Science ABC
Did texting Kill Grammar?
Language change is a natural process, as it changes with the changing needs of the people who speak it. First and foremost, language change is not necessarily a bad thing; if language never changed, we wouldn’t have words to indicate...
Curated Video
How Brands Ruin Slang
From the Brands Saying Bae in the 2010s, to the “wassup” ads of the 90s, advertisers are always trying to find ways to sound cool. But when brands on social media use a slang word in their marketing, that basically guarantees it's over....
Curated Video
Why Sign Language Was Banned in America
Sign Languages are just as linguistically valid and vibrant as spoken languages, and beneficial to learn for Deaf and hearing people. So why for decades was it illegal to teach them in American schools?
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
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...
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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!
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A Controversial Theory About Gossip
Gossip is an integral part of human social structure... and maybe the reason language evolved in the first place!
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Pronouns: Little Words That Say a Lot
Pronouns may be little, but they say a lot, and they're always changing!
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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!
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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!
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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.
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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...
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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!
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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
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."
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The Weird History of Invented Languages
Can you really invent a language? These people sure tried! But does anyone actually speak them?
Curated Video
Where Alcoholic Drinks Got Their Names
There are no shortage of wacky names for alcoholic beverages, from Fuzzy Navels, to Sex on the Beaches, to the NSFW AMF. Humans have been enjoying alcoholic beverages since the dawn of civilization so there's plenty of linguistic...
Great Big Story
How the Language From the Sims Was Created
Step into the captivating world of Simlish, the fictional language that breathed life into one of the most iconic life simulation games—The Sims. From its humble beginnings in the year 2000 to becoming a global phenomenon, Simlish has...
Curated Video
Tips for Cross-Cultural Working: 10 + 1 Bonus
In readying yourself to lead cross-cultural teams, here are ten of my best practical tips... with a bonus on the end!
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Rosetta: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Solar System
The Rosetta Stone video discusses the significance of the ancient artifact and introduces the Rosetta space probe, built by the European Space Agency, which aims to study comets and the origins of our solar system. The video explains the...
Curated Video
Rosetta: Exploring Comets and Unraveling the Mysteries of the Solar System
The Rosetta Stone, a 2000-year-old artifact, unlocked the secrets of ancient languages. Now, the Rosetta probe aims to unlock the secrets of our solar system by studying a comet. This sophisticated probe will journey over 1 billion...