A longing for the elusive mangosteen explores its history and the bittersweet nature of desire.

• 🧩The private languages of Lego

  A reflection on the unique vocabulary developed by children during Lego play and the importance of naming in their imaginative worlds.

• ✋Not all thumbs

  This study reveals how counting gestures differ across cultures, particularly between Germans and Canadians.

• 🐦Mix CD | Birdsongs/Songbirds

  A heartfelt gift for a passionate birdwatcher, this 60th birthday compilation includes 60 songs celebrating various bird species and offers a unique auditory experience of the avian world.

• 🏑And the universal language is ... field hockey

  Having watched 'Chak De! India' recently, I found it an entertaining take on the sports underdog narrative, enriched by its cultural nuances.

• 📚Moby Dick, a book about computers

  Exploring the whimsical errors in Google Books' categorizations reveals unexpected connections in literature.

• 📚There are no televisions here

  In an exploration of Paju Book City, Edwin Heathcole captures the tension between the fantastical vision of a city dedicated to literature and its stark physical surroundings.

• 💧Her loosened tongue employ’d

  This newsreel captures the remarkable story of Helen Keller's journey into the world of language, guided by her teacher Anne Sullivan.

• 📚What I attend to

  This week I've been experimenting with speed-reading and its impact on my attention and enjoyment of literature.

• 📜The Shettima Kagu Qur’an

  Exploring the depths of archaic Saharan languages through beautiful Qur'anic manuscripts from Nigeria.

• 🗣️The subtle clicks of N|uu

  A fascinating exploration of endangered click languages and cutting-edge imaging technology.

• 🎙️Flannery’s voice

  Flannery O'Connor's Southern dialect contrasts with Northern literary circles, revealing insights about language and identity in American literature.

• 📜Fourth century Bible goes digital

  A celebration of the cultural preservation efforts at the monastery on Mt. Sinai, highlighting the digitization of the Codex Sinaiticus, the oldest existing copy of the Bible.

• 📚A reading language

  Kerala's near-100% literacy has fostered a rich culture of literature and reading, creating a vibrant community of writers and readers.

• 🎶The slightly universal language?

  A study reveals the nuanced relationship between music and emotion across cultures, highlighting its effectiveness in conveying feelings with some limitations.

• 🌐Babel undone

  The transformative journey of a biblical story through many languages.

• 🎶That Old-Time Religion

  Quoting Al Sharpton.

• 🌐Babel bubbles

  An exploration of linguistic expressions for incomprehensibility across different cultures, inspired by a question about the varying equivalents of "it's Greek to me."

• 🎶Talent is overrated, practice what you love

  An exploration of the role of practice and passion in developing talent, as illustrated by young musicians and insights from Anders Ericsson's research.

• 🌍Just foreign enough

  Exploring the vital role of translation amidst cultural exchange and linguistic nuances.

• 🗺️Six degrees of urbanization

  Exploring how interconnected human networks can help in finding loved ones, even in unfamiliar cities.