Oxford University Press has named “brain rot” the word of the year for 2024. The term beat out five other finalists: “demure,” “dynamic pricing,” “lore,” “romantasy,” and “slop.” This hour, a look at brain rot, from Thoreau’s Walden through to social media.

GUESTS: 

• Casper Grathwohl: President of Oxford Languages at Oxford University Press
• Katie Notopoulos: Senior correspondent at Business Insider who writes about technology, business, and culture
• Laura Dassow Walls: Professor Emeritus of English at the University of Notre Dame and the author of Henry David Thoreau: A Life, among other books