Grammar Nazis, political endorsements, and the role of language in human evolution

Weekly Reads #3

Greetings, friends.

Please enjoy another edition of Weekly Reads, and do subscribe to these other publications as you see fit. The writers deserve your support!

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WEIRD AL vs THE LINGUISTS

Tommy Blanchard | Cognitive Wonderland | 7 minute read

Do you remember “Weird Al” Yankovic? Well, he’s back and stirring up more controversy—this time as a ‘Grammar Nazi’.

In this article covering Weird Al’s return, Tommy Blanchard argues that enforcing standardized grammar rules overlooks how language varies across different groups and contexts, like in African American Vernacular English (AAVE). He also uses this controversy to discuss the is-ought problem, stating that there’s no inherent reason why people should follow prescribed grammar rules unless it serves their communication goals. Finally, Tommy calls for a more flexible, goal-oriented approach to language rather than rigid adherence to grammar.

Read the full post, here.

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Media organizations are blowing their endorsements

Matthew Yglesias | Slow Boring | 10 minute read

Following the New York Times and the New Yorker’s endorsements of the Kamala Harris campaign, Matthew Yglesias argues that these endorsements do nothing beyond confirm the fact that most journalists are liberals. Matthew posits that such endorsements could actually be effective if, within the endorsements, factual information is conveyed. Instead, what we get is this sort of “Issue-positioning doesn’t matter; Orange Man BAD” type of slant, lacking nuance and undermining journalistic credibility. It’s an interesting read, with some compelling points.

Read the full post, here.

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How did human civilization get off the ground?

Samuel Hammond | Second Best | 7 minute read

I’ve held the view for quite some time that language has played a substantial role in accelerating the pace of human evolution. I briefly touched on this concept in a recent piece, but Samuel’s article goes even deeper, framing the original Large Language Model as being formal writing systems. He makes the case that the development of language allowed for scalable evolution: whereas genetic evolution is gradual, cultures evolve at an accelerated pace. This article reads quickly though it is also packed with substance.

Read the full post, here.

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As always, thank you for reading. I look forward to sharing more of my favorite Substack reads with you—same time next Sunday.

Authentically,

Will