Artificial Intelligence
How Language-Generation AIs Could Transform Science
An expert in emerging technologies warns that software designed to summarize, translate and write like humans might exacerbate distrust in science
Language960 articles archived since 1845
Artificial Intelligence
AI Sommelier Generates Wine Reviews without Ever Opening a Bottle
A new algorithm writes wine and beer reviews that sound like they were penned by human critics. Is that a good thing?
Language
What Is the Shape of This Word?
What shape do you see when you hear “ bouba ”? What about “ kiki ”? It turns out that nonsense words that evoke certain shapes have something to say about the origins of language...
Language
Climate Change Is Creating New Vocabulary, from Eco-Anxiety to Kaitiakitanga
Lexicographers at the Oxford English Dictionary have added new words and definitions to reflect the rapidly evolving discourse about our hot planet
Language
It Isn’t Just What You Say about Science; It’s Also How You Say It
Teaching scientists to talk to policy makers
Language
Made-Up Sounds Convey Meaning across Cultures
Newly created vocalizations can convey concepts remarkably well
Mind & Brain
Is It Your Turn to Speak? Watch My Eyes
We signal our intention to speak or pause for a reply by where we direct our eyes
Mind & Brain
Women Candidates Face Implicit Bias Hurdle
Volunteers taking an "implicit bias" test who were unlikely to associate images of women with leadership titles like executive or president were far less likely to vote for a woman in a race against a man of equal qualification ...
The Sciences
Female Vocalists Are in the (Mouse) House
Careful recordings of mouse interactions find that females vocalize, overturning the long-held view that only males sing during courtship
Mind & Brain
How to Rhyme Like a Rapper
Hip-hop artists understand what our ears forgive
Mind & Brain
The Science of Baby Talk [Video]
A leading researcher talks about what has been learned about how children learn language
Mind & Brain
Does an M Sound Round to You?
Research shows that some consonants evoke certain shapes no matter what language you speak
Mind & Brain
Why Screams Are So Upsetting
Rapid fluctuations in volume—mimicked by sirens—trigger the brain’s fear centers
Mind & Brain
How Does Poverty Affect the Brain?
Can neuroscience provide unique insights to help struggling children growing up in lower income families?
Mind & Brain
Some Rules of Language are Wired in the Brain
In fascinating study involving synesthesia, people make good guesses at meanings of foreign words
Babies Move Tongue to Learn New Tongues
Infants seemed to be able to differentiate between two different "D" sounds in Hindi—but only when their tongue movements weren't blocked by a teething device. Christopher Intagliata reports...
Mind & Brain
What Barks Say
Different sounds mean different things
Ancient Human Ancestors Heard Differently
Early human species may have had sharper hearing in certain frequencies than we enjoy, to facilitate short-range communication in an open environment. Cynthia Graber reports
Nonpolitical Tweets May Reveal Political Bias
Word selection among Twitter users who could be identified as likely members of one or the other political party showed specific usage patterns. Christopher Intagliata reports
Mind & Brain
Using Technology to Break the Speed Barrier of Reading
New research suggests that one of humanity’s most important inventions can be improved
