This is a great article in National Geographic called Animal Minds.
Certain skills are considered key signs of higher mental abilities: good memory, a grasp of grammar and symbols, self-awareness, understanding others’ motives, imitating others, and being creative. Bit by bit, in ingenious experiments, researchers have documented these talents in other species, gradually chipping away at [...]
Posted by Deb in Academia, Animals, Cosmetically Enhanced Vertebrates, Evolution, Language on March 14th, 2008 | 3 Comments »
This makes me happy just by existing. It’s called “A Wicked Deception” and it’s quite fine good.
Posted by Deana in Anthropology, Film, Fun, Language, Oddly Enough on October 19th, 2007 | No Comments »
Those of you with an interest in things Chinese and para-Chinese (I’m looking at you. Ahem.) might be interested in reading the blog that anthropologist David K. Jordan has been maintaining while spending a semester teaching in Asia. It’s chock full of linguistic and religious observations, all with that pleasant snarkiness that DKJ has mastered.
Posted by Deana in Academia, Blog, Culture, Fun, Humor, Language, Religion, Travel on April 26th, 2007 | 2 Comments »
Another bit of insight into animal languages from this AP story:
Nuthatches appear to have learned to understand a foreign language - chickadee. It’s not unusual for one animal to react to the alarm call of another, but nuthatches seem to go beyond that - interpreting the type of alarm and what sort of predator poses [...]
Posted by Chris in Animals, Language, Oddly Enough, Science, Uncategorized on April 2nd, 2007 | 2 Comments »
I am also a big winner, and I finished my story. I shall not hide it because I like attention. It can use a ton of editing, though, and input from people who know more about space science than I do. Anyway,
I hope that works!!
Posted by Deana in Books, Culture, Fun, Holiday! Celebrate!, Language, Literature, NaNoWriMo, Science, Writing on November 29th, 2006 | 2 Comments »
I am also a big winner, and I finished my story. I shall not hide it because I like attention. It can use a ton of editing, though, and input from people who know more about space science than I do. Anyway,
I hope that works!!
Posted by Deana in Academia, Animals, Culture, Language, Science on November 28th, 2006 | 1 Comment »
I was just listening to A Way With Words, and I heard something that caught me completely off guard. I’ve been complaining about gender-neutral singular pronouns for years, hoping that something like ‘ve’ would replace the awkward ‘he or she’ or the patently evil ’s/he’. Greg Egan aside, nothing ever took off. It turns out [...]
Posted by Chris in Feminism, Fun, Language on June 28th, 2006 | 7 Comments »
Faced with human rights scandals, trillion-dollar deficits, rampant corruption, and a rising death toll, our Senate finally decided to do something:
They declared English the national language of the United States. Or maybe the common language. Something like that.
Sigh. What exactly does this get anyone? Nothing. Then again, what harm could it [...]
Posted by Chris in Government, Language, Law, Politics, You have got to be kidding on May 19th, 2006 | 2 Comments »
I need a word. Perhaps I’ll call on the verbivores to help, but you, gentle reader, might know of one already. Here’s the definition: “To become what one ostensibly opposes, often in the course of that opposition.” It may sound like hypocrisy, a la “if there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s [...]
Posted by Chris in Iraq, Language, Philosophy, World on April 28th, 2006 | 4 Comments »
Because it’s fun in a language/culture/kids way.
Posted by Deana in Language on June 8th, 2005 | Comments Off
