Daniel Revach

I obtained my BSc in Cognitive Neuroscience, Psychology and Linguistics from Ben Gurion University in Israel, and my MSc in Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology from the University of Oxford. I have published two papers on the neurocognitive basis of consciousness, and worked as a research assistant at the Centre for the Study of Social Cohesion (CSSC) at Oxford.

My doctorate research focuses on the relationship between language, mind and culture, by exploring how the rich tapestry of languages reflects, influences, and is influenced by the way speakers think, perceive, and behave. Specifically, my goal is to investigate to what extent our words capture sensory information, both in our ability to speak about sensory experience and in the way sensory experience shapes our understanding of concepts. For example, how well can different languages talk about smells? And does smell contribute to our mental representation of everyday concepts? In that regard, are there systematic differences between languages, and how universal are our cognitive predispositions from which language and perception emerge and interact?

To answer these questions, our research involves laboratory experiments and corpus studies, relying on an interdisciplinary approach that draws on cognitive science, psychology, linguistics, and anthropology.