Perhaps as many as 80% of the words in the English language are considered to have multiple meanings, yet toddlers learn to differentiate between bottle caps and baseball caps and, more subtly, between being right (correct) and the direction right.

Examples like that on how the brain processes language are what Northeastern University associate psychology professor Jonathan Peelle writes about in his new book, “The Neuroscience of Language.” The book caters to a general audience and provides a wealth of facts and rabbit holes for further reading.

Peelle researches how the brain supports communication, which he defines broadly as “transferring ideas from one brain to another.” In the book, he follows the chain of communication from speaker to listener and describes the fundamentals of auditory processing. He addresses other modes, too, including gestures and sign language.

His goal was to write a book that would appeal to students and other readers regardless of previous knowledge.

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Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University

Want to build a skincare line that sells for $1 billion? Find a celebrity face to represent the brand.

Hailey Bieber’s rhode line made $212 million in sales in the year ending March 31 after just three years of business. This week, she sold the direct-to-consumer brand to Oakland-based e.l.f. Beauty, which will put rhode products on shelves at the cosmetics chain Sephora.

But the sale price isn’t because rhode’s products are unique among the myriad skincare lines on the market, said a Northeastern University chemistry professor who has her own skincare company.

“Celebrity is probably the most influential value-add to the sale,” said Leila Deravi, an associate professor of chemistry and chemical biology.

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Photo by Anthony Behar/Sipa USA (Sipa via AP Images)

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting an above-average Atlantic hurricane season from June 1 through Nov. 30.

A Northeastern researcher says the forecast of six to 10 hurricanes with winds of at least 74 mph — including three to five major hurricanes with winds of 111 mph or higher — only tells part of the story.

The traditional Saffir-Simpson scale categorizes hurricanes on a 1 to 5 rating system based on maximum sustained wind speed, with a Category 5 bearing winds of at least 157 mph.

But as hurricanes intensify in severity, it might be time to rethink the rating system, says Auroop Ganguly, Northeastern distinguished professor of civil and environmental engineering.

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Satellite Image: NOAA

The Associated Press filmed French President Emmanuel Macron’s arrival in Hanoi, Vietnam this week, intending to capture the beginning of a visit to Southeast Asia with his wife, Brigitte.

But the video went viral for a different reason. As the airplane doors opened, the video captured Brigitte Macron pushing her husband’s face. Once the president realizes they’re being filmed, he steps away from her and waves at the cameras.

People have chimed in on what they think was happening, with many finding the interaction concerning.

But as much as laymen and experts might try to read into the clip, it is impossible to glean much from it without more context, says Karen Quigley, a psychology professor at Northeastern University.

“I don’t think it’s fair to necessarily make strong assumptions about what was happening at that moment,” says Quigley. “Admittedly, the body language (with) the hands on the face and his response after made people uncomfortable. But the reality is we don’t know what led up to it.”

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Photo by LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty Images