All Episodes of Otherwords
Browse all episodes of Otherwords
Season 1
N/A/100 votesCan Computers Really Talk? Or Are They Faking It?
Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 5/5/2021
New advancements in technology are making it harder than ever to tell the difference between a computer and a human speaker... but what's going on under the hood? Is it really "language," or just a digital illusion?
Director: Unknown
Writer: Unknown
N/A/100 votesPopular Words Invented by Authors
Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 7/28/2021
Authors often create words just for a one-time usage... but a special few will gain traction and become full-fledged parts of our shared lexicon! Otherwords is a new PBS web series on Storied that digs deep into this quintessential human trait of language and fınds the fascinating, thought-provoking, and funny stories behind the words and sounds we take for granted. Incorporating the fıelds of biology, history, cultural studies, literature, and more, linguistics has something for everyone and offers a unique perspective into what it means to be human.
Director: Unknown
Writer: Unknown
- N/A/100 votes
How Do Clichés Evolve into Memes?
Season 1 Episode 8 - Aired 2/24/2022
Adaptable clichés called "snowclones" are EVERYWHERE on the internet. We use them for memes, inside jokes, to show our membership of the group. But they weren't invented online. In fact, they're way older than you think!
Director: Unknown
Writer: Unknown
- N/A/100 votes
N/A/100 votesWhy Sign Language Was Banned in America
Season 1 Episode 16 - Aired 10/27/2022
Sign Languages are just as linguistically valid and vibrant as spoken languages, and beneficial to learn for Deaf and hearing people. So why for decades was it illegal to teach them in American schools?
Director: Unknown
Writer: Unknown
- N/A/100 votes
- N/A/100 votes
- N/A/100 votes
What Brain Damage Reveals About Language
Season 1 Episode 23 - Aired 7/27/2023
Some of the first discoveries about the relationship between language and the brain were made by studying patients with brain damage. Of course, before modern technology, the only way you could see the brain was by opening it up.
Director: Unknown
Writer: Unknown
- N/A/100 votes
Why Does Texting Feel Different from Talking?
Season 1 Episode 24 - Aired 8/24/2023
Your texts might be cool and clever, but you still get tongue-tied when talking to people face-to-face. Why is that? It's all just words, right? Learn the difference between what linguist call synchronous and asynchronous communication.
Director: Unknown
Writer: Unknown
- N/A/100 votes
The Most Extreme Place Names
Season 1 Episode 26 - Aired 10/19/2023
Place names, known as "toponyms" do more than just help us know where we're supposed to meet up.| They often provide clues that can tell you a lot about a location: its geography, history and the people who lived there.
Director: Unknown
Writer: Unknown
- N/A/100 votes
N/A/100 votesCan TV Change the Way We Speak?
Season 1 Episode 37 - Aired 11/21/2024
Some parents are concerned (or thrilled?) that their kids might be developing an Australian accent from watching Bluey... but is that really possible? How much of our language acquisition comes from TV anyway?
Director: Unknown
Writer: Unknown
