F40W More than Words: How Talking Sharpens the Mind and Shapes Our World (Hybrid/In-Person)
In-Person | Available (Membership Required)
[NEW COURSE] We will discuss a popular science book by Maryellen MacDonald about “talking”. Humans can transform internal ideas into talk, but talking isn’t just for communication. We process speech much faster and with less effort than we create it. The complex processes in the brain that allow us to talk impact other areas of our lives in surprising ways. MacDonald explains the cognitive and brain mechanisms that underlie talking, and how talking shapes attention, memory, learning, how we regulate our emotions, and our cognitive health as we age. Discussion, Lecture, Reading
Required Text: More than Words: How Talking Sharpens the Mind and Shapes Our World by Maryellen MacDonald, ISBN 9780593545270 (hardcover) or ISBN 9780593545294 (e-book)
Extended Description:
We will read and discuss a popular science book by Maryellen MacDonald about talking, “More than words: How talking sharpens the mind and shapes our world”. MacDonald argues that it is the complex, mostly unconscious, processes of transforming internal thoughts into language, shapes our brains and determines who we are as humans (Animals communicate, but only humans talk.) MacDonald explains how talking focuses attention, modulates intense emotions, helps maintain memory, and may delay dementia. While clearly elucidating the mechanisms that enable talking, MacDonald advances a novel scientific argument that challenges widespread popular and scientific beliefs. It will be a fun, provocative read that should lead to lively discussions. The topics the book addresses include:
• why other species communicate but do not talk
• how babies become talkers
• how the world’s languages are shaped by the demands of talking
• how talking helps us set goals and facilitates learning
• links between speech patterns and mental illness
• why conversations in classrooms are crucial
• how talking can amplify political polarization
• how talking can slow cognitive decline as we age
The course will be primarily discussion. In the first class, I’ll brief overviews of each of the three sections: (1) Getting to talk; (2) The challenge of talking; and (3) Talking tunes our brains. Then Maryellen MacDonald will join us to discuss the book. We will then discuss about two chapters in each subsequent class. I will focus on guiding the discussion, as well as providing background in response to questions and comments raised by people in the class.
Michael Tanenhaus
Michael K. Tanenhaus is a professor of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at the University of Rochester. An expert on speech and language comprehension, he received the 2018 Rumelhart Prize in Cognitive Science.