Swearing Primates and the Proof of the Pudding
Random things I learned tonight include:
1. You can't find the proof in the pudding, no matter how hard you try
2. If you are "head over heels" you are probably standing normally
3. The origins of the "the whole nine yards" is unknown
4. The possibility that Chimps can swear (via Frank La Vigne):
"Many studies suggest that the brain processes swearing in the lower regions, along with emotion and instinct. Scientists theorize that instead of processing a swearword as a series of phonemes, or units of sound that must be combined to form a word, the brain stores swear words as whole units [ref]. So, the brain doesn't need the left hemisphere's help to process them. Swearing specifically involves:
- The limbic system, which also houses memory, emotion and basic behavior. The limbic system also seems to govern vocalizations in primates and other animals, and some researchers have interpreted some primate vocalizations as swearing.
- The basal ganglia, which play a large role in impulse control and motor functions."