Kqed Science News

Social media creators started using words like “unalive” and “seggs” to dodge algorithmic filters that might suppress “inappropriate” content. But these workarounds aren’t staying online. They’re leaking into real life — like last year, when the Seattle Museum of Pop Culture explained on a placard that Kurt Cobain “unalived” himself.  In his new book Algospeak, linguist and online creator Adam Aleksic argues that algorithms are shaping language in unprecedented ways, and it’s happening quicker than ever. He joins Morgan to explain why euphemisms keep transforming, how “all words are now metadata,” and what his social media persona says about the power of the algorithm to shape the way we speak. Guests:  Adam Aleksic, linguist, creator and author of Algospeak Further reading/listening:  Algospeak — Adam Aleksic The resurgence of the r-word — Constance Grady, Vox How Sign Language Evolves as Our World Does — Amanda Morris, The New York Times The Harvard-Educated Linguist Breaking Down ‘Skibidi’ and