Steven Pinker: The stuff of thought

http://www.ted.com In an exclusive preview of his book The Stuff of Thought, Steven Pinker looks at language and how it expresses what goes on in our minds -- and how the words we choose communicate much more than we realize.

TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers are invited to give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes -- including speakers such as Jill Bolte Taylor, Sir Ken Robinson, Hans Rosling, Al Gore and Arthur Benjamin. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, and Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, politics and the arts. Watch the Top 10 TEDTalks on TED.com, at
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/top10

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Steven
• Pinker
• TED
• TEDTalks
• Talks
• thought
• language
• The Stuff of Thought
• linguistics

[lordabacu]

The metaphor stuff owes a lot to George Lakoff, whom Pinker opposed in the so-called "Grammar Wars." He probably should have given a shout-out.

[Ozrielos]

TED talks is brilliant...but am I the only one who finds the intro, with all the "remarkable people' and "incalculable value" just a tad pomous?

[SamerAjouri]

@tubiyuu BMW deserves a credit, they are one fo the sponsors to fund this project and bringing it to us.

[tubiyuu]

i dont like the fack that ted gives an ad before the video. it is so annoying for a conference dedicated to education.

[malexandrec]

What tools , including language, have humans created which do not irrevocably damage nature?

Language is as much a trap as it is a tool. And its use as a trap is increasing as the destruction of nature intensifies.

i am aware of some of the times i have been trapped by the manipulators of language, and i live today because i was able to escape some of those traps.

But i also understand that this monster has infected every human mind.

"Oh but that is not in the textbook."

[michealjohnny]

Humans aren't the only subjects that can possess. See: "The bear's berries.", If they're the bear's, then I'm not going to take them!

If you don't agree with this, then try: "The bears cubs.". Even killing the bear or violently removing the cubs will not stop the cubs from being of the bear.

I love the talk anyway!

[MrPEDOCTOR]

great sharing

[mrkeys1111]

The only sensation that trumps the human orgasm is the enlightening of the human mind.

[fedupx5900]

I have finally found a boring TED Lecture.

A boring TED Lecture was found by me finally.

[DamionCrane]

Thumbs this message up is all you were thinking during this talk was "what??"