Social media posts about the "political outgroup"—criticizing or mocking those on the opposing side of an ideological divide—receive twice as many shares as posts that champion people or organizations from one's own political ...
Social Sciences
Jun 21, 2021
0
17
Language is one of our species' most important skills, as it has enabled us to occupy nearly every corner of the planet. Among other things, language allows indigenous societies to use the biodiversity that surrounds them ...
Other
Jun 9, 2021
0
33
Around the world, more than 7,000 languages are spoken, most of them by small populations of speakers in the tropics. Papua New Guinea (PNG), where nine million people speak 850 languages, is the most linguistically diverse ...
Social Sciences
Jun 3, 2021
0
8
American writer and humorist Mark Twain, a master of language and noted lecturer, once offered, "The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause."
Plants & Animals
May 26, 2021
0
14
Cultural diversity—indicated by linguistic diversity—and biodiversity are linked, and their connection may be another way to preserve both natural environments and Indigenous populations in Africa and perhaps worldwide, ...
Ecology
May 18, 2021
0
44
The 'missing link' that helped our ancestors to begin communicating with each other through language may have been iconic sounds, rather than charades-like gestures—giving rise to the unique human power to coin new words ...
Other
May 12, 2021
0
3096
Human laughter is common, but it's a somewhat mysterious part of our evolution. It's clear to evolutionary scholars that we laugh as a part of play, signaling our cooperation or friendliness. But how did laughter evolve? ...
Plants & Animals
May 7, 2021
1
5918
For a long time, historical linguists have been using the comparative method to reconstruct earlier states of languages that are not attested in written sources. The method consists of the detailed comparison of words in ...
Social Sciences
Apr 27, 2021
1
524
More young people may choose to study foreign languages to GCSE if they are encouraged to 'identify' with languages at school, rather than just learning vocabulary and grammar, new research suggests.
Social Sciences
Apr 22, 2021
1
81
Doublespeak, or the use of euphemisms to sway opinion, lets leaders avoid the reputational costs of lying while still bringing people around to their way of thinking, a new study has found.
Social Sciences
Apr 8, 2021
4
122
