Thursday, November 27, 2025

65-year-old framework challenged by modern research

Paradigm shift for language science

Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics

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Credit: Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics

In a re-evaluation of Hockett’s foundational features that have long dominated linguistic theory—concepts like ‘arbitrariness’, ‘duality of patterning’, and ‘displacement’—an international team of linguists and cognitive scientists shows that modern science demands a radical shift in how we understand language and how it evolved. The conclusion? Language is not a spoken code. It’s a dynamic, multimodal, socially embedded system that evolves through interaction, culture, and meaning-making.

Updating Hockett

The past few decades have transformed our understanding of communication. We now know that language is not limited to speech: the sign languages used by deaf communities are fully fledged linguistic systems, and tactile sign systems—like Protactile, used by a community of DeafBlind signers in the northwest USA—proves language can be transmitted through touch.

Scholars have discovered that animal communication is far more sophisticated than once believed: dolphins use signature whistles, birds construct complex songs with syntax-like structure, and apes engage in intentional, context-sensitive communication with gestures. And now with the rise of generative AI, the very idea that language belongs only to biological minds is now under debate.

“This isn’t about discarding Hockett,” says Dr. Michael Pleyer, lead author and researcher at Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń. “It’s about updating him. His framework was revolutionary in 1960 - but science has moved on. Today, we see that features once thought uniquely human—like productivity (the ability to create an infinite number of sentences), displacement (the ability to talk about things not in the here and now), and even recursive structure (the ability to embed sentences within sentences)—are also found to some extent in animal communication. The real story isn’t about what separates us from other species. It’s about how language, in all its complexity, connects us.”

Published by the interdisciplinary team Pleyer, Perlman, Lupyan, de Reus, and Raviv (2025), the paper presents a new paradigm for language science: one that centres on multimodality, social interaction, and cultural evolution—not a static checklist. It calls for a reimagining of language not as a fixed set of “design” features, but rather as a living, adaptive system that is shaped by how we use it, with whom, and in what context.

Beyond the List: A New Vision of Language

The paper identifies three transformative themes in modern science that now guide the shift away from a static ‘feature list’ towards a more flexible view:

1. Multimodality and semiotic diversity

Rather than being limited to speech, languages are signed just as well as spoken. The use of gestures and facial expressions are an integral part of speech, not just “supplementary” add-ons. And more than language being a symbolic “arbitrary” code, we now know that iconicity—where sound or form resembles meaning (e.g., imitative gestures, onomatopoeias like ‘buzz’, ‘crash’, a slow drawl for ‘slooooow’, and emoji in written communication)—is also essential to human communication. This multimodal and highly flexible nature is core to human language, allowing us to make just about any behaviour into a communicative act.

2. Language as social and functional

Communication is not just about sending and receiving messages with a fixed code. It’s about people creating shared meaning in context. A simple phrase like ‘Isn’t that Tom’s bike?’ can mean ‘Let’s meet here’ or ‘Let’s avoid this place’ - depending on our history with Tom and with each other. Language also signals our identity, sometimes whether we like it or not (imagine, for example, always being identified as coming from a certain region or as being a non-native speaker just because of our accent). Language can thus promote closeness but also distance from each other. Language also has the power to shape our thought (such as when learning a new colour term improves people’s colour discrimination).

3. Language as an adaptive, evolving system

Many of language’s most prominent features such as its productivity and compositional structure don’t just “exist”, but they arise in the process of social interaction and cultural transmission as the result of the cumulative interactions of many individuals over different timescales – from minutes to generations. Moreover, languages adapt to their social environment, with different community structures giving rise to the amazing cross-linguistic diversity we see today.

Societal relevance

These findings come at a pivotal moment. Sign languages are now recognized as full-fledged languages—equal in complexity to spoken ones. Animal communication is seen as far more sophisticated than once believed: birds, dolphins, primates, and even insects use structured signals with context, intention, and innovation. Generative AI blurs the line between human and machine language, raising urgent questions: What is language, and who—or what—can use it?

Co-author Dr. Marcus Perlman from the University of Birmingham explains, “The last few decades have been an exciting time for linguistics, especially for those of us interested in the origins of human language. Language scientists today know about lots of stuff that was mostly obscure to scientists back then – for example, huge advances in our understanding of sign languages and now tactile signing systems, and recently, the advent of large language models like ChatGPT. It makes sense that linguistic theory would require a major update.”

