Klingon, the brain and language processing

Do you speak Klingon? Your brain processes it like a real language (and here's the proof). Artificial languages, from Klingon to High Valyrian, activate your brain just like a real language. But programming does not. Science explains why.

1) What makes a language a language?

If you ever wanted to say "Valar Morghulis" (a phrase in High Valyrian from Game of Thrones that means "all men must die") fluently, neuroscience is on your side. Researchers at the MIT discovered that the human brain processes invented languages—such as Klingon or High Valyrian—in the same way as Spanish or English. But the funny thing is that when we program in Python or solve mathematical equations, the brain uses a completely different system. Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory spoke Klingon, but did he know that his brain processed it just like your own language? This leads us to a big question: what makes a language a language? Is it just its grammar, its history… or something deeper in the way we use it?

2) Conlangs: The Languages That Shouldn't Be... But they are

Conlangs are languages that were artificially created rather than naturally evolved. They are divided into four main types:

Source: Own elaboration based on the paper Constructed languages are processed by the same brain mechanisms as natural languages

While programming languages are structures designed for logic and problem solving, conlangs allow for the expression of ideas and emotions in a similar way to natural languages.

3) The fMRI Test: What Neuroscience Revealed

Using a brain scan (fMRI), scientists saw that when people spoke conlangs, their brains were activated just like when they spoke English or Spanish. It’s as if the brain recognized them as "legitimate languages." In contrast, when participants programmed in Python or solved math problems, the Multiple Demand Network (MDN)—a region linked to logical reasoning and planning—was activated.

Moreover, the data reinforce this conclusion. As shown by the study image, the brain responds strongly to conlangs in a similar way to how it processes natural languages. Esperanto generates the greatest activation, possibly because its structure is closer to natural languages. Even fictional languages like Klingon and High Valyrian activate the language network, indicating that our brain recognizes them as true languages. In other words, your brain processes Klingon and Dothraki as if they were real languages—as long as you can understand them.

4) Why isn't programming a language for the brain?

If you've ever spent hours writing code in Python or JavaScript, you might feel like you're "talking" to the computer. However, for your brain, programming is not the same as speaking a natural language. Although both programming languages and natural languages have rules and structures, our brain processes them in completely different networks.

The MIT study revealed that while natural languages (such as Spanish, English, or even Klingon and High Valyrian) activate the Language Network in the brain, programming languages use another network entirely: the Multiple Demand Network (MDN).

Natural languages (including conlangs like Esperanto or Klingon) are designed to communicate meanings about the world. We can talk about objects, emotions, past events, and even lie or use metaphors.

In contrast, programming languages do not have semantics in the same way. They are not used to express ideas about the world but to give precise instructions to a machine. A mistake in the syntax of a natural language can be overlooked or corrected, but an error in code causes a failure in execution.

That’s why when we read a language, our brain uses the Language Network. But when we code, it activates the Multiple Demand Network, responsible for logical reasoning, planning, and problem solving.

The following table summarizes the above:

Source: Own elaboration based on the paper Constructed languages are processed by the same brain mechanisms as natural languages

5) Lojban: A perfect language without ambiguity?

If there is a constructed language that truly challenges our way of thinking, it is Lojban. While languages such as Spanish, English, or even Klingon have ambiguities and multiple interpretations, Lojban was designed to be completely logical and with no margin for error in communication. Created in 1987 by the Logical Language Group (LLG) with a clear objective—to develop an unambiguous language based on mathematical logic—its grammar and vocabulary were designed to be precise, regular, and without exceptions. Scientists suspect it could activate both the Language Network and the Multiple Demand Network (MDN). If confirmed, Lojban could be the only language that the brain processes as both language and logical reasoning at the same time, making it a fascinating candidate for future neuroscience studies.

6) Conclusion: If Klingon is a language, what does that mean?

These types of studies not only expand our understanding of how the brain processes language but also have implications in multiple fields. Education and linguistics could benefit from these findings, helping design more effective language learning methods. In the realm of artificial intelligence, understanding how the brain processes different types of languages can improve natural language processing models. Finally, this knowledge may also contribute to the study of language disorders, enabling more precise therapeutic approaches for people with speech and comprehension difficulties.

Languages, whether ancient, modern, or constructed, reflect our infinite capacity for communication and understanding. The study of language is, in essence, the study of the human mind—or as we would say in High Valyrian, "Henujagon Āeksiot ānogrose." (Decipher the mysteries of the universe).

7) Technical Definitions

• Conlangs: Artificially constructed languages with defined grammar and vocabulary.
• fMRI (Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging): A neuroimaging technique that measures brain activity.
• Multiple Demand Network (MDN): A set of brain regions associated with logical reasoning and problem solving.
• Language Network: A set of brain regions that process natural language.

8) Reference