Language
- Animals
Documentary looks for meaning in Koko the gorilla’s life
'Koko — The Gorilla Who Talks' documents the nearly 45-year relationship between researcher Penny Patterson and Koko, the subject of an ape sign language project.
- Neuroscience
Words’ meanings mapped in the brain
Language isn’t just confined to one region of the brain: The meaning of words spark activity all over the cerebral cortex.
- Humans
Gelada monkeys know their linguistic math
The vocalizations of gelada monkeys observe a mathematical principle seen in human language, a new study concludes.
- Humans
No fairy tale: Origins of some famous stories go back thousands of years
Pairing folktales with ancient languages shows that at least a few folktales originated thousands of years ago.
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- Anthropology
Handed-down tales tell of ancient sea level rise
Australian Aborigines tell tales of actual, ancient sea-level rises, a contested study finds.
- Neuroscience
Whistled language uses both sides of the brain
Unlike spoken words, language made of whistles processed by both sides of the brain.
- Science & Society
How English became science’s lingua franca
A new book explores the roles of war, politics and economics in the rise of English in scientific communication.
- Psychology
Babies learn some early words by touch
Tactile cues provided by caregivers give infants a leg up on learning words for body parts.
- Psychology
Word-streaming tech may spell trouble for readers
Technologies like Spritz that display one word at a time on a screen reduce reading comprehension, a new study concludes.
- Humans
Year in Review: Language learning starts before birth
Babies seem familiar with vowels and words heard while in the womb.
- Anthropology
Little Red Riding Hood gets an evolutionary makeover
A statistical analysis attempts to track the rise of several widespread folktales.
