Join us for a conversation with Adam Aleksic, linguist, self-described “Etymology Nerd,” and social media celebrity with more than 3 million followers across all platforms.

A 2019 Albany High School graduate — the son of Serbian parents who immigrated to Albany in the 1990s — Aleksic achieved online stardom by exploring the unexpected origins of words and phrases.

His new book is the New York Times bestseller, Algospeak: How Social Media Is Transforming the Future of Language (2025). He investigates the brave new world of “meme-driven” change and upheaval, from “brainrot” and “incel slang” to emojis and A.I. accents.

4:30 p.m. Thursday, January 29
Conversation / Q&A
Main Theatre - UAlbany Performing Arts Center
University at Albany
1400 Washington Avenue
Albany NY 12222

Free and open to the public
Books will be for sale and a signing will follow the conversation

Cosponsored by the NYS Writers Institute, the AI & Society College and Research Center, and the Information Sciences and Technology Department of the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity (CEHC), and the Honors College.