Trivia: Why Namibia tourism affects the study of our brains
October 15, 2009
Out in Namibia, tourism is among the factors influencing changes to the language of the Himba people, particularly their unusually low number of colour terms (they have five, while most major languages have 11).
The unlikely victim is psychology. Psychologists have done comparative studies of how Himba and non-Himba infants develop an understanding of colour, and drawn conclusions about how much language influences the way human beings think. As the differences are eroded, the scope for research diminishes.
Not something that belongs on the top of the industry's agenda, obviously, but an interesting nugget. I'm indebted to my girlfriend for it - she's off to Namibia do a study on the Himba in November.
The unlikely victim is psychology. Psychologists have done comparative studies of how Himba and non-Himba infants develop an understanding of colour, and drawn conclusions about how much language influences the way human beings think. As the differences are eroded, the scope for research diminishes.
Not something that belongs on the top of the industry's agenda, obviously, but an interesting nugget. I'm indebted to my girlfriend for it - she's off to Namibia do a study on the Himba in November.
Nathan Midgley
