What is language actually good for?

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Recorded10 May 2022

Publisherpodcasts.files.bbci.co.uk ↗

Handlerec:15200143

Show notes

Acclaimed Australian linguist Professor Nick Enfield has come to the conclusion that language is good for lawyers, for the purposes of persuasion, but bad for scientists who seek to accurately represent reality. It's a fascinating idea he explores in his new book Language vs Reality. What can language describe and where does it fail? Presenter Michael Rosen explores this with him in an in-depth conversation. Producer Beth O'Dea

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