logo
episode-header-image
Sep 18
22m 45s

The link between evolution and language ...

TED
About this episode

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.





Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Yesterday
4 hard truths about capitalism and climate | Steve Howard
<p>For decades, investor and business leader Steve Howard watched companies pour money and effort into sustainability initiatives ... and still fall short. The problem isn’t a lack of will, he says; it’s that capitalism and climate have been wired to work against each other. He s ... Show More
16m 37s
Nov 21
The army of autonomous robots restoring nature | Tom Chi
<p>Impact investor Tom Chi challenges a dangerous assumption: that economic growth and ecological health are opposing forces. He reveals how advances in AI and robotics are enabling a radical shift towards innovation as a force for restoration. Imagine mines that extract less, fa ... Show More
19m 29s
Nov 20
The thrill of not knowing all the answers | Harini Bhat
<p>In a world that prizes certainty, hot takes and instant answers, what happens when we celebrate the power of ... not knowing? Scientist and storyteller Harini Bhat shares how she built a mega-popular YouTube channel where curiosity, not credentials, drives discovery. From anci ... Show More
9m 25s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 18
The link between evolution and language | Richard Dawkins
<p>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 gen ... Show More
22m 45s
Nov 2024
296 | Brandon Ogbunu on Fitness Seascapes and the Course of Evolution
<p>Biological evolution via natural selection is a simple idea that becomes enormously complicated in its realization. Populations of organisms are driven toward increased "fitness," a measure of how successfully we reproduce our genetic information. But fitness is a subtle conce ... Show More
1h 15m
Mar 2025
Exploring AI, Evolution & the Universe ft. Taryn Southern
Richard Dawkins and Taryn Southern are back for another thought-provoking Q&A session, tackling a wide range of fascinating topics. From Richard’s personal epiphany moments to his thoughts on AI, alien life, and the origins of the universe, this episode delves deep into the myste ... Show More
32m 20s
Sep 2024
#382 — The Eye of Nature
<p>Sam Harris speaks with Richard Dawkins about his new book <em><a href="https://amzn.to/3X7oYQE">The Genetic Book of the Dead</a></em>, the genome as a palimpsest, what scientists of the future may do with genetic information, genotypes and phenotypes, embryology and epigenetic ... Show More
39m 30s
Jun 2025
Episode 144, Steven Pinker x Richard Dawkins: Live in London (Part I - The Future of Humanity)
Welcome to Episode 144 (Part I of II), where Richard Dawkins interviews Steven Pinker on the past and future of humanity. This is a live recording from our recent show – The Future of Humanity – held on 3 June 2025 at London's Royal Institution Theatre. The event was a conversati ... Show More
1h 4m
Jun 2025
Special Episode: Professor Steven Mithen & The Language Puzzle
From the earliest grunts and gestures to the complex sentences we use today to convey a multitude of concepts, language has evolved to become one of humanity’s most powerful tools. It allows us to connect, create, conspire, control, console, catch up, and so much more. How did we ... Show More
49m 29s
Feb 2025
What Evolution Really Tells Us About Life | A Conversation with Steven Pinker
In this episode of The Poetry of Reality, Richard Dawkins engages in an insightful conversation with Steven Pinker about evolution, his motivation for writing The Blind Watchmaker, and a breakdown of his latest book, The Genetic Book of the Dead Steven Pinker is a Canadian-Americ ... Show More
1h 29m
Feb 2024
266 | Christoph Adami on How Information Makes Sense of Biology
<p>Evolution is sometimes described -- not precisely, but with some justification -- as being about the "survival of the fittest." But that idea doesn't work unless there is some way for one generation to pass down&nbsp;<em>information</em>&nbsp;about how best to survive. We now ... Show More
1h 20m
May 2025
I Sympathize with Trans People, but... | Richard Dawkins in Conversation with Colin Wright
In this episode of The Poetry of Reality, Richard Dawkins joins Colin Wright for an insightful conversation touching on evolution, gender, science, and culture - They explore Richard's latest book, The Genetic Book of the Dead along with a wide array of topics including the natur ... Show More
1h 33m
Dec 2024
299 | Michael Wong on Information, Function, and the Origin of Life
<p>Living organisms seem exquisitely organized and complex, with features clearly adapted to serving certain functions needed to survive and procreate. Natural selection provides a compelling explanation for why that is so. But is there a bigger picture, a more general framework ... Show More
1h 13m