How our brains may have evolved for language, and clues to what makes us leaders—or followers

Science Magazine Podcast

Science Podcast

News, News Commentary, Science

4.3 • 842 Ratings

🗓️ 2 August 2018

⏱️ 28 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Yes, humans are the only species with language, but how did we acquire it? New research suggests our linguistic prowess might arise from the same process that brought domesticated dogs big eyes and bonobos the power to read others’ intent. Online News Editor Catherine Matacic joins host Sarah Crespi to talk about how humans might have self-domesticated themselves, leading to physical and behavioral changes that gave us a “language-ready” brain. Sarah also talks with Micah Edelson of the University of Zurich in Switzerland about his group’s research into the role that “responsibility aversion”—the reluctance to make decisions for a group—might play when people decide to lead or defer in a group setting. In their experiments, the team found that some people adjusted how much risk they would take on, depending on whether they were deciding for themselves alone or for the entire group. The ones who didn’t—those who stuck to the same plan whether others were involved or not—tended to score higher on standardized tests of leadership and have held higher military rank. This week’s episode was edited by Podigy. Download a transcript of this episode (PDF) Listen to previous podcasts. [Image: Scaly breasted munia/Ravi Vaidyanathan; Music: Jeffrey Cook] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This podcast is supported by the Icon School of Medicine at Mount Sinai,
0:04.0	the academic arm of the Mount Sinai health system in New York City,
0:07.5	and one of America's leading research medical schools.
0:10.7	What are scientists and clinicians working on to improve medical care and health for women?
0:15.5	Find out in a special supplement to Science magazine prepared by the Icon School of Medicine
0:20.0	and Mount Sinai in partnership
0:21.6	with science. Visit our website at www.combe at www.combe-science.org and search for Frontiers
0:27.0	of Medical Research-Dash-Womeness Health. The Icon School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, we find a way.
0:33.3	Morgan State University, a Baltimore, Maryland-Karnege R2 doctoral research institution,
0:39.2	offers more than 100 academic programs and awards degrees at the baccalaureate,
0:44.0	master's, and doctoral levels, is furthering their mission of growing the future, leading
0:48.7	the world. Morgan continues to address the needs and challenges of the modern urban environment.
0:54.4	With a four-year quadrupling of research, more than a dozen new doctoral programs,
0:59.4	and eight new National Centers of Excellence, Morgan is positioned to achieve Carnegie R1 designation in the next five years.
1:07.4	To learn more about Morgan and their ascension to R1, visit morgan.edu slash research.
1:17.6	Welcome to the science podcast for August 3, 2018. I'm Sarah Crespi.
1:25.2	In this week's show, online news editor, Catherine Mattisick, talks about a theory that humans may have domesticated themselves and that this change set the stage for the evolution of language.
1:36.4	And Micah Edelson discusses his research on leadership and the role that responsibility aversion or the reluctance to make decisions for others might play in
1:46.0	everyday decisions like picking a home for your family or to the way an autocrat rules a nation.
1:52.6	And don't forget, this month's book segment will be on The Book of Why, the new science
1:57.0	of cause and effect by Yuda Pearl and Dana McKenzie, and that'll appear on August 30th.
2:01.8	If you've read the book or plan to, tweet to us at Science Magazine or email us at Science
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