Plenary 4 - The Accidental History of Communication
I’ll be talking about how language often evolves through mistakes and the decisions of single individuals, and that English is particularly messy and gnarly but also beautiful. Its history is studded with secret stories of words that were once misunderstood or deliberately changed, and of bold decisions by single individuals who changed language forever. The history of communication has been equally bumpy, but rather than strive for perfection we can focus on what matters and avoid overthinking it. If we embrace the changes and the messiness, we can create something both influential and lasting.