Language
'Goblin Mode' Is Oxford's 2022 Word of the Year
The term describes behavior that's "unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly or greedy"
'Gaslighting' Is Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Year
Searches for the term, defined as the "practice of grossly misleading someone," skyrocketed in 2022
Scientists Suggest a New Layer to Crows’ Cognitive Complexity
The birds may be able to grasp a pattern-forming concept once thought to be unique to humans
Scientists Translate the Oldest Sentence Written in the First Alphabet
Inscribed on a Canaanite comb, the words reveal a struggle with head lice
Scientists Identify Genes Linked to Dyslexia
In the largest study of its kind, researchers pinpointed 42 genetic variations tied to the language-based learning disability
How Two California Artists Can Help Personalize Your Eco-Grief
Alicia Escott and Heidi Quante founded the Bureau of Linguistical Reality to create words to help describe people's feelings about climate change
Two Hundred Years Ago, the Rosetta Stone Unlocked the Secrets of Ancient Egypt
French scholar Jean-François Champollion announced his decipherment of Egyptian hieroglyphs on September 27, 1822
By Reading Brainwaves, an A.I. Aims to Predict What Words People Listened to
The research is a long way off from practical use, but researchers hope it might one day aid communication for people who experienced brain injuries
The Evolutionary Trait That May Have Led to Human Speech
“Vocal membranes” in primates make their speech grating and unpredictable, study suggests. Humans have no such thing
Gorillas Make a New ‘Snough’ Noise to Grab Their Keepers’ Attention
Researchers have never observed gorillas making the unusual sound in the wild, suggesting that captive gorillas can learn to make new noises
Have Scholars Finally Deciphered a Mysterious Ancient Script?
Linear Elamite, a writing system used in what is now Iran, may reveal the secrets of a little-known kingdom bordering Sumer
Why Hitler and Stalin Hated Esperanto, the 135-Year-Old Language of Peace
Jewish doctor L.L. Zamenhof created Esperanto as a way for diverse groups to easily communicate
For the First Time, a Hindi Author Has Won the International Booker Prize
A novel about borders garnered Geetanjali Shree the prestigious award
Mushrooms May Communicate With Each Other Using Electrical Impulses
A computer scientist found the average fungal lexicon contains 50 words
These Space Scientists Want to Update Earth's Message to Extraterrestrials
The broadcast builds on the 1974 Arecibo message and portrays information about science, math and human life
Gender-Neutral Words Like 'People' and 'Person' Are Perceived as Male, Study Suggests
Researchers found that society's concept of "person" and similar terms prioritizes men over women
A Century Before Wordle Went Viral, Crossword Mania Swept the Country
In the 1920s, puzzling inspired a Broadway musical, built a publishing house and counted the queen of England as a fan
How Do Birds Stay Upright When They Are Sleeping?
You've got questions. We've got experts
How Much Medieval Literature Has Been Lost Over the Centuries?
A new analysis suggests that just 9 percent of manuscripts produced in Europe during the Middle Ages survive today
Do Birds Have Language?
In the cheeps, trills and tweets of birdsong, scientists find some parallels with human speech
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