Steven Pinker - The Stuff of Thought: Language as a window into human nature

[@AguzSuiCaedere]

There was one gentleman in the audience that was truly enjoy himself during this lecture.

[@michaelnoble7713]

For those who want to skip through the parts Grammar 2:04 Swearing 13:00 Innuendo 33:00

[@EmperorsNewWardrobe]

Always appreciated

[@WritPop]

No one wants to skip any of these sections.

[@mynameissqueegy]

Quite possibly one of the most interesting talks I've seen. Steven Pinker illustrates the concepts and thoughts of his study in such a coherent way that I end up feeling like a genius after many of his talks. Love it.

[@WolfgangBrozart]

Pinker is one of the most eloquent and skilled speakers out there so it's hilarious to hear him say all these crude phrases lol

[@cedrickawick9464]

Mr. Steven Pinker, I just want to say that I think you explained perfectly, not well, perfectly why swearwords are considered bad. I truly admire your details! Thank you very much for making everything perfectly clear!

[@rockos414]

The man is a comedic genius. I doubt people have ever laughed so hard during a seminar.

[@EmperorsNewWardrobe]

2:40 there’s a: -theory of physics embedded in our language -concept of space in our prepositions -conception of matter in our nouns -conception of time in our tenses -conception of causality in our verbs

[@graceoverall]

Wow... only 408 views and no comments? What's wrong with people, lol. This was such an interesting talk. Language truly is an incredibly fascinating thing.

[@wallyreyes2035]

I'm at a lost for words. Just didn't see that coming.

[@ajgnexus]

I like his way of teaching here. its indeed very informative, but the topic is interesting and by design is ripe for jokes and humor. its not a boring lecture, but actually teaches you about something cool.

[@kirtimanp]

Thank You, Vsauce !

[@JerryTheSaiyan]

Why I’m here

[@rajeshpt2424]

@@JerryTheSaiyan Me too

[@GREGALBU]

Vsauce

[@bayan6299]

Same ..

[@turkgriffith]

Yes

[@cuddlestuf912]

Michael here

[@rajeshpt2424]

Me too

[@xDMrGarrison]

Why is it so satisfying to hear Steven Pinker swear? xD

[@evolvedcopper2205]

Swear words are fully integrated into my English. I'm glad i saw this, I'm glad i tick so many of the boxes i saw here. Upon hearing just one 'bad word' most people get stunned or offended, seems they don't like my English 😂

[@iosoniosonmanuel]

When science and stand-up comedy are perfectly mixed.

[@davidanderson9664]

Thank you. Pinky's the bomb! There is nothing he can write or lecture one should miss.

[@rileylaforge7640]

Buddy at 15:00 is having a hard time with his hiccough-laugh

[@melondolphin7879]

Riley LaForge oof

[@srinathravindra93]

ආදරණීය විශ්ව මාතාවට ස්තුතියි ස්තුතියි ස්තුතියි

[@yangyang2000]

interesting point on dominance @ 42:00 wonder if phrases like "it would be awesome if you could pass the guacamole" are more rare in collectivist societies where dominance is less of a threat.

[@thought2007]

this was fucking intersting. i call that sarcastic ephymistic dysphemism to express how interesting it was

[@robotaholic]

he is so awesome and one of a kind

[@xDMrGarrison]

I laughed out loud at the beginning warning.

[@chris4mac]

This was hilarious and enlightening simultaneously. I'm still a bit off put by a scientific approach to language; my man seems to be lacking some sociocultural angles in his analysis, but I suppose it is one of our best attempts at conceptualizing language. Love it!

[@fernandoramoslopez69]

Really comical scientific approach to linguistics, I enjoyed it :)

[@trekkiejunk]

Interesting lecture. But i would like to read one person in the comments section claim they have ever said, or ever heard anyone say anything even close to: "Can i have any reading behind the dinner?"

[@mattyarden2484]

carlin would have loved this

[@rsaorg]

From Cognitive Media's website - our external animation partners :)

[@jeff-onedayatatime.2870]

As a Host/Hostess, my strategy is to put a tip jar prominently on my lectern, and make the whole thing legitimate. It's like Express Toll Lanes on the freeway. You'll get there faster (either to your destination or your table) if you pay, but you'll still get there if you don't pay.

[@jeff-onedayatatime.2870]

With a $20 bill prominently displayed, customer asks "How long is the wait?" Host/hostess replies, "15 minutes." Customer puts a $100 bill into the tip jar. Host/hostess says, "Come right this way, your table is available now."

