Is there anything to the story of the Tower of Babel?
It’s a legend about why human languages are so different. So was there really only one human language a long time ago? Maybe — but how does this match …
It’s time to return to our mailbag and answer some questions.
Is the translating earpiece a thing? Is thing a thing? What about New Zealand English? And is it sexist to say guys?
Linguist Daniel Midgley finds out on …
It’s the political season in Australia again, and the air is filled with the sound of dog whistles and dead cats hitting tables.
For this show, we turn our attention to political language. What makes a good slogan? What’s behind …
Do you know from Yiddish?
A controversial new hypothesis has surfaced about its origins, but does it stand up to the data? And are you using Yiddish words without even knowing it?
Daniel Midgley speaks with lexicographer Ben Zimmer on …
Ever read a language story, and felt something was a bit off?
Does your keyboard layout affect how you feel about words? Is it true that people couldn’t see the colour blue until modern times? How are you supposed to …
Can you hear colours? Or smell sounds?
We’re starting to understand synaesthesia — the blending of senses that some people experience. Now language researchers are using synaesthesia to understand how we process language, and even how language got started in …
What happens when emoji go wrong?
We all love to use emoji, but their inherent ambiguity means that misunderstandings can happen — not only across cultures, but across devices.
Linguist Daniel Midgley makes it clear on this episode of Talk …
Brand names can get lost in translation.
When a company tries to market a product overseas, sometimes the result is international zany hijinks ahoy. But not all the stories are true — there are plenty of urban legends around. Who …
Sometimes English spelling doesn’t make much sense.
But even though many influential people have tried to reform our wacky orthography, the anomalies persist. Will English spelling reform ever work?
Linguist Daniel Midgley spells it out on this episode of Talk …
What happens when computers can use language like humans can? Language workers may be out of a job.
Translators, teachers, and others are watching with concern. But is there reason to think that we’re on the verge of solving all …
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