The Bureau of Linguistical Reality Performance Lecture | Alicia Escott & Heidi Quante

TL;DR

The Bureau of Linguistical Reality aims to create new words and expand language to describe emotions and experiences related to climate change and other anthropogenic events.

Transcript

good evening my name is Andrew Warner I'm your host for this evening before long now had the name long now we call ourselves the clock and the library project there's a 10,000-year clock in a 10,000-year library when we started to think about what a 10,000-year library actually was how we would transmit information 10,000 years into the future we f... Read More

Key Insights

• 💭 Language plays a crucial role in shaping thoughts, actions, culture, and worldviews.
• 💱 The Bureau of Linguistical Reality aims to create new words to describe the rapidly changing environment and individual experiences related to climate change.
• 👻 The process of creating new words allows individuals to feel connected to a collective movement and encourages empathy for future generations.
• 👾 The Bureau's focus is not solely on the words themselves but on creating spaces for individuals to process and discuss unnamed phenomena.

Questions & Answers

Q: Are people receptive to the idea of creating new words?

Yes, individuals from various backgrounds and cultures are eager to participate in co-creating new words to better express their experiences in a changing world.

Q: How does the Bureau propagate the newly created words?

While dissemination of the words is not their primary focus, the Bureau has seen some success in the words being mentioned in independent films, jazz songs, and other artistic works. Individuals are also encouraged to use the words in their daily conversations to spread awareness.

Q: Is there resistance or controversy surrounding the creation of new words?

Some linguists may have reservations about creating new words, but overall people are receptive and excited to have a part in shaping language to reflect their evolving experiences.

Q: Can existing words be corrected or redefined?

The Bureau is open to correcting or redefining existing words, and they encourage individuals to submit their suggestions. However, they find that creating entirely new words often provides a more empowering and inclusive experience.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The Bureau of Linguistical Reality was founded to address the lack of words to describe emotions and experiences in a changing world.

• The Bureau co-creates neologisms to better express feelings and experiences related to climate change, such as psychic Corpus dissonance (PCD) and solastalgia.

• Their work focuses on creating spaces for people to discuss and reflect on unnamed phenomena, using language to understand and communicate the rapidly changing world.