Divergence, Drift, and Linguistic Ancestors

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.

Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links:

TEDNext: ted.com/futureyou

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