Does your language shape your thinking?

Are there really dozens of words for snow in northern cultures? What did the movie Arrival have to do with language and cognition? Why are Russians better than Americans at distinguishing certain shades of blue? And what does any of this have to do with space, time, gender, and how your language influences your thought? Join Eagleman and his guest, cognitive scientist Lera Boroditsky, as they take a deep dive into the intersection of words and understanding.

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More Information:
Lupyan G, Rahman RA, Boroditsky L, Clark A. (2020). Effects of language on visual perception. Trends in cognitive sciences. 2020 Nov 1;24(11):930-44.

Boroditsky L, Fuhrman O, McCormick K. (2011). Do English and Mandarin speakers think about time differently?. Cognition. 2011 Jan 1;118(1):123-9.

Boroditsky L. (2011). How language shapes thought. Scientific American. 2011 Feb 1;304(2):62-5.

Magga OH. (2006). Diversity in Saami terminology for reindeer, snow, and ice. International Social Science Journal. 2006 Mar;58(187):25-34.

Krupnik, I., Müller-Wille, L. (2010). Franz Boas and Inuktitut Terminology for Ice and Snow: From the Emergence of the Field to the “Great Eskimo Vocabulary Hoax”. In: Krupnik, I., Aporta, C., Gearheard, S., Laidler, G., Kielsen Holm, L. (eds) SIKU: Knowing Our Ice. Springer, Dordrecht.

Regier T, Carstensen A, Kemp C (2016) Languages Support Efficient Communication about the Environment: Words for Snow Revisited. PLoS ONE 11(4): e0151138.

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