Clear+Vivid with Alan Alda

Clear+Vivid with Alan Alda - Season 28 trailer

Jan 14, 2025

Julie Sedevy, author of "Linguophile," joins the conversation to explore the fascinating relationship between language and human development. Topics range from how babies begin tuning into their mother’s language in the womb to male fruit flies singing to attract mates. The discussion also delves into the impact of language on identity formation in childhood and the resilience of vocabulary throughout life. Expect insights into communication challenges faced by physicists and thought-provoking reflections on the art of writing.

36:32

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Episode guests

Julie Sedevy

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Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Language acquisition begins even before birth, establishing a critical connection between identity and social belonging in early development.

The historical context of the Scopes trial highlights ongoing tensions between science and religion, relevant to contemporary debates on education and belief.

Deep dives

Music as Medicine

Music has a significant therapeutic effect on individuals, particularly those with Parkinson's disease. When a patient listens to music at a tempo matching their walking speed, their brain's synchrony circuits can synchronize, facilitating smoother and more coordinated movement. Over time, continuous exposure to music can help retrain neural circuits, allowing patients to walk without music, as their brains develop new pathways for movement. This phenomenon underscores music's role as an external timer, promoting neurogenesis and neuroplasticity in patients.

Intro

2min

The Healing Power of Music

6min

The Legacy of the Scopes Trial

12min

Language and Identity in Childhood

5min

Bridging the Gap: Explaining the Higgs

6min

Reflecting on 25 Years of Writing

6min

Upcoming Season Highlights and Exciting Conversations

2min

Alan and Clear and Vivid’s executive producer Graham Chedd chat about and play clips from some of the shows coming up in season 28. A major theme of the season is language –from babies picking up clues about their mother’s language while still in the womb, to male fruit flies singing courtship songs to female fruit flies, to a best-selling novelist second guessing some of the language she used in her best known novel.

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