Curated Video
The Stories Behind Food Names
It shouldn't matter what a food is called as long as it tastes good, right? Well, maybe not.
Curated Video
Can Computers Really Talk? Or Are They Faking It?
New advancements in technology are making it harder than ever to tell the difference between a computer and a human speaker... but what's going on under the hood? Is it really "language," or just a digital illusion?
Curated Video
The Most Extreme Place Names
Where do place names come from? Well, toponymy reveals a lot about the culture and history of a place, including the people who lived there, the nature of the settlements, and the geographic landscape. So that’s your short answer. For...
Curated Video
Is "R" a Vowel?
There's a good argument that the letter R is, at least sometimes, not a consonant at all, but a vowel. Does that mean your 1st grade teacher was lying to you? Not exactly. R is an incredibly weird letter, with so many different sounds...
Curated Video
Literally No One Likes a Grammar Cop
Besides being annoying, what if the grammar police are actually... wrong?
Curated Video
Foreign Words We Need in English
English has more words than most other languages, but there are still so many familiar things and experiences that we don't have a word for... but other languages do! Here are some of our faves!
Curated Video
A Controversial Theory About Gossip
Gossip is an integral part of human social structure... and maybe the reason language evolved in the first place!
Curated Video
Pronouns: Little Words That Say a Lot
Pronouns may be little, but they say a lot, and they're always changing!
Curated Video
The Screwed-Up History of English Spelling
The English spelling system is a MESS... arguably more than any other language. How did it get this way?
Curated Video
How Do Clichés Evolve into Memes?
Adaptable clichés called "snowclones" are EVERYWHERE on the internet. We use them for memes, inside jokes, to show our membership of the group. But they weren't invented online. In fact, they're way older than you think!
Curated Video
Is Swearing Good for Your Brain?
Does swearing get a bad rap? There's evidence that the shouting obscenities has an evolutionary purpose... and may be good for your psyche!
Curated Video
60 Euphemisms for Death!
No topic is as universally avoided--yet universally unavoidable--as DEATH. So, it's got a lot of euphemisms in virtually every language.
Curated Video
What's the Longest Word?
Before we decide from a long list of contenders, we'll have to figure out what the word "word" really means...
Curated Video
Introduction to Databases and SQL
Dive into the essentials of databases and SQL. Learn the basic concepts and roles of databases in managing data, and get your first introduction to SQL and its significance in the tech world, specifically focusing on MySQL.
Curated Video
Is Bilingualism a Superpower?
There was a time when psychologists thought growing up bilingual was harmful to brain development, but recent studies into bilingual children have turned that idea on its head!
Curated Video
The Unexpected Origins of the Word ‘Monster’
Words don't pop up fully formed... they evolve over thousands of years. What can we learn about our relationship to monsters by tracking the word down into the distant past?
Curated Video
Why Do We Use Cringey Words for Loved Ones?
Why do we use such unusual words for the people we love? From baby to bunny, two thirds of American adults refer to their romantic partners by a pet name. And we’ve been doing this for a long time—the Historical Thesaurus of the Oxford...
Curated Video
Is the Southern Accent Disappearing?
When you hear names like Gladys or Herbert or Doris, you probably automatically think of old people, but why is that? Linguists have been studying the science of first names for a long time, and though what's behind a particular parent's...
Curated Video
Why Do These Words Get Mispronounced So Much?
We all love language but still sometimes we pronounce certain words wrong, and everyone does it. We’re not talking about speaking too fast or jumbling letters. We’re talking about good ol’ fashioned mispronunciations–things you didn’t...
Curated Video
How Language Nerds Solve Crimes
The fact that we all have our own unique way of speaking is a beautiful thing. It's at the core of personal expression and contributes to the wonderful tapestry of language. But it also means that no form of expression can be 100%...
Curated Video
How the Colors Got Their Names
In some ways, colors are the ultimate example of language's power. The earliest humans didn't have words for colors. They had words for objects and actions, and it took tens of thousands of years for those words to evolve into the names...
Curated Video
What Brain Damage Reveals About Language
Language is really more related to the brain than any other part of the body. It's where language "happens." Whether you're shaping words with your mouth, signing them with your hands, or writing them on paper, the bulk of the work is...
Curated Video
Why Does Texting Feel Different from Talking?
Have you ever stressed out about sending an email, rereading it to see if it sounds okay, or wondering if you added too many exclamation points? Or maybe you feel confident when expressing yourself via text message, but you just can’t...
Curated Video
How Queer Communities Created Secret Languages
Across the globe, queer communities have relied on secret lexicons known as "argots" to communicate safely, which have developed over the years into what some call "verbal jazz."