Dr. Benjamin Bergen is Professor of Cognitive Science at the University of California San Diego. His research interests include language comprehension and production, including grammar, word meaning, metaphor, profanity, and talking while driving. He’s the author of the books Louder Than Words: The New Science of How the Mind Makes Meaning, and What the F: What Swearing Reveals About Our Language, Our Brains, and Ourselves.

In this episode, we focus on embodied cognition and language. First, we tackle what embodied cognition is about. Then, we get into language (and meaning). We refer to the embodied simulation hypothesis, and to experiments to know the mental simulations people are performing. We also discuss the drawbacks of mentalese (language of thought). We ask if language influences thought, and how. We talk about different cognitive styles – verbalizers, and visualizers – and ask how can we even understand each other. In the final parts of the interview, we talk about how we get from simulations of physical aspects of existence to abstract concepts; what is embodied simulation really good for; and if we can improve AI systems with knowledge from embodied cognition and simulation.

Follow Dr. Bergen’s work:

Faculty Page: http://bit.ly/2LxwOz4

University website: http://bit.ly/36bekME

Google Scholar page: http://bit.ly/2RjB9Jw

ResearchGate profile: http://bit.ly/350au90

Twitter handle: @KhandisBlake

Amazon page: https://amzn.to/2RNfwjN

Louder Than Words: The New Science of How the Mind Makes Meaning: https://amzn.to/38fQ0ew

A HUGE THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS/SUPPORTERS: KARIN LIETZCKE, ANN BLANCHETTE, PER HELGE LARSEN, LAU GUERREIRO, JERRY MULLER, HANS FREDRIK SUNDE, BERNARDO SEIXAS, HERBERT GINTIS, RUTGER VOS, RICARDO VLADIMIRO, BO WINEGARD, VEGA GIDEY, CRAIG HEALY, OLAF ALEX, PHILIP KURIAN, JONATHAN VISSER, DAVID DIAS, ANJAN KATTA, JAKOB KLINKBY, ADAM KESSEL, MATTHEW WHITINGBIRD, ARNAUD WOLFF, TIM HOLLOSY, HENRIK AHLENIUS, JOHN CONNORS, PAULINA BARREN, FILIP FORS CONNOLLY, DAN DEMETRIOU, ROBERT WINDHAGER, RUI INACIO, ARTHUR KOH, ZOOP, MARCO NEVES, MAX BEILBY, COLIN HOLBROOK, SUSAN PINKER, THOMAS TRUMBLE, PABLO SANTURBANO, SIMON COLUMBUS, PHIL KAVANAGH, JORGE ESPINHA, AND CORY CLARK!

A SPECIAL THANKS TO MY PRODUCERS, YZAR WEHBE, ROSEY, JIM FRANK, ŁUKASZ STAFINIAK, IAN GILLIGAN, SERGIU CODREANU, AND LUIS CAYETANO!

AND TO MY EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, MICHAL RUSIECKI!

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