In this podcast, we're going to get a PHD in acorns, or as 20% of the country says, "akerns." We're going to do a biology deep dive with the nation's leading expert in oaks and acorns, Dr. Craig Harper of the University of Tennessee, but the main thing we're trying to understand is how we use language to define cultural identity--we all do it everyday. We talk with anthropologist Dr. Daniel Rupp about language, dialects, and how important they are in forming social groups. This is a winding road between biology and social science where we'll debunk the American myth of rugged individualism and learn how to make your oak trees produce more acorns. It's going to be a wild ride!

YouTube clips heard in this podcast:

Ross Sauce. (2010, April 28). Pronouncing Appalachia [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGCqWrsAZ_o

Rob M. (2012, November 3). A Quick Lesson on Southern Linguistics [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNqY6ftqGq0