Science, inclusion, and public understanding

The paper has significant social and educational value, as it:

Challenges outdated textbook narratives that equate language with speech.
Affirms the legitimacy of sign languages and non-speech modalities—advancing equity and inclusion.
Offers educators a modern framework for teaching language evolution, communication, and cognition.

“Language is not a static thing,” adds senior author Dr. Limor Raviv from the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics. “It’s a dynamic, embodied, and deeply social act, which is flexible in form, function, and evolution. When we accept that, we see not just what makes us human—but how we are in fact connected to the wider story of animal communication.”

About the study

This research synthesises decades of findings from linguistics, cognitive science, animal behavior, and neuroscience. It builds on recent work, including a 2022 study showing Hockett’s features remain dominant in introductory textbooks—despite growing evidence that they no longer capture the full picture.

The full paper, titled “The ‘design features’ of language revisited.” is published in Trends in Cognitive Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2025.10.004

Credit

Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics

Journal

Trends in Cognitive Sciences

DOI

10.1016/j.tics.2025.10.004

Method of Research

Literature review

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

The ‘design features’ of language revisited

Article Publication Date

25-Nov-2025

WHITE COLLAR PROLETARIAT

University of Tennessee secures $1 million NSF grant to build semiconductor workforce pipeline

University of Tennessee at Knoxville

Foggy morning at the University of Tennessee — image:
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Credit: University of Tennessee, Knoxville

The University of Tennessee has been awarded a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to prepare Tennessee’s high school students and teachers for careers in the rapidly growing semiconductor industry—one of the most critical sectors of the U.S. economy.

The three-year project, Explorations: Tennessee Experiential Learning for Teachers and Students to Empower Pathways into Microelectronics, is funded through NSF’s Experiential Learning for Emerging and Novel Technologies (ExLENT) program.

Led by the College of Emerging and Collaborative Studies (CECS) and in close partnership with Tickle College of Engineering’s (TCE) Min H. Kao Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences, the initiative leverages collaborative expertise across UT to deliver innovative workforce training in the high demand field of chip design and manufacturing.

Building on Past Success

The Explorations: Tennessee Experiential Learning for Teachers and Students to Empower Pathways into Microelectronics expands the work of the NSF IUCRC ASTEP program, which introduced high school and community college students to chip design through coursework, hands-on projects, and internships at UT’s NorDIC Lab.

“The experience and momentum from ASTEP laid the groundwork for CHIPS STARS to scale its reach across Tennessee,” said EECS Assistant Professor Ahmedullah Aziz. “This award empowers us to align Tennessee’s educational strengths with the urgent workforce needs of the semiconductor industry.”

A Pathway for Students and Teachers

The program will train high school teachers in UT labs alongside faculty and graduate students, equipping them to deliver classroom-ready modules in semiconductor design and manufacturing.

“ExLENT is more than a curriculum. It is a talent pipeline, a training ground for teachers, and a launchpad for students into the future of microelectronics,” said EECS Professor Aly Fathy.

Program Highlights

Teacher Professional Development: Twenty Career and Technical Education (CTE) teachers will receive training in chip design and manufacturing, supported with lab kits and year-round classroom assistance by UT faculty and graduate students.
Student Engagement: Students will participate in lab visits, lectures, and paid work-based learning with partners such as Siemens, Texas Instruments, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The program is expected to impact more than 2,000 students annually.
Dual Enrollment Micro-credential: In partnership with CECS and regional community colleges, Tennessee’s first high school-to-college credential in semiconductor design will launch, giving students industry-recognized qualifications upon graduation.
Statewide Expansion:  A “train-the-trainer” model will scale the program across Tennessee, strengthening the workforce pipeline through collaboration with district leaders, community colleges and industry partners.

Impact for Tennessee

Semiconductors power everything from smartphones to cars, yet the U.S. faces a critical shortage of skilled workers. The Explorations: Tennessee Experiential Learning for Teachers and Students to Empower Pathways into Microelectronics addresses this gap by preparing students for high-demand, high-wage careers while enhancing Tennessee’s competitiveness in advanced manufacturing.

