New terms — like LatinX — are often pushed by activists to promote a more equitable world. But linguist John McWhorter says trying to enforce new words to speed up social change tends to back...
https://www.npr.org/2024/05/24/g-s1-432/the-debate-over-latinx-and-how-words-get-adopted-or-not
When George Washington took power, the U.S. House and Senate debated tirelessly how to address him. Writer Mark Forsyth explains how and why the U.S. leader is called "president."
https://www.npr.org/2024/05/24/g-s1-429/the-humble-beginning-of-the-word-president
Linguist Anne Curzan delights in the nuances and evolution of language. She says we should embrace they/them as singular pronouns---which have actually been used for hundreds of years.
https://www.npr.org/2024/05/24/g-s1-426/they-them-and-the-evolution-of-english
If it sounds like political parties speak different languages, social scientist Dannagal Young says they do. She says politicians repeat certain words to speak to their base and move people to ac...
As mines meet mineral demands for electric vehicles, they put communities and ecosystems at risk. Sustainability researcher Elsa Dominish says the EV industry cannot repeat fossil fuel's mistakes...
To solve the climate crisis, we need reliable satellites to track carbon emissions and changing weather patterns. Astrodynamicist Moriba Jah says space junk is putting these satellites in jeopard...
We now use AI in more and more areas of our lives. But with its high emissions, should we resist this new tech? AI researcher Sasha Luccioni is working for a greener, more transparent future for ...
Sims Witherspoon is a researcher using AI to fight climate change. She says AI can help solve the biggest problem with renewables like wind and solar: their unpredictable nature.
https://www.npr.org/2024/05/10/1250261123/wind-energy-can-be-unpredictable-ai-can-help
Talking about sex can make many of us feel uncomfortable. Sex and relationship counselor Erin Chen shares her secret to normalizing "the talk."
https://www.npr.org/2024/04/19/1245304028/sex-ed-is-awkward-but-it-doesnt-have-to-be
Journalist Melissa Dahl went on a mission, researching the nature of "cringe." She hoped to free herself from awkward moments. Instead, she learned from them.
https://www.npr.org/2024/04/19/1245304012/stop-judging-yourself-and-embrace-your-cringe