Emma Byrne: The Science of Bad Language

‘Effing and blinding’, it turns out, is an incredibly useful part of our linguistic repertoire. Not only has some form of swearing existed since the earliest humans began to communicate, but it has been shown to reduce physical pain, help stroke victims recover their language and encourage people to work together as a team. Dr Emma Byrne gives a spirited and hilarious defence of our most cherished dirty words from the perspective of evolutionary psychology, outlining the science behind profanities: how it affects us both physically and emotionally, and how it is more natural and beneficial than we are led to believe.