Linguistics, Style and Writing in the 21st Century - With Steven Pinker

Explore the importance of effective writing in the digital age through this insightful lecture by Steven Pinker at The Royal Institution. Delve into the latest research in linguistics and cognitive science to challenge traditional style guides and discover evidence-based approaches to improving your writing. Learn about classic prose, minimizing apologies and hedging, avoiding zombie nouns, and mastering active voice. Understand the curse of knowledge and how to overcome it in your writing. Examine the ongoing debate between prescriptivists and descriptivists regarding language rules, and gain practical tips for distinguishing legitimate grammar rules from unfounded pet peeves. Enhance your communication skills, earn readers' trust, and contribute to the beauty of language in the 21st century.

Intro
Legalese
Bamboozlement
Digital Media
The dumbest generation theory
Complaints about the imminent decline of the language
A commentary from 1917
Charles Darwin
The Iconic Elements of Style
The Elements of Style
Classic Style
Postmodern Style
Minimize Apology
Minimize Hedging
Classic Prose
Professional Narcissus
Echo Chamber
About the world
Nonclassic prose
Zombie nouns
Corporate consultants
Portable generators
Passive voice
Active voice
George Orwell
Order of words
Passive sentences
English syntax
The curse of knowledge
The smarties study
Curse of knowledge
A better solution
Correct usage
The language war
The rules of language
Semantic distinctions
Not every pet peeve
John Roberts
How to distinguish legitimate rules from bogus ones
Keeping correct usage in perspective