Talk the Talk
By Daniel Midgley & RTRfm 92.1, Perth
To listen to an audio podcast, mouse over the title and click Play. Open iTunes to download and subscribe to podcasts.
Podcast Description
A weekly delve into linguistics and language, with UWA’s Daniel Midgley on RTRfm 92.1, Perth.
| Name | Description | Released | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
71: Really Old Art | Archaeologists have found the oldest known art from our early ancestors. These carvings are thousands of years older than the earliest cave paintings -- also in southern France. Who carved them, and why? And what's the link between art and language? Linguist Daniel Midgley goes palaeolithic on this episode of Talk the Talk. | 21 5 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
2 |
70: The Persabian Gulf | Is it the Persian Gulf, or the Arabian Gulf? It depends on who you ask. But Google's map makers are finding that it's hard to stay impartial to political conflict when putting a name on a map can cause international tensions to flare. Who gets to name something anyway? Linguist Daniel Midgley explores names and naming on this episode of Talk the Talk. | 14 5 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
3 |
69: Words With Baboons | Can baboons read? Not exactly, but in a recent experiment, they could tell the difference between real words and fake words. What does this tell us about animals, and what could it do for us? Linguist Daniel Midgley spells it out on this episode of Talk the Talk. | 7 5 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
4 |
68: Passive Voice Day | Passive Voice Day was held last week. The linguistic phenomenon known as passive voice is hated by editors, checked by computers, and used by all of us. But it's not well understood, and often misidentified in the press. How can it be spotted, and should it be eliminated entirely? Passive voice will be explained once and for all by UWA linguist Daniel Midgley in this episode of Talk the Talk. | 30 4 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
5 |
67: Dying Words (featuring Nick Evans) | Languages are disappearing. In the next hundred years, half the world's languages may be gone. But is this really a problem? What do we lose when we lose a language? And can the process be halted? We catch up with linguist Nick Evans, author of 'Dying Words', on this episode of Talk the Talk. | 23 4 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
6 |
66: Logos | Big Tobacco is challenging government legislation that would put plain packaging on cigarette packets. They claim that removing a logo is similar to expropriating their property. Is a logo property? Why are cigarette makers fighting this so hard? What does a logo communicate? UWA linguist Daniel Midgley clears the air on this episode of Talk the Talk. | 16 4 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
7 |
65: Fire | New evidence shows that humans used fire one million years ago -- a lot earlier than we thought. This tells us about our early ancestors, but it also tells us about language and how it started. What does fire have to do with language? UWA linguist Daniel Midgley discusses the burning issues on this episode of Talk the Talk. | 9 4 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
8 |
64: Life Without Numbers (featuring Caleb Everett) | What would life be like without numbers? The Pirahã people of the Amazon don't have them in their language, and have difficulty learning them. What does this tell us about the human mind? Linguist Caleb Everett spent some time among the Pirahã, and he talks with our resident linguist Daniel Midgley on this episode of Talk the Talk. | 2 4 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
9 |
63: Uptalk | Do you use question intonation, even when you're not asking a question? You may be an uptalker. Are you communicating something when you use it, or are you just driving people crazy? UWA linguist Daniel Midgley takes it up a notch on this episode of Talk the Talk. | 26 3 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
10 |
62: Carillon Shemozzle | There are some words we've been hearing around the place. What exactly is a 'shemozzle', and why is Peter Costello talking about it? How do you pronounce 'carillion', and why is Perth's "Carillon City" spelt with only one 'i'? UWA linguist Daniel Midgley tries to resolve these and other matters of import on this episode of Talk the Talk. | 19 3 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
11 |
61: Sign to Text | Language technology tends to focus on people who speak. But what about for people who sign? A Scottish team has announced a new app to convert signs into text, but that's just one part of the picture. UWA linguist Daniel Midgley finds what's out there on this episode of Talk the Talk. | 12 3 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
12 |
60: Speech-Jamming Gun | Japanese researchers have developed a "speech-jamming gun". It works without maiming or killing you, but it does mess with your mind. Will it be a boon to movie-goers, or a free-speech killer? And how does it work? UWA linguist Daniel Midgley will explain as fluently as possible on this episode of Talk the Talk. | 5 3 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
