Mel Sherman, PhD

Mel is the Editor-in-Chief of Colour of Words who champions voices and cultural storytelling through language. She is an advocate for literary expression and cross-cultural understanding.
Creativity

How Sinners Demonstrates Oral and Musical Storytelling Across Generations

Ryan Coogler’s film Sinners uses a supernatural musical sequence to demonstrate how authentic cultural expression transcends time periods, connecting ancestral traditions with contemporary art forms through scientifically-documented psychological and neurological mechanisms of musical memory and cultural transmission.

Portrait of young man with closed eyes surrounded by colourful flowers. Connecting with nature.
Science

Only 50% of People Admit to Having an Inner Voice

New neuroscience research reveals only 50% of people surveyed experience inner speech or inner monologue, challenging assumptions about human cognition and offering insights for mental health treatment and AI development.

How did language develop from grunts to chatgpt? We explore this question with a collage of caveman, man and businessman using laptop on grey, evolution concept
FAQ

How Did Language Develop From Grunts to ChatGPT?

Language development spans 2 million years from prehistoric gestures to AI chatbots, with recent archaeological evidence pushing back the timeline of human communication by 100,000 years while neuroscience reveals that children today process words differently than any previous generation in human history.

Oversharing on a first date ruins the chances of a second date by 80%.
Language

Oversharing Destroys Second Date Chances by 80% According Dating Coaches

Oversharing intimate details on first dates has increased 340% since 2019, with dating coaches reporting that social media’s vulnerability culture is teaching people to dump emotional baggage before establishing basic compatibility, destroying potential relationships before they begin.

Little Girl with Grandmother at Home sharing different slang usage to help grandma understand her grandchildren
Language

How Slang Evolves From Secret Code to Everyday Language

Slang evolves through predictable patterns of creation, adoption, and mainstream integration, with 85% of new terms now originating on digital platforms. Research shows slang follows five-stage lifecycle from innovation to either extinction or standard language integration.

Happy asian lady using laptop and headset, learning foreign language
Language

When 2900 Different Languages Die, What Stories Disappear Forever?

Every 40 days a language dies worldwide, taking unique words and cultural knowledge with it. Research shows 2,900 languages face extinction, with 573 languages gone since 1950. When words disappear, entire ways of understanding people and the world vanish forever.

Woman walking on city street with numerous store signs illustrating visual language.
Language

How Store Signs Change Customer Behavior in Milliseconds

Research reveals that authentic store signs creates immediate trust through visual language cues, while inauthentic signs trigger distrust. University of Cincinnati studies show that 60% of businesses saw 12% sales increases after improving visual authenticity with better signage design.

Meeting in the airport terminal. Travel, family hug at the airport, reunion and happiness we explore why your accent changes when you go home
Science

The Reason Why Your Accent Changes When You Come Home

Scientists discover that accent changes when returning home result from complex brain processes called code switching. This helps people connect with their community, though 46% percent of employees face mockery for their speech patterns.