In English, we can babble, bark, bleat, and bray. But we can also ask, cite, pose, preach and tell. Psychologist Steven Pinker thinks by studying how we use these verbs, we can learn a lot about what it means to be human. Join guest host Joe Palca in this hour of Science Friday for a talk with Pinker about his new book, "The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature."

Plus, we'll look at treating spinal cord injuries. Last Sunday, Buffalo Bills football player Kevin Everett suffered a spinal cord injury some doctors are calling 'catastrophic,' though his doctors have hope that the injured player will one day walk again. What hope is there for Everett, and others like him? Call in with your questions and comments at 1-800-989-8255 (3-4 Eastern). Teachers, find more information about using Science Friday as a classroom resource in the Kids' Connection.

Guests:
John McDonald
Director of the International Center for Spinal Cord Injury
Kennedy Krieger Institute
Baltimore, Maryland

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Steven Pinker
Author, "The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature," (Viking, 2007)
Johnstone Family Professor of Psychology
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Books/Articles Discussed:

"The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature," by Steven Pinker. Viking, 2007.

(find books discussed on previous broadcasts)

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This segment produced by Annette Heist