Short Wave 'Arrival': How To Talk To Aliens
Jul 2, 2021
Jessica Coon, a field linguist from McGill University and consultant on the film 'Arrival', discusses the fascinating intersection of linguistics and extraterrestrial communication. She reveals what the film gets right and wrong about language. Coon explores the challenges Hollywood faces in portraying scientific accuracy and shares insights on the emotional depth of the narrative. The conversation also touches on the significant cultural impact of featuring a female lead in science fiction, challenging stereotypes in both science and linguistics.
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Linguistics Origin Story
- Jessica Kuhn discovered linguistics through Ted Chiang's "Story of Your Life".
- Years later, she consulted on the film adaptation, Arrival, based on the same novella.
Cross-Linguistic Communication
- Establish communication basics before complex questions when encountering a new language.
- Clarify question structure, pronouns, and intent to ensure mutual understanding.
Linguistics vs. Translation
- Linguistics is the scientific study of language, distinct from translation.
- Many linguists are multilingual, but it's not a requirement for the field.
