American Voices
Soda vs. Pop vs. Coke:
Mapping How Americans Talk
What's your general term for a sweetened carbonated beverage? What word or words do you use to address a group of two or more people? What do you call it when the rain falls while the sun is shining?
Former Harvard professor Bert Vaux asked tens of thousands of people across the U.S. these questions and released the results as the 2003 Harvard Dialect Survey. The data are fascinating; they reveal patterns of migration, unexpected linguistic kinships between regions, and the awesome variety of words we say and how we say them.
This Map Shows Where American Accents Come From
When you're traveling to another part of the US than you're originally from, it might be surprising to hear how different the locals sound. For instance, a New Yorker will likely speak the same English language in a completely different accent from a native Texan. How did Americans get so many distinctive accents?
The Declaration of Independence
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, then a senator, reads the Declaration of Independence.
"Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness"
The Harm Principle: How to live your life the way you want t0.
John Stuart Mill argues the case for being able to live your life the way you want to. Narrated by Harry Shearer. Scripted by Nigel Warburton. From the BBC Radio 4 series - A History of Ideas.
Freedom vs Security: Freedom at any cost?
Is giving up some of your freedoms a fair price to pay to live in a secure society? Narrated by Harry Shearer. Scripted by Nigel Warburton
On Liberty - John Stuart Mill
John Stuart Mill from his essay "On Liberty"
