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Otherwords
How Cult Leaders Use Language
Season 4
Episode 6
What do Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Hitler have in common? They were all obsessively studied by Jim Jones, the cult leader who convinced and coerced more than 900 members of his "People's Temple" to commit suicide in the Jonestown Massacre. All these figures are known as "charismatic leaders," people who inspire intense devotion or emotional attachment.
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8:59
Linguists use language everyday to solve crimes. Let’s take a look the most famous ones!

7:11
Join us as we find out how certain places got their names.

6:29
So how did we get those names of colors?

6:48
Why does switching from texting to talking feel like you’re trying to speak a different language?

8:43
How do our brains process language?

6:38
What are "argots" or what some call "verbal jazz", and how is it used across the globe?

10:07
Can you really invent a language? So how does one...do it?

6:35
How did English become the most widely spoken language in the world?

7:17
Let’s take a deep dive into the etymology of alcohol.

6:41
R is an incredibly weird letter; it's a wonder that we use one symbol to represent them.

8:01
What makes a word slang, and why does it sound so weird when companies use it?

12:13
We take a deeper look as to why sign language was banned for decades.