In this episode of the Think Fast, Talk Smart podcast, Matt Abrahams interviews author and journalist Laura Spinney about communication, language, and storytelling. They discuss deception detection, highlighting that people overestimate their ability to detect lies and strategies to improve lie detection by increasing cognitive burden on the liar. Spinney shares insights on the history and importance of storytelling, noting its role in transmitting ecological information and fostering social cohesion, and identifies key elements of a good story, such as novelty, curiosity, entertainment, and empathy. The conversation shifts to Spinney's book, "Proto," exploring the origins and evolution of the Proto-Indo-European language, emphasizing language's role in revealing cultural connections and understanding human evolution. Spinney also explains language families and the horizontal transmission of language. Finally, Spinney shares advice for improving communication, emphasizing the importance of grabbing attention, creating intrigue, providing a sense of importance, and resolving the central question.
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