The Doctor-Patient Language Gap
In a medical consultation, a "positive" result can be devastatingly negative, and a "remarkable" finding is the last thing you want. This high-stakes language gap, filled with jargon and euphemism,…
Unlocking the Universe of Languages
In a medical consultation, a "positive" result can be devastatingly negative, and a "remarkable" finding is the last thing you want. This high-stakes language gap, filled with jargon and euphemism,…
When two AI systems are tasked to work together, they often develop their own optimized, private language to communicate more efficiently—a language we can't understand. This phenomenon of emergent AI…
Imagine trying to learn a language with no textbook, no translator, and no shared vocabulary. The monolingual fieldwork method is a raw, challenging process where linguists build a language from…
Every word in an advertisement is chosen with surgical precision. Beyond marketing psychology, specific linguistic tricks—from "weasel words" like 'helps' to the syntactic ambiguity of "gets clothes cleaner"—are designed to…
The tragic case of "Genie," a feral child discovered in 1970 after a decade of silent isolation, offers a harrowing look into the "critical period" for language acquisition. While she…
Have you ever found yourself saying "please" and "thank you" to a chatbot or voice assistant? This is the ELIZA effect, our tendency to unconsciously attribute human-like intelligence and empathy…
A confession can seem like the most straightforward form of evidence, but the language used to obtain it is incredibly complex. Police interrogations are a masterclass in linguistic manipulation, where…
What are the ethical responsibilities of a linguist who is the first outsider to document a language from a previously uncontacted people? This article explores the high-stakes world of first-contact…
Every two weeks, a language dies, taking with it a unique way of seeing the world. Meet the "Language Catchers," modern-day linguists racing against time with digital tools and deep…