[@jeff-onedayatatime.2870]

This is exactly what happened when I went East Berlin. The exchange rate was so out of balance, as I soon as they saw I was an American, they moved our entire party into a banquet room kept aside especially for Americans. In West Germany, we would have paid 500 marks for what they gave us for 50 marks. So, like most Americans, we gave 200 and 300 percent tips. A win-win situation.

[@jeff-onedayatatime.2870]

Right now they are building Express Toll Lanes on Interstate 70 to the west of Denver, CO leading up to Vail, Breckenridge, Aspen, Telluride, etc. It's going to be insanely expensive, but from a moral perspective I have zero problem with it.

[@jeff-onedayatatime.2870]

It's a tip jar because it shows the money will be shared with all the staff, rather than accrue solely to the host/hostess.

[@nallekarhu7994]

i love stephen pinker, i mean i love him...

[@jeff-onedayatatime.2870]

Around 47 minutes he quotes Nora Ephron. If you never appreciated her wit, this will help you understand. :) (Quoted from "When Harry Met Sally".)

[@StopICouldveDroppedMyCrossaint]

Very interesting, definitely worth the watch! Also, we share the same last name haha, but great talk!

[@jeff-onedayatatime.2870]

"Would you come see my etchings for $1 million?" "OK." "Would you come see them for $1 hundred?" "Of course not! What do you think I am?" "We have already established that. Now we are just negotiating price." This was the way my uncle (Robert Moody Smith, 1915-1998) told the "etchings" joke. I was maybe 35 years old when all of a sudden I started laughing because I finally got the joke. :)

[@walter12260]

Good Jób !

[@thermos26]

@pawsoned Actually, he IS a scientist. He's an experimental psychologist, not a linguist.

[@jeff-onedayatatime.2870]

Pinker has the Michael Commons' Model of Hierarchical Complexity Level 14 at least, and possible 15.

[@Menstral]

28:20 striking a cool pose, informal environment where we do not have to watch our language.

[@thermos26]

@pawsoned I think that he is a psychologist because he has a Ph.D. in Psychology, and is a professor of Psychology, not Linguistics. It's rather simple. I was not commenting on the quality of his research.

[@thermos26]

@pawsoned Well, if you had simply said that he was discussing research that was not his own, I would not have had a problem with your original comment.

[@pawsoned]

@thermos26 Why do you think so? Just because he is a professor and argues in an opaque way? Tell me what prominent experiments has he ever done, apart from variations on the Chomskyan 'wug' tests?

[@BadMannerKorea]

That guy cackling is fucking hilarious.

[@rh001YT]

Beware of oversimplification by academics: the bribe: In India, it is said one must bribe to get a government contract, yet of all those who pay a bribe, only one gets the contract, and the losers don't get a refund, but are welcome to try again on the next contract with another bribe. There, non-bribing simply means you won't be considered. And part of the winning bribe may be the promise of a piece of the action on the backend, your collateral being your safety. Its a bit more complex.

[@jeffreycliff922]

This speech sounds almost identical to the Google Talk given somewhat earlier.

[@wombles17]

who is the dude at the end interviewing Pinker?

[@elchafa337]

@LookingForTheArbiter Youneed to get your head checked, this talk is brilliant

[@o1JunHo1o]

Steven picked his nose in the thumbnail. +1 to whoever post the exact time of the moment.

[@ibn_klingschor]

Must have been during the Q&A

[@pawsoned]

@thermos26 Thank you for explaining this because after reading "The language Instinct" "The Blank Slate" "Words and Rules" "Who the Mind Works" and now "The Stuff of Thought" it is not clear what his research really consists of, notwithstanding persistent and pointless semantic hairsplitting. Sorry, but there was no relevant data pertaining to experimental psychology that was his.

[@jeminni19]

DAT LAUGHHHH

[@littleyaudry]

2:30

[@mrcwalk]

I can't believe how many negative comments this video has received. Have you any idea how long it takes to achieve the acknowledged basics as a certified psychologist? this man has gone on to specialise in language, which even when he reveals something very simple, there has been years of science gone into that revelation. maybe the content of this speech contains material found in other lectures by him, but have you heard in speak on blood lust in religion etc? fucking mind-blowing!

[@x1plus1x]

my fav part is 0:29:04

[@jmichaelmasseur]

Dat mane!

