How old you feel, Language and the brain

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Winter scene with a man and young boy shoveling snow from a sidewalk after a heavy snowfall, circa 1925 in Milwaukee.
Winter scene with a man and young boy shoveling snow from a sidewalk after a heavy snowfall, circa 1925 in Milwaukee. Photo courtesy of Wisconsin Historical Society and Wisconsin Historic Images

We talk to a writer about the differences between how old you feel and how old you actually are. Then, an author shares her new book looking at how different forms of languages affect our brains.

Featured in this Show

  • Why you feel younger in your head than you are in real life

    Research has found that on average, people over 40 think of themselves as 20 percent younger than they actually are. A journalist explains why this discrepancy between the age someone is in their mind — also known as subjective age — and their actual chronological age is so common.

  • How languages of all sorts unlock our brain's potential

    Even if you haven’t learned a second traditional language, you are probably still fluent in more than one type of communication. We talk with a language expert about how math, poetry, and other ways of thinking unleash the brain in the same way as learning a language in school.

Episode Credits

  • Rob Ferrett Host
  • Colleen Leahy Producer
  • Trina La Susa Technical Director
  • Sarah Hopefl Technical Director
  • Jennifer Senior Guest
  • Viorica Marian Guest

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