13 |
59: France Bans Mademoiselle | France, never shy about controversy, has dropped the use of 'Miss', or 'Mademoiselle', on government forms. But why? And while we're at it, what's the deal with Ms? UWA linguist Daniel Midgley discusses terms of address on this episide of Talk the Talk. | 27 2 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
14 |
58: Goat Accents | We've heard all kinds of wild claims about animals and language. So what are we to make of a new finding that young goats start to bleat like their peers? Is it crazy? Or could it reveal something about human language? UWA linguist Daniel Midgley does it for the kids on this episode of Talk the Talk. | 20 2 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
15 |
57: The Middle Finger | The middle finger was in the news this week as M.I.A. flipped the bird during a US Super Bowl halftime performance. What is it about this gesture that makes it obscene? How long has it been around? And what else does it mean? UWA linguist Daniel Midgley goes digital on this episode of Talk the Talk. | 13 2 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
16 |
56: Reading Thoughts | A team of scientists has developed a technique for turning brain activity into words. Soon, it may be possible to reconstruct conversations -- in effect, to read minds. How does it work? Do we even think in words? UWA linguist Daniel Midgley tells it the old-fashioned way on this episode of Talk the Talk. | 6 2 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
17 |
55: Siri and Speech Recognition, Part 2 | Apple's Siri software has put automatic speech recognition back in the news. We finish our two-part discussion with stupid Siri tricks, and some ways that Siri has become embroiled in controversy. And why is Siri female? UWA linguist Daniel Midgley will try to assist on this episode of Talk the Talk. | 30 1 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
18 |
54: Siri and Speech Recognition, Part 1 | Speech recognition has come a long way. With the emergence of Siri on the iPhone, good speech recognition is within the reach of many of us. How does it work? Why is automatic speech recognition so difficult? And what tricks does Siri have up her sleeve? UWA linguist Daniel Midgley has the answers on this episode of Talk the Talk. | 23 1 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
19 |
53: Words of the Year 2011 | The year 2011 brought many words and phrases to prominence. 'Occupy' captured a lot of attention, but there are so many more. UWA linguist Daniel Midgley brings the words that captured the essence of our year on this episode of Talk the Talk. | 16 1 12 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
20 |
52: Carols | So you know the lyrics to Christmas carols? They may not be what you think. Some of them have evolved over time, and how they've changed can tell us about language long ago. UWA linguist Daniel Midgley gets festive on this episode of Talk the Talk. | 12 12 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
21 |
51: Songs in Invented Tongues | Do you ever have a hard time understanding lyrics? For some songs, it could be because the language is imaginary. Inspired by the release of what could be the final Sigur Ros album, UWA linguist Daniel Midgley looks at music in invented tongues on this episode of Talk the Talk. | 5 12 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
22 |
50: SlutWalk (featuring Beth Castieau) | SlutWalk is hitting Perth this week to raise awareness of the tendency to blame the victims of sexual assault. And the word 's**t' is making even some participants uncomfortable. What's behind the term? Where does it come from, and can it be reclaimed? We're joined by SlutWalk organiser Beth Castieau on this episode of Talk the Talk. | 28 11 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
23 |
49: Linguistic Savings | An economist has determined that the difference in rates of savings between countries can be put down to language. Does having a future tense make you see the future differently? Just how important is language to perception? UWA linguist Daniel Midgley investigates the claims on this episode of Talk the Talk. | 21 11 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
24 |
48: Yucca Mountain Warning | Radioactive waste takes a long time to decay. In the meantime, you have to warn people to stay away from it. But how do you make a warning sign that will still be understandable to people 10,000 years in the future? UWA linguist Daniel Midgley examines the problem of Yucca Mountain on this episode of Talk the Talk. | 14 11 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
25 |
47: Spoke Differently They? | What was early human language like? A pair of researchers think they've reconstructed early human syntax from as early as 50,000 years ago. But have they got it right? How can we know about languages that no longer exist? UWA linguist Daniel Midgley surveys the evidence on this week's Talk the Talk. | 7 11 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
26 |
