This event is a mini-series of four informal talks showcasing the impact of language on society. The timely themes will be presented in an approachable manner that will be accessible to a general audience, stimulating to novice language researchers, and interesting to social scientists. The themes of the talks are: Wolves in the wires: online abuse from people to press A ‘battle’, a ‘journey’, or none of these? Metaphors for cancer What can corpora tell us about learning a foreign language? Words 'yesterday and today' Each talk incorporates an element of social science research beyond linguistics (eg sociology, education, history, care), and we will take this opportunity to emphasise the importance of interdisciplinary work, and the innovation that this can bring. After the talks, the audience will be invited to an hour-long reception, during which they will have the opportunity to engage further with speakers and to network with other guests. In a single event, participants will have the opportunity to hear renowned scholars talk about their lives, their work, and what they find most interesting about the relationship between language and society. Talks are short, energetic, and pitched for a general audience. Audiences will come away from an enhanced understanding of how the language we use every day influences, reflects, and reinforces values of society and culture. Analysis of language is not the sole preserve of the linguist, and we take care to incorporate data, methods, and discussions that include a multitude of social scientific traditions beyond our own.