The link between evolution and language | Richard Dawkins
TED Talks Daily
TED
4.1 • 12.1K Ratings
🗓️ 18 September 2025
⏱️ 27 minutes
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Summary
Languages drift, adapt and evolve much like living species. In this wide-ranging conversation, evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins and linguist John McWhorter trace the parallels between biology and speech, from random mutations to cultural selection. They show how both genes and words change, survive and connect us — illuminating the deep patterns that shape life and language alike.
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Transcript
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