Language
Could We Chat With Whales?
An ambitious project is attempting to interpret sperm whale clicks with artificial intelligence, then talk back to them
What Secrets Does This 1,800-Year-Old Carved Stone Hold?
The Tuxtla Statuette illuminates an endangered Latin American culture
Grizzly Bear Territories in Canada Match Maps of Indigenous Language Families
DNA analysis shows a distinct relationship between three distinct groups of grizzlies and Indigenous populations with different languages
Baby Bats Babble—Just Like Human Infants
Both species make similar sounds as they develop language skills at an early age
More Than 80 Cultures Still Speak in Whistles
Dozens of traditional cultures use a whistled form of their native language for long-distance communication. You could, too.
How Does the West African Talking Drum Accurately Mimic Human Speech?
A new study explores how the dùndún replicates tones and patterns of the Yorùbá language
The Many Myths of the Term 'Anglo-Saxon'
Two medieval scholars tackle the misuse of a phrase that was rarely used by its supposed namesakes
Runes Found on Seventh-Century Cow Bone Could Change Slavic History
The Germanic writing suggests Slavs used an alphabet more than 200 years earlier than previously believed
Before He Wrote a Thesaurus, Roget Had to Escape Napoleon's Dragnet
At the dawn of the 19th century, the young Brit got caught in an international crisis while touring Europe
Pottery Shard May Be 'Missing Link' in the Alphabet's Development
An inscription found on a 3,500-year-old vessel suggests that a standardized script arrived in Canaan earlier than previously thought
Follow Dante's Footsteps Through Italy
For the 700th anniversary of the poet’s death, visit his birthplace, churches and tomb
Gender-Inclusive Language Puts an End to the Era of 'Manned' Spaceflight
It is time to honor six decades of women's contributions to spaceflight, says the Air and Space Museum, with unbiased verbs like 'crewed' or 'piloted'
Meet Sophia Kianni, the Young Climate Change Changemaker
The founder of Climate Cardinals assembled a team of global volunteers to breakdown language barriers by translating climate science and research
A Dictionary of Science Fiction Runs From Afrofuturism to Zero-G
The long-running project found a new online home, one that showcases the literary genre’s outsized impact on popular culture
Most People Don't Know When to Stop Talking, According to Science
A new study finds folks are pretty bad at guessing whether to wrap up a chat or keep talking
Who Invented the Alphabet?
New scholarship points to a paradox of historic scope: Our writing system was devised by people who couldn’t read
Father Reginald Foster Used Latin to Bring History Into the Present
Who speaks Latin these days? A surprisingly large number of people, thanks to the late friar, who died on Christmas Day at 81
The Ten Best Children's Books of 2020
These top titles deliver history lessons, wordplay and a musical romp through the animal kingdom
What the Survival of the Hawaiian Language Means to Those Who Speak It
A Smithsonian curator recalls his own experience learning the native tongue
The Inspiring Quest to Revive the Hawaiian Language
A determined couple and their children are sparking the renewal of a long-suppressed part of their ancestors' culture
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