“Investing in our students today ensures Tennessee is ready for the industries of tomorrow,” said Vice Provost and Founding Dean of CECS Ozlem Kilic. “This program doesn’t just change classrooms. It changes futures. This NSF investment affirms the power of our approach to open opportunity for every Tennessean in the industries that will define our economic future.”

Mcmaster.cahistoryofeconomicthought.mcmaster.ca/veblen/Engineers.pdf

The Engineers And the Price System Thorstein Veblen

Thorstein Veblen, The Engineers and the Price System, 11 tion, because it is ... to make a resource engineer, or a production engineer, or indeed a competent.

Biochar shows powerful potential to build cleaner and more sustainable cities worldwide

Biochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural University

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Global applications of biochar in sustainable cities of the future: a perspective
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Credit: Funmi M. Alayaki, Pouria Hajikarimi, Naira Meky, Suliman Rashid & Elham H. Fini

As cities continue to expand and face rising environmental pressure, scientists are seeking innovative solutions that can help urban areas become cleaner, greener, and more resilient. A new perspective paper highlights biochar, a carbon rich material made from organic waste, as a transformative tool that could significantly improve the environmental future of cities around the world.

The study, published in Biochar X, synthesizes global research and case studies to show how biochar contributes to cleaner air, healthier soils, improved water quality, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. The authors examined applications across major cities such as New York, Singapore, Beijing, Alexandria, and Tokyo, providing one of the most comprehensive overviews to date of biochar’s role in sustainable urban development.

Biochar is produced by heating agricultural, municipal, or industrial waste under low oxygen conditions, creating a stable form of carbon that can remain in the environment for long periods. This process not only reduces waste sent to landfills but also locks carbon into a solid material that can support a wide range of environmental functions.

One of the most striking findings comes from recent studies on air quality. Asphalt surfaces are increasingly recognized as a source of urban air pollution because they release volatile organic compounds during hot weather and road construction. The new paper reports that certain biochars, particularly those rich in metals or engineered for high surface area, can absorb up to 76 percent of harmful volatile organic compounds emitted from asphalt. This insight opens a new pathway to reduce pollution in dense urban centers and to extend the lifespan of road infrastructure.

Biochar also shows strong promise in the construction sector. When added to cement and concrete, it improves material strength, enhances durability, and increases long term carbon storage. Researchers have demonstrated that biochar provides reactive surfaces that speed up carbonation processes within concrete, helping to trap carbon dioxide while supporting the structural quality of buildings.

In urban agriculture and soil restoration, biochar helps improve soil porosity, water retention, and nutrient availability. These benefits are especially important in compacted or degraded city soils. Field trials described in the study show that biochar can increase crop yields, such as a fifty percent improvement in chili production when used together with organic compost.

Water purification represents another area of rapid advancement. Biochar has demonstrated high efficiency in removing heavy metals, dyes, nutrients, organic pollutants, and even emerging contaminants like PFAS from water and wastewater. In some systems, biochar based treatments reached more than seventy percent removal of lead and achieved up to ninety five percent removal of dye pollutants. Biochar also boosts methane production in anaerobic digestion systems by more than twenty seven percent, supporting renewable energy generation from organic waste.

Despite its promising performance, the paper notes that large scale adoption still faces challenges. These include the need for standardized production methods, better economic incentives, and clearer policy frameworks. Differences in feedstock, temperature, and manufacturing techniques can produce biochars with very different characteristics, making consistent quality a key issue for future applications.

Overall, the study positions biochar as a versatile and foundational material that could help cities transition toward more sustainable and climate resilient futures. By integrating biochar into circular economy models, cities can reduce environmental footprints, recover valuable resources, and support healthier communities.

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Journal reference: Alayaki FM, Hajikarimi P, Meky N, Rashid S, Fini EH. 2025. Global applications of biochar in sustainable cities of the future: a perspective. Biochar X 1: e010

https://www.maxapress.com/article/doi/10.48130/bchax-0025-0009

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About the Journal:

Biochar X is an open access, online-only journal aims to transcend traditional disciplinary boundaries by providing a multidisciplinary platform for the exchange of cutting-edge research in both fundamental and applied aspects of biochar. The journal is dedicated to supporting the global biochar research community by offering an innovative, efficient, and professional outlet for sharing new findings and perspectives. Its core focus lies in the discovery of novel insights and the development of emerging applications in the rapidly growing field of biochar science.

DOI

10.48130/bchax-0025-0009