46: Speech Accent Archive (featuring Steven Weinberger) | Do you have an accent? Of course you do; everybody does. And now there's the Speech Accent Archive, an internet database that you can browse, containing sound data from hundreds of speakers of English from around the globe. What is it for, and how can you contribute? UWA linguist Daniel Midgley interviews Speech Accent Archive creator Steven Weinberger on this episode of Talk the Talk. | 31 10 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
27 |
45: Languages of the Commonwealth | While English is the major language of the Commonwealth, there are hundreds of other languages and dialects. But many of these minority languages are under threat. What can we do to preserve the languages in our midst, and why should we? UWA linguist Daniel Midgley investigates on this episode of Talk the Talk. | 24 10 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
28 |
44: Spam Spotting | This week on Talk the Talk, we're talking about spam. Not the spicy ham product, but the wretched dreck that clogs your inbox. Why do we call it 'spam'? How does your computer know if your email is spam? How do you know if an online review is for real, or if it's just spam-for-hire? Where is all this spam coming from, and why is there so much of it? UWA linguist Daniel Midgley gives you the real deal on this episode of Talk the Talk. | 17 10 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
29 |
43: Um | You say it many times a day, whether you notice it or not. It's "um". Far from being just a conversation-filler, it can make you a better speaker, and may even help children learn new words. UWA linguist Daniel Midgley will try to make it all clear on this week's Talk the Talk. | 10 10 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
30 |
42: Learning from Twitter | For 140 characters, Twitter can tell us a lot about ourselves. By looking at masses of tweets, word-crunching software can tell when we're feeling up or down, help us decide what stocks to buy or sell, and track the spread of illness through a population. UWA linguist Daniel Midgley puts it all together on this week's Talk the Talk. | 3 10 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
31 |
41a: You Are What You Speak, part 2 (featuring Robert Lane Greene) | UWA linguist Daniel Midgley talks the talk with Robert Lane Greene, language blogger, journalist, and author of the new book "You Are What You Speak: Grammar Grouches, Language Laws, and the Politics of Identity". | 26 9 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
32 |
41: You Are What You Speak (featuring Robert Lane Greene) | Are you a grammar grouch? Do you have language peeves? And if so, how can you recover? UWA linguist Daniel Midgley talks the talk with Robert Lane Greene, language blogger, journalist, and author of the new book "You Are What You Speak: Grammar Grouches, Language Laws, and the Politics of Identity". | 26 9 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
33 |
40: Silent Letters | They're reviled by spelling reformers, and loathed by English learners. They're silent letters. Why does English possess these orthographic curiosities? Do other languages put up with them? Are they useless leftover baggage, or could they be the quiet achievers that make English spelling work? UWA linguist Daniel Midgley breaks the silence on this episode of Talk the Talk. | 19 9 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
34 |
39: Colours in Himba | Not every language uses the same words for colours. English has about 11 colour terms, while other languages get by with two or three. And it seems that people whose language uses different colour terms are able to easily tell the difference between colours that look just the same to us. Does our language warp our perception of reality? UWA linguist Daniel Midgley brings it into focus on this week's Talk the Talk. | 12 9 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
35 |
38: AusTalk | Linguists and researchers are working on AusTalk, a database of Australian English. With a thousand speakers, it will be the largest repository of English outside the UK. But what's it for? What are we expecting to find? And how can you take part? We're joined by another UWA linguist, Celeste Rodriguez Louro, on this week's Talk the Talk. | 5 9 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
36 |
37: Gadafi or Khaddhaffy? | Recent events in Libya have us wondering: How do you write 'Khadafi'? There are at least 96 permutations on his last name alone, and this causes problems for writers and search engines alike. How do we put Arabic script into English letters, and how do computer systems bridge the gap? UWA linguist Daniel Midgley spells it out on this week's Talk the Talk. | 29 8 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
37 |
Explicit36: Go the F**k to Sleep | On every frazzled parent's reading list is a new children's book: Go the F**k to Sleep by Adam Mansbach. Perhaps you wouldn't read it to a child, but you might wonder where the f-word comes from, and why we can insert it into some sentences but not others. UWA linguist Daniel Midgley will be dropping a few on this episode of Talk the Talk. | 15 8 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
38 |
