White Matter Reorganization: How Learning Braille Changes Brain Structure Over Time
White matter reorganizes at specific time points to meet the needs of the brain. Learning changes the brain, but when learning Braille different brain regions…
Language News
Researchers Explore How Children Learn Language Far Faster Than Teenagers or Adults
Small children learn language at a pace far faster than teenagers or adults. One explanation for this learning advantage comes not from differences between children…
Electric Fish – Like Humans – Pause Before Communicating Key Points
American writer and humorist Mark Twain, a master of language and noted lecturer, once offered, “The right word may be effective, but no word was…
Deception and Lies: Wild Siberian Jays Use Social Knowledge to Avoid Being Tricked
Siberian jays are group-living birds within the corvid family that employ a wide repertoire of calls to warn each other of predators. Sporadically, however, birds…
Primates Change Their “Accent” in Shared Territory to Avoid Conflict
New study finds one species will adopt another species’ calls in shared territory. New research has discovered that monkeys will use the “accent” of another…
Screams of “Joy” Are Often Mistaken for “Fear” When Heard Out of Context
The first in-depth look at the human ability to decode the range of emotions tied to the acoustic cues of screams. People are adept at…
Human Screams Communicate at Least Six Emotions – Surprisingly Acoustically Diverse
Human screams signal more than fear and are more acoustically diverse than previously thought, according to a study published today (April 13th, 2021) in the…
Babies Prefer Baby Talk, Regardless of Which Languages They’re Used to Hearing
It can be hard to resist lapsing into an exaggerated, singsong tone when you talk to a cute baby. And that’s with good reason. Babies…
Higher Rate of Obesity With Spanish-Speaking Children Than English-Speaking Children in the U.S.
Childhood obesity also more prevalent among U.S. households with low socioeconomic status. Nearly one in five U.S. children and teenagers has obesity, and statistics show…
3,500-Year-Old Medical Papyrus Manual Reveals New Details About Ancient Egyptian Mummification
Based on a manual recently discovered in a 3,500-year-old medical papyrus, University of Copenhagen Egyptologist Sofie Schiødt has been able to help reconstruct the embalming…
New Research Shows Neanderthals Had the Capacity to Perceive and Produce Human Speech
Neanderthals — the closest ancestor to modern humans — possessed the ability to perceive and produce human speech, according to a new study published by…
Answer Quickly to Be Believed – Pausing Before Replying Decreases Perceived Sincerity
When people pause before replying to a question, even for just a few seconds, their answers are perceived to be less sincere and credible than…
Recognizing Liars From the Sound of Their Voice? Here’s How to Sound Confident and Honest
Faster speech rate, greater intensity in the middle of the word, and falling pitch at the end of the word: that is the prosody[1] to…
Eavesdropping Marmosets Understand Other Monkeys’ Conversations – And They Judge
Humans continuously observe and evaluate interactions between third parties to decide with whom to interact in the future. But it is difficult to measure what…
Artificial Intelligence Generated Artwork Sells for $432,500 – Is AI a Simple Tool or Creative Genius?
Research Shows How Language Humanizes AI Intelligent algorithms are used to create paintings, write poems, and compose music. According to a study by an international…
New Research Finds Lasting Benefits From Growing Up in a Bilingual Home
“Early bilinguals” have advantages over those who learn a second language later. New research has found that growing up in a bilingual home can provide…
How Does Our Brain Separate the Factual From the Possible?
Our brains respond to language expressing facts differently than they do to words conveying possibility, a team of neuroscientists has found. Its work offers new…
Infant Brain Circuitry Shaped by Language Exposure
Taking turns in “conversation” with caregivers relates to synchronized activation in language areas. The type and quantity of an infant’s language exposure relates to their…
