Send us a text

About the guest: Ev Fedorenko is a neuroscientist at MIT. Her lab studies the neural basis of language, speech, and thought in the human brain.

*Full episode available free on Substack & YouTube.

Episode summary: Nick and Dr. Fedorenko discuss: the relationship between language and thought; the extent to which language is for thinking vs. communication; Noam Chomsky’s Universal Grammar theory; Sapir-Whorf hypothesis; language acquisition & language learning; language networks in the brain; neuroanatomy & brain lateralization; large language models (LLMs) & machine intelligence; and more.

Related episodes:

• M&M #141: Evolution, Language, Domestication, Symbolic Cognition, AI & Large Language Models
• M&M #20: Language, Symbolic Cognition, Evolution, Origins of the Human Mind | Terrence Deacon

*This content is never meant to serve as medical advice.

Support the show

All episodes, show notes, transcripts, and more at the M&M Substack

Affiliates:

• KetoCitra—Ketone body BHB + potassium, calcium & magnesium, formulated with kidney health in mind. Use code MIND20 for 20% off any subscription (cancel anytime)
• Lumen device to optimize your metabolism for weight loss or athletic performance. Code MIND for 10% off
• Readwise: Organize and share what you read. 60 days FREE through link
• SiPhox Health—Affordable at-home blood testing. Key health markers, visualized & explained. Code TRIKOMES for a 20% discount.
• MASA Chips—delicious tortilla chips made from organic corn & grass-fed beef tallow. No seed oils or artificial ingredients. Code MIND for 20% off

For all the ways you can support my efforts