Episode 81— January 17th, 2022

What We Talk About When We Talk About Magic

4:02
Introduction to language and Magic
4:59
Pack 1, Pick 1 from Mozart's Cube
9:04
Why do we use specific shorthand and jargon in the first place?
12:52
Linguistic relativity: naming things shapes communication and how we think about concepts
15:43
How specific language can hinder communication
22:16
Why the most rigorous, theoretical terminology can sometimes be the least useful
24:25
Why context is critical to all language
25:56
The dangers of oversimplification
26:55
Grizzly Bears, Goblin Pikers, and Hill Giants
33:38
Thinking in terms of card classifications
36:56
Jargon makes Magic less accessible
38:35
Magic lingo speed round

Andy and Anthony talk about the language we use to talk about Magic. Language is fundamental to social experiences, our favorite game included. Creating new language helps us communicate more effectively and helps us think about and compartmentalize concepts, shaping how we thing about things. But jargon has its drawbacks.

Our listener submitted pack 1, pick 1 this week comes from Mozart’s Cube.

Discussed in this episode:

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

If you have a question for the show, or want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube, email us at [email protected]. Please include how you’d like to be credited, your pronouns, a link to your cube if relevant. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

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