Tag Archives: Language

October 27

The Language and Psychology of Modern “Cults”

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We use the term “cult” loosely in today’s colloquial language. Ask around, and you might hear the opinion that people who religiously attend expensive spin classes or CrossFit are in a cult. MLM’s (multi-level marketing schemes) are a cult. Academia is a cult! As a member of the cult of academia, I promise I am […]

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April 29

How Metal can regain its Sound: the Science of Cochlear Implants

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This article discusses various scenes from the film Sound of Metal. Although what is discussed likely will not come as any great surprise to anyone generally familiar with the film, be aware that mild “spoilers” are ahead! If you haven’t yet seen the film but choose to read on, this article contains some clips from […]

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July 13

How I Spent My Summer Vacation

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What’s one part beach, four parts science, and too much fun? If you answered “Brain Camp,” you nailed it.

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December 15

What’s Your Damage, Yoda?

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Even if you haven’t seen the Star Wars films (yes, those people do exist and yes, it’s rude to yell at them until they watch them), you probably know three key things about Jedi Master Yoda: he’s small, he’s green, and he talks funny. Specifically, he switches around the order of some of his words; […]

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September 17

Singing in the [B]rain

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Music has always wielded a disconcerting power over me. In times of overwhelming emotions, listening to a sad song or playing Chopin’s Nocturne in E-flat on the piano has propelled me into cathartic fits of sobbing. Songs with escalating intensity and complexity (such as San Fermin’s Parasites) have made me feel as if a wave […]

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September 13

Reading is Weird

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How do humans learn how to read? Reading is a much more recent development compared to spoken language, with the development of written language typically placed around 3200 BCE in Egypt (1). Some have termed this development a cultural invention because we were able to gain a new ability to understand meaning from written characters, […]

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