35: Americanisms | Are you plagued by Americanisms? Some people get irritated by words or phrases invented or popularised by speakers of American English. But many of the Americanisms that are twisting people's knickers (or panties) aren't American. What's behind this cross-continental scuffle? UWA linguist Daniel Midgley bridges the gap on this week's Talk the Talk. | 8 8 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
39 |
34: Neanderthals | Recent work in genetics has revealed that all non-African people are related to Neanderthals, a now-extinct species of human. If there was interbreeding between us, how would they have communicated? Did Neanderthals have language, and what might it have been like? UWA linguist Daniel Midgley goes back in time on this week's Talk the Talk. | 1 8 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
40 |
33: Weird Words (featuring Rod L. Evans) | Are you a word maven? Have you ever used an aglet? Do you know where to find an octothorp? These and other words are lurking in your dictionary, but they're brought to light in a new book, "Thingamajigs and Whatchamacallits: Unfamiliar Terms for Familiar Things". UWA linguist Daniel Midgley interviews author, philosopher, and philologist Rod Evans on this week's Talk the Talk. | 25 7 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
41 |
32: Birdsong Syntax | Do bird songs have grammar? Linguists have supposed that syntactic structure was only found in human language, but now a team of researchers is finding that finches use it in their songs. Does that mean they speak a kind of language? How is their communication different from ours? UWA linguist Daniel Midgley sorts it out on this week's Talk the Talk. | 18 7 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
42 |
31: Who Wrote the Bible? | Scholars have long supposed that certain books of the Bible were written by a number of different authors. Now a team of language researchers is using computers to determine Bible authorship, and they're coming up with some surprising findings. Can text give an author's identity away? How can computers determine who wrote what? UWA linguist Daniel Midgley tells the story on this week's Talk the Talk. | 11 7 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
43 |
30: Swedish Pronouns and Gender | An equality-minded preschool in Sweden is avoiding the use of gender-specific pronouns like 'he' and 'she', and referring to the kids as 'friends', rather than girls and boys. Is this linguistic egalitarianism, or radical language engineering? Does using gendered pronouns make you more sexist? UWA linguist Daniel Midgley is looking out for the children on this week's Talk the Talk. | 4 7 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
44 |
29: Time in Amondawa (featuring Chris Sinha) | We often speak of time as though it were a physical thing; we can run behind schedule, or move a meeting forward. But the Amondawa people of Brazil are unusual in that they do not use metaphors of space to talk about time. Dr Chris Sinha of the University of Portsmouth tells us more on this week’s Talk the Talk. | 27 6 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
45 |
28: Spying for Metaphor | The US intelligence agency IARPA is putting a heavy research focus, not into lie detection or speech recognition, but metaphor. That's right, the figure of speech where you describe something as something else. But why would that be useful for national security? What can we learn about human language by studying metaphor? UWA linguist Daniel Midgley will illuminate the issue (so to speak) on this week's Talk the Talk. | 20 6 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
46 |
Explicit27: Swearing in Victoria | Using bad language in Victoria could cost you. Swearing in public is already illegal, but soon police will have the power to issue on-the-spot fines instead of taking the matter to court, which will make enforcement more likely. Where's the line between prohibiting anti-social behaviour and inhibiting freedom of expression? Do laws pertaining to swearing have any place in the 21st century? UWA linguist Daniel Midgley may be breaking the law on this week's Talk the Talk. | 13 6 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
47 |
26: Language Volunteering (featuring Robin Knight) | Volunteering is a good way to make a difference in your community, and it's even better when it involves language. But not everyone knows just how to combine the two successfully. This week on 'Talk the Talk', we have Robin Knight from Read Write Now in the studio to tell us how volunteers make literacy work. | 6 6 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
48 |
25: The Most Human Human (featuring Brian Christian) | A 'bot' is a computer program that simulates human conversation. Some bots are quite sophisticated, but could they ever be mistaken for a human? This week on Talk the Talk, UWA linguist Daniel Midgley chats with Brian Christian, who assisted with a contest to find the most human computer, and wrote up his adventures in a book, "The Most Human Human". | 30 5 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
49 |
25a: The Most Human Human, Part 2 (featuring Brian Christian) | Part 2 of our interview with Brian Christian, author of “The Most Human Human”. | 30 5 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
