Language
- Humans
The rise of farming altered our bite and changed how people talk
Eating soft, processed foods refashioned adults' jaws, which added “f” and “v” sounds to speech and changed languages worldwide, a study finds.
- Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence is learning not to be so literal
Artificial intelligence is learning how to take things not so literally.
- Humans
Here’s what makes satire so funny, according to science
Analysis of headlines from the satirical newspaper The Onion could help you — or a computer — write humorous news headlines.
- Psychology
Huge ‘word gap’ holding back low-income children may not exist after all
The claim that poor children hear fewer words than kids from higher-income families faces a challenge.
- Humans
The window for learning a language may stay open surprisingly long
A crucial period for language learning may extend well into teen years, a new study suggests.
- Anthropology
The southern drawl gets deconstructed
Analysis of the diversity of vowel sounds found in southern accents could help developers of speech recognition software.
- Archaeology
Twisted textile cords may contain clues to Inca messages
A writing system from the 1700s may illuminate even older knotty Inca messages.
- Humans
Homo naledi’s brain shows humanlike features
South African Homo species had small but humanlike brain, scientists say.
- Anthropology
Monkeys have vocal tools, but not brains, to talk like humans
Macaques have vocal tracts, but not brains, built for talking much as people do, scientists say.
- Humans
Oldest alphabet identified as Hebrew
Contested study indicates ancient Israelites developed first alphabet from Egyptian hieroglyphics.
- Humans
Cognitive scientist puts profanity in its place
Swearing provides unappreciated insights into human thought and language, a cognitive scientist argues in the new book What the F.
- Animals
Dog brains divide language tasks much like humans do
Dogs understand what we say separately from how we say it.
