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How Cult Leaders Use Language

What do Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Hitler have in common? They were all obsessively studied by Jim Jones, the cult leader who convinced and coerced more than 900 members of his "People's Temple" to commit suicide in the Jonestown Massacre. All these figures are known as "charismatic leaders," people who inspire intense devotion or emotional attachment in their followers through their com

How Cult Leaders Use Language

10m 58s

  • Is Bluey Giving Your Kid Australian Accent: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Is Bluey Giving Your Kid Australian Accent

    S4 E11 - 6m 21s

    In 2019, when the children’s show Bluey hit American tv and streaming services, parents started noticing something strange. Their kids were suddenly looking for the “rubbish bin", asking what’s for “brekky”, and getting excited about going to the “ehport”. But was this family of cartoon dogs really changing how children speak? Which leads us to ask the question: how much does TV play a role in ho

  • Is English a Creole?: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Is English a Creole?

    S4 E10 - 6m 51s

    We already know that English borrows from everybody, but can it really be considered a Creole language?

  • A Brief History of the Reading Wars?: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    A Brief History of the Reading Wars?

    S4 E9 - 8m 35s

    When we read our eyes skim the print, we notice the length of the word and maybe the first letter, then our brains use context clues to deduce what the word should be.But is that really how reading works? Believe it or not, this question is at the heart of a decades-long battle in the English-speaking world–a battle that's been raging amongst educators, politicians, and scientists.

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