What enables us to speak? How did the sounds we use for language become so rich and complex? And what can studies of other vocal animals tell us about how we first learned to produce these sounds?
Our minds construct an internal version of the view before us, using a scant set of samples. We then modify this picture with what we expect to see. How does this skewed visual perception allow us to ‘make sense’ of our world?
Despite a remarkably close genetic heritage, our capacity to articulate sounds and understand complex symbols is a ‘quantum leap’ beyond the capabilities of our chimpanzee cousins. The actions of our vocal Central Pattern Generator circuits therefore underpin how we articulate our thoughts, allocate meaning, and use a communication tool that allows us to think about what it is that makes us human. But can we think without language?