plausible deniability

Metaphors as a window into thought

I think I've read what he presented in one of his other books (The Language Instinct?). He talked to how we use concrete physical terms to refer to abstract ideas (e.g Argument is war - His claims were indefensible, I attacked his argument. Love is a journey - Our relationship has stalled. Look how far we've come. We drifted apart. etc.).
Swearing as a window into emotion

Swearing consists of emotionally charged words. Dr. Pinker gave a good breakdown on why people find swears offensive and the contexts in which swears are used. This section of the talk also used more expletives (in both number and variation) than I believe even the most well versed sailor could have used in such a limited time frame. Bravo, Dr. Pinker! Bravo!

Some interesting highlights: a list of 33 different ways we refer to feces (Pinker: "Makes you wonder what the fuss is about the number of words for snow Eskimos supposedly have."). Polite terms for sex being intransitive verbs, while cruder terms are transitive verbs - the former indicating mutual consensual actions, the latter less so. The delight Pinker had for the 16th century curse "kiss the cunt of a cow" ("There's a wonderful alliteration to it.").
Innuendo as a window into social interaction

This was personally my favorite section. He used the example of bribing a police officer to get out of a speeding ticket. Innuendo helps get intent across when you don't know the morals of others. It's in innuendo that you can reap the benefits of bribing a corrupt cop while avoiding the penalties of bribing a scrupulous one.

It was an hour and a half long and seemed like only a small taste of a really interesting topic. I'm eager to see the actual research when it's out.

On a side note, the question period after was... interesting. There were some good questions, but they were in the minority. I always love people who just adore hearing the sound of their own voices and demonstrating how brilliant they are to the group. "Gesticulation" and "Hominid evolution" are terms not to be thrown around lightly. Especially when the question is really: Does non-verbal communication add to how people understand language?

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As expected, the LBS admits were a great bunch. I didn't expect us to be drinking as long as we did but I guess the training for London has to start somewhere.

Labels: Interest, Rave

Posted at 2:29 PM
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January 23, 2007

T-G-I-(almost) Wednesday

First and foremost, Happy Birthday Dad!

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Thanks to Al for the link and the nod. He was my first real contact with life at LBS and meeting him and his lovely wife was one of the things that really strengthened my resolve to attend school there. Thanks again for that.

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Tomorrow will be an interesting Wednesday for me. First off, I'm attending a lecture by Steven Pinker about his upcoming book - The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature.

From the Lavin Agency Speaker Profile:

The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature

In this preview of his new book (to be published in 2007), Steven Pinker shows how our words reflect the thoughts we think, the emotions we feel, and the relationship we have with one another. This sweeping and entertaining lecture ranges over a number of topics that lie at the core of our understanding of human nature but are also very much in the news.

Why do people frame their abstract ideas in concrete metaphors—and is skillful use of metaphor the key to winning elections? Why do people swear, and get upset when other people swear? And why do we veil our bribes, threats, and sexual come-ons in innuendo and euphemism, instead of blurting them out? As with the lectures based on his other books, Pinker covers profound topics in science and philosophy with a light touch and with deft use of examples from everyday speech and popular culture.

The first book of Dr. Pinker's I'd read was How the Mind Works. It was great because not only was the subject matter was incredibly interesting, but it gave scientific details and how they relate to the larger picture. I've always been interested in the bigger picture and how smaller factors contribute to the whole system - it explains my major in Pharmacology. The writing is also accessible to both sciencey and non-sciencey people, so I'd suggest it to anyone.

The Blank Slate and the Language Instinct are also pretty good, but they struck me as a bit more technical than How the Mind Works.

Afterwards, some of the Toronto admits are getting together (for the first of many get togethers - I'm sure). Considering the type of people I've met from LBS so far, it looks like it's going to be an interesting time already.

Labels: Interest, MBA, Musing

Posted at 2:10 PM
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January 04, 2007