50 |
24: Planking | Do you plank? Have you ever taken part in a flash mob, or been rickrolled? Even if you haven't, you may have wondered how the names for these and other Internet-related crazes got started. Well, UWA linguist Daniel Midgley is going to tell you anyway on this week's Talk the Talk. | 23 5 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
51 |
23: Bilingualism in Schools | Victorian schools are placing a new emphasis on bilingual education. The Premier Ted Baillieu wants to make second language learning compulsory for most students starting in 2015. But this is just another in a long line of language learning efforts. Why are English speakers so persistently monolingual? UWA linguist Daniel Midgley learns more on this week's Talk the Talk. | 16 5 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
52 |
22: Super-Brain (featuring John Hoffecker) | Human evolution resulted in the formation of what could be called the "super-brain", as humans gained the ability to share complex thoughts. What can archaeology tell us about the human mind and the evolution of language? This week's Talk the Talk features an interview with Dr. John Hoffecker, author of "Landscape of the Mind: Human Evolution and the Archaeology of Thought". | 9 5 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
53 |
21: King James Version | This week marks the 400th anniversary of the King James Version of the Bible. It's considered a masterpiece of English literature, and it's had considerable impact on the English language. What is it about the King James Version that has even atheists singing its praises? And how does it stand up to newer versions? UWA linguist Daniel Midgley gets religion on this week's Talk the Talk. | 2 5 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
54 |
20: It Began in Africa | A new study has revealed some promising insights on the origins of human language. It now appears that language began in Africa, and it may even have helped our ancestors make the move to other parts of the world. But how can we know what language was like, thousands of years ago? UWA linguist Daniel Midgley takes you back in time on this week’s Talk the Talk. | 18 4 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
55 |
19: Language Change, Literally | Words don't always mean what they used to. 'Momentarily' used to mean 'for a moment', but now people use it to mean 'in a moment'. And many people don't take 'literally' literally. How do we know when it's time to give the old meaning the old heave-ho? UWA linguist Daniel Midgley looks at some attempts to do just that, on this week's Talk the Talk. | 11 4 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
56 |
18: App | Apple has apps. It even has an App Store. But now Microsoft has challenged Apple’s attempt to trademark “App Store”, and Amazon wants to have its own Appstore. Is that allowed? Companies get to trademark words and terms they invent, but what happens when those words enter the public lexicon? UWA linguist Daniel Midgley gets proprietary on this week's Talk the Talk. | 4 4 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
57 |
17: OMG, Oxford! W*F? | The Oxford English Dictionary has added 900 new words, including Internet-inspired abbreviations like LOL, OMG, and BFF. Will this cause the demise of society and the collapse of IQ scores globally? UWA linguist Daniel Midgley is here to hose down the hysteria, and reveal the surprising history of these new words on this week's Talk the Talk. | 28 3 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
58 |
16: Letters and Hyphens | Letters are letters, but the Internet gives them a new existence. UWA linguist Daniel Midgley looks at what's happening to the 'e' in 'email', examines the 'i' in your iPad, and puts the 'x' in 'sex'. All on this week's Talk the Talk. | 21 3 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
59 |
15: Baby Talk | When MIT scientist Deb Roy's first child was born, he did what any proud father would do: he rigged his house up with cameras and microphones to capture every phase of his child's language development. What are we learning about child language acquisition from this project? UWA linguist Daniel Midgley goes gaga on this week's Talk the Talk. | 14 3 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
60 |
14: Bilingualism and Alzheimer's | New research reveals that speaking a second language doesn't just make you more interesting -- it also holds off the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. How does it work? And which second language is right for you? UWA linguist Daniel Midgley is looking out for your brain on this week's Talk the Talk. | 7 3 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
61 |
13: The King's Speech | "The King's Speech" has won the Oscar for Best Picture, and this has brought attention to the issue of speech disfluency. What causes stammering, and how do people learn to manage it? And how affected was the King's speech, anyway? UWA linguist Daniel Midgley tries to make it clear on this week's Talk the Talk. | 28 2 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
62 |
