Scholarship is Like Music: Standing on the Shoulders of Giants
Just as scholarly knowledge development is based on previous research findings, popular musicians stand on the shoulders of Pachelbel’s Canon.
What’s the Magic Word?
What’s the magic word? Is it “please”? “Abracadabra”? Wingardium leviosa”? Why are humans drawn to incantations and affirmations?
The AI Slop Overload Does Not Taste Good
AI-generated recipes are taking over the internet. How do they taste?
Happy 4th of July — Surf’s Up!
Celebrating American Independence Day with a truly great American art form.
The Devil is in the Details, Specifically, Titivillus, the “Medieval Demon of Typos”
Have you been visited by Titivillus, the demon of typographical errors?
Is Grammar an Inherent Product of the Human Brain?
A long-running academic controversy — do humans share a universal grammar that stems from the structure and evolution of the human brain?
Dispensed With A Matronly Air: Trust and AI
BBC Maestro has delivered a writing course taught by a speaking and moving on-screen image of Agatha Christie. Did the AI behind it succeed?
Off for the US Holiday — Wishing You A Constructive Summer
We are off for the Memorial Day holiday, traditionally marking the beginning of summer.
Language Evolves, or rather, Constantly Cooks New Ways to Pass the Vibe Check
A millennial linguist dares to speak to a gen-alpha audience in their native tongue.
Cephalopod Update: First Video Footage of A Colossal Squid Recorded
Finally some good news, at least for afficionados of very large invertebrates.
An Elaborate, But Highly Accurate, 11 Second Microsoft Office Gag
If you’ve ever tried to move a photo in a Word document, you’ll appreciate this short reenactment.
In an Age of Chaos, Some Things Remain Constant. Like, Gravity…
In chaotic times, we must look for reliable things, like the joy of dropping stuff off a tall building…
A Tradition Like No Other: The Minnesota State High School All Hockey Hair Team
A spectacular crop of lettuce at this year’s edition of the traditional mullet spotting competition.
The Rules No Longer Apply: Octopus Edition
As if our world wasn’t already going crazy, now octopi apparently have shells.
What We Can Learn About Languages from the Words for Parts of the Body
Because body parts have always been with us, they can tell us a lot about the development of languages.