Parrots, songbirds, and even hummingbirds have famously been known to mimic human speech, but until now, no other avian species had been documented exhibiting the same behavior. That all changed when an Australian musk duck began yelling what appeared to be English words in the … [Read more...] about Australian bird is the first documented case of mimicry in ducks
language
The surprising benefits of swearing
Swearing is something that most people, at one point or another, have been told not to do. Swearing is something that we are taught is inherently “wrong”—so why does it sometimes feel so right? There are occasions when letting out a biting swear word seems like the only way to … [Read more...] about The surprising benefits of swearing
Babbling bats: Winged mammals could teach us about human language
You may not think humans have much in common with bats, but it turns out these nocturnal creatures may provide critical insights into human language development. Researchers from the Museum of Natural History Berlin spent many months studying bat colonies in Panama and Costa Rica … [Read more...] about Babbling bats: Winged mammals could teach us about human language
Activists are turning to Twitch to keep endangered languages alive
Roughly 7,000 languages are spoken in the world today. About half of these languages are considered endangered and expected to become extinct by the end of the century. In a bid to keep their traditions alive, activists speaking at-risk, Indigenous languages are now turning to … [Read more...] about Activists are turning to Twitch to keep endangered languages alive
Study: Learning a new language boosts our ability to pick up more
While learning another language can be an incredibly difficult undertaking, it's easier for some than others. In fact, a recent study shows that the more languages you can speak, the easier it is for you to pick up another one — with the results providing some of the first … [Read more...] about Study: Learning a new language boosts our ability to pick up more