This is But Why, a podcast for curious kids from Vermont Public Radio.

I'm Jane Lenton.

In this podcast, we take questions from curious kids just like you and we find answers,

or maybe suggestions, or educated opinions and ideas.

This week we're talking about words, specifically bad words.

For the adults listening, don't turn this down.

I promise we won't actually say any swears, cuss or curse words, potty talk.

However you characterize this kind of language in your family.

Now, some of you listening might not really know any bad words, and that's great.

But then again, maybe you have heard an adult around you say a word and then ask you not

to repeat it, or maybe you've heard another kid say a bad word.

Maybe even some of you have said one of those bad words yourself, and perhaps you've

gotten in trouble for it.

You have sent us questions about why these words exist and why they're often so powerful,

and we thought these questions deserved their own episode.

Because it's important to be able to talk about the things that are confusing or hard,

and even the things that make us, or our adults, uncomfortable.

Here's who we found to guide us in this conversation.

My name is Ben Bergen, and I'm a professor at the University of California San Diego,

and I study language and the brain.

Whenever we speak, it's because of signals that are sent from our brain.

Whenever we understand words, it's because the signals that go into our ears and into

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