Why does it feel so good to swear?

On a recent kayaking trip, CrowdScience listener Lanier sliced through his right thumb, putting it out of action for a while. This made life difficult, as he couldn’t button his shirt, tie his shoelaces or type efficiently on his smartphone. Missing the use of his thumb made him ...  Show more

Noise cancelling headphones filter out sound waves that we don’t want to hear. Listener Ahmed in Libya loves wearing his and, as he was listening to them, he had a thought: ‘Could we cancel out light waves in a similar way to how noise cancelling headphones do it?’ He sent his qu ...  Show more

Swearing can be a powerful communicative act, for good or ill. The same word can incite violence or increase intimacy. How is swearing so multivalent in its power? Is it just all those harsh “c” and “k” sounds? Does swearing take its power from taboo meaning? Why is swearing some ...  Show more

In this episode, we tackle why some words are "bad". Plus: Why do people say bad words? Why aren't kids allowed to say cuss words? Why is the middle finger bad? And adults, don't worry, we won't actually be using any bad words in this episode! But we will explore the psycholog ...

What is the oldest swear word in English? Does swearing help manage pain? We bring you 6 fun lessons on swearing and cursing. 

Want to significantly improve your chances of a getting a good night’s sleep? This episode begins with a simple technique you can do today that can improve your sleep tonight.  https://sleepopolis.com/news/make-bed-better-sleep/ In every language and in every culture, people swear ...  Show more