An article in Discover Magazine features SFI Omidyar Fellow Anne Kandler's project to model the cultural influences on endangered languages, using Scottish Gaelic as a case study.
The article notes that the world's languages are dying at an alarming clip.
Read the article in Discover Magazine (June 4, 2012)
Watch Anne discuss the project (SFI video, 4 minutes)
"As mathematician Anne Kandler of the Santa Fe Institute notes, the only way the old tongues will stick around is if populations themselves decide that there is something of value in them, whether for reasons of patriotism, cultural heritage, or just to lure in some language-curious tourists.
"Say you’ve decided your language is worth keeping. Now how do you go about it?
"This is an area where mathematicians can help linguists out. Several years ago, Kandler and her colleagues decided to make a mathematical model of the speakers of an endangered language, to provide a kind of test environment for programs that encourage the learning of local languages. They chose Scottish Gaelic as a good test case."
Read the article in Discover Magazine (June 4, 2012)
Watch Anne discuss the project (SFI video, 4 minutes)
Read the article in BoingBoing (June 6, 2012)
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