[@importantname]

apparantly most conversation is communicated by body posture movement etc, and is often misread, understood, misinterpreted. Include the complexity of our verbal language explained within this vid and you get; - NO wonder I never know what the F^*? is going on

[@lmolguin]

ChiefDen4, If you check on RSA Animate version of this video, you'll see the donkey-like laugh has been drawn as a laughing hyena. Hilarious!

[@LightlessDimension]

PINKERSLAP!

[@ArphenMaethor]

that speech is fucking awesome ;)

[@BrianLeexx]

I don't discredit the man, but after watching this lecture fully twice, I still fail to comprehend the arguments he makes. Could anyone explain what message Mr. Pinker is trying to convey besides the obscure "language is a window into human nature"?

[@Legionary42]

uh, furniture???

[@orqg5000]

Dear uploader, we all know it was Steven Pinker talking... Why not focus on the slides he was sharing?

[@makexxwar]

People tend to get grey hair either because of their age, or due to prolonged periods of high stress. He is likely wondering how many years of high stress work Steven has gone through to get to where he is now. I don't think he was trying to be profound, but trying to show his admiration for a man he respects.

[@ChollieD]

Hey Pinker, Beethoven wants his hair back.

[@lhiow6198]

entertaining, even with the strong languages!

[@ThaDanishGuy]

Bloody Hyena keeps appearing in these videos.

[@jimtayler555]

haha, great! I love cognitive science videos.

[@hillarymary]

@Jalenxx lol.

[@fungusrare]

Your comment has nothing to do with Steven Pinker at all.

[@MoncefGridda]

I wonder if I need to have as many gray hairs as he does to hold a lecture as revealing (about human nature).

[@12345567efas]

what is that story the blind man and the elephant?

[@polyglotdreams]

Pinker, the only language you know is English! It is amazing that growing up in Quebec you never even learned French. Your monolingual bias blinds you just as your master - Chomsky is limited by his monolingualism.

[@waylandporter1766]

The origins to any indigenous language is relative to the verbalization of experiences defining relationships in self dialog and anything communicable

[@ytjoemoore94]

I think he mixed up common knowledge a mutual knowledge at the end there

[@WritPop]

Genius

[@ravitejasrigiriraju]

we say after dark as we intend to say "after it gets dark" not literally after dark.

[@mziad84]

How many gray hairs do I need to have to watch the whole lecture.

[@makethelaughs]

Thumbs up if you cant help but laugh when the guy with weird laugh, laughs!

[@mynameissqueegy]

uhhhh, what?

[@gh778jk]

"This video contains strong language."..... have these people been listening to conversations amongst ten year olds lately ? People are advised to grow a pair....

[@FunkMan53]

Where is the very strong language the puritans promised?

[@MrMattias87]

Wow....I've never heard Steven Pinker swear so much haha

[@danamoroso-xjq]

faster and faster and faster and faster and faster

[@MANPREETSINGH-bv2vz]

sun rises in the east or sun sets west ,,,,although we know sun is stationary.

[@damentrent]

MANPREET SINGH the sun isn’t stationary at all. Our entire solar system is traveling very fast

[@MostlyReading]

Hahahahaha, nice

[@NickleJ]

I just realized that he kinda looks like a liberal Jordan Peterson and now I feel strange.

[@MrMagnusFogg]

:-))) ...understanding human nature will get you grey hairs...

[@pawsoned]

I think that his speech lacks substantial insight. He may be a scientist, but his lecture, however funny and entertaining leaves a bit to be desired. I mean what does it teach apart from quoting a few amusing examples?

[@FunkMan53]

This video has strong language? Ever heard of Rap music?

[@M3Lucky]

28:07-28:15 FAV BIT OF THE VIDEO haaha

[@MostlyReading]

Holy shit! Hahahahaha

[@TheK-t3s]

would the Non-sense a responsible,under specific circumstances,of producing the tow processes,or one of them at least? so why bothered fulfilling such knowledge? this is purposeless,I think,and leads nowhere but to the None-sense itself again.In addition,langues are totally completed,semantically. but thoughts aren't in order to get syntax rebuild every time a group of people need to be orgasmed for instance.

[@redchangoTRDD]

This guy curses more than a sailor! :)

[@samuellerma3714]

he said the n-word!!!!!!!!! Get the police!!! hahaha

[@MANPREETSINGH-bv2vz]

hey dont neglect philosophy now