12: OK (featuring Allan Metcalfe) | It's one of the most commonly recognised English words in the world. You probably use it scores of times a day. But how much do you know about 'okay'? Joining Ben and Daniel is Allan Metcalfe, linguist and author of "OK: The Improbable Story of America's Greatest Word", this week on Talk the Talk. | 21 2 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
63 |
Explicit11: S**t Happens | Opposition leader Tony Abbott copped some flak when he referred to a soldier's death in Afghanistan using a certain well-known philosophical homily: "S**t happens." How did this phrase enter the lexicon, and what impact has it had? It's all happening with UWA linguist Daniel Midgley on this week's Talk the Talk. | 14 2 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
64 |
10: Google and Bing | The search engine giants are in the news. Google is alleging that Microsoft's Bing is copying its results. How do they know? And how does a search engine work anyway? UWA linguist Daniel Midgley makes sense of the technology on this week's Talk the Talk. | 7 2 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
65 |
9: Chaser the Border Collie | Chaser, a border collie, can recognise the names of over 1,000 objects, and her owner claims she can carry out commands involving verbs and nouns combined. Is this evidence that animals can use language-like skills? UWA linguist Daniel Midgley investigates on this week's Talk the Talk. | 31 1 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
66 |
Explicit8: 'Money for Nothing' | This month, Canadian radio banned the Dire Straits song 'Money for Nothing' over an anti-gay slur in its lyrics. Has the word 'f****t' now become as unacceptable as other swear words? And how has the word changed since its origin as a bundle of sticks? UWA linguist Daniel Midgley explains on this week's 'Talk the Talk'. | 24 1 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
67 |
7: Watson | Last week, a computer system named Watson bested two human champions in a practice round of the trivia game 'Jeopardy!' How can a computer pull the right answer out of a knowledge database? UWA linguist Daniel Midgley might have the right answer on this week's Talk the Talk. | 17 1 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
68 |
Explicit6: Huckleberry Finn and the N-Word | NewSouth Books is planning to release a version of Mark Twain's "Huckleberry Finn" with the 'n-word' removed. Is it political correctness run amok, or a rather good idea? The book has found itself at the centre of controversy ever since its release, but is this the way to fix it? And what would Twain have thought? UWA linguist Daniel Midgley weighs in. | 10 1 11 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
69 |
5: Words of the Year 2010 | It's time to take a look back and see which words and phrases captured the zeitgeist of 2010. Many language groups have nominated their words of the year. Will any of them survive past January? UWA linguist Daniel Midgley names his picks on this week's Talk the Talk. | 20 12 10 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
70 |
4: Language Evolution (featuring W. Tecumseh Fitch) | What’s the difference between animal communication and human language? How did humans develop the capacity for language? UWA linguist Daniel Midgley talks the talk with W. Tecumseh Fitch, professor of cognitive biology at the University of Vienna, and author of the new book ‘The Evolution of Language’. | 13 12 10 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
71 |
3: Pavlova | This week, the Oxford English Dictionary dropped a bombshell: the first reference to Pavlova appears in a New Zealand publication, not an Australian one. How much do we know about the names of our favourite desserts? Why is a lamington called a lamington? And what are the international semantics of pudding? UWA linguist Daniel Midgley hits the pantry on this week's Talk the Talk. | 6 12 10 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
72 |
2: Accent | New research is revealing our secret attitudes about accent. Our brains show different patterns when listening to people with different accents, and it impacts our judgments on how credible or trustworthy we find the speaker. But why do we have different accents? And why would we change the way we talk around other people? UWA linguist Daniel Midgley puts his laconic drawl to use on this week's Talk the Talk. | 29 11 10 | Free | View In iTunes |
|
73 |
1: Bots | Programmer Nigel Leck has written a program that detects arguments against climate change on Twitter, and automatically responds with appropriate information. The climate deniers are often unaware that they're not dealing with a human. This is just the latest in a long line of 'bots' -- computer agents designed to have conversations like a human. How do bots work, and can they fool a human into thinking they're real people? UWA linguist Daniel Midgley -- or a reasonable facsimile -- joins us on this week's Talk the Talk. | 22 11 10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| Total: 73 Episodes |
Listeners also subscribed to
- Speculative Grammarian Podcast
- Speculative Grammarian
- View In iTunes
- Rationally Speaking
- New York City Skeptics
- View In iTunes
- For Good Reason
- D.J. Grothe
- View In iTunes
