The Human Mind
Words and Rules
Dr. Steven Pinker, professor of psychology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, speaks about his new book, Words and Rules: The Ingredients of Language (1999). Words and Rules “explores the inner workings of the human brain as it moves from thoughts to sounds to language.” In this lecture, Pinker argues that there are two main components of human language: the memorized word and “combinatorial grammar.” He explains the concept of recursion in language and explores the implications of regular and irregular verbs. Pinker also discusses pattern recognition research, neural networks, and theories about why language works the way it does. The lecture is followed with questions from the audience.
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