Michael Erard

Author and Linguist, Portland, Maine

Michael Erard is an author, journalist and linguist. Formerly journalist in residence at the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics in Nijmegen in the Netherlands, he is the co-founder with Misty McLaughlin of the Work in Place project and his latest book is Babel No More (2012). He lives in Portland, Maine.

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Written by Michael Erard

Illustration of a house with various icons representing smart home technologies such as Wi-Fi, automation and remote controls.

essayHome

Creating some slack

A household is a miniature ecosystem with inputs, outputs and flows: thinking like this can make life a whole lot better

Misty McLaughlin & Michael Erard

Ancient stone relief carving with three human figures and cuneiform script, showing intricate detailing and historical artistry.

essayThe ancient world

The deep roots of writing

Was writing invented for accounting and administration or did it evolve from religious movements, sorcery and dreams?

Michael Erard

A boy having his face painted with a flag, next to a man with a flower garland. Other people visible in the background.

essayLanguage and linguistics

Street talk

People who can switch between street dialects and standard language might have the same cognitive advantage as bilinguals

Michael Erard

A large window with curtains in a room overlooking a cityscape with numerous buildings visible under a hazy sky.

essayLanguage and linguistics

See through words

The metaphor designer isn’t trying to make something beautiful. She wants to change your view on things. Here’s how

Michael Erard