139: Magpie Syntax (with Stephanie Mason)

Australian magpies are even cleverer birds than we thought. New research from Dr Stephanie Mason shows that they do two language-like things we used to think only humans could do: learn their calls socially, and combine their calls in a way that looks a lot like syntax. So are we calling this language? If so, how are the linguists taking it? Stephanie joins us to talk about magpies, media, and the territoriality of linguists.

Timestamps

00:00 Start

00:54 Intros: Your favourite bird

07:10 What's coming up: Magpies

09:34 Join us! Patreon spruikery

11:32 News: Jamaican MP shut down for speaking Jamaican in Parliament

19:35 News: Whale phonology

31:46 News: Unicode to include new genderless pronoun for Mandarin

36:37 News: China and the Rubio Workaround

38:16 Related or Not: New theme from Hugh!

40:05 Related or Not 1: SLAP, SMACK, and SWAT