How to Change the World: The History & Future of Innovation

[~70,000BCE] - Language: The Cognitive Revolution that gave us Words, Art, Religion, Shame and Execution

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Aug 18, 2025

Explore the evolution of complex language during the cognitive revolution, transforming grunts into rich communication. Discover how gossip enabled larger group cooperation and how myths created collective identities. Delve into the paradox of human violence and compassion, alongside the social roles of shame. Envision the future of communication technology, from brain-computer interfaces to ethical implications, as humanity navigates the next frontier of thought-sharing. It's a captivating journey through our past and possible future.

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Episode notes

insights

INSIGHT

Calm Among Strangers

Richard Wrangham's example: humans can sit calmly with strangers unlike chimps who'd erupt into violence.
The cognitive revolution (~70,000 years ago) and complex language enabled large-scale cooperation beyond kin.

insights

INSIGHT

Language As Compression

Language compresses vast internal experiences into small signals, creating creative shortcuts like metaphors and stories.
This compression constraint fuels cultural inventions and occasional misunderstanding.

insights

INSIGHT

Cognitive Fluidity Unlocks Imagination

Brain evolution added specialized zones for tools, nature, communication, and social behavior.
The cognitive revolution linked these zones increasing "cognitive fluidity," enabling imagination and complex language.

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Compression: How Language Bottlenecks Thought

05:05 • 4min

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The Evolutionary Roots of Communication

08:56 • 5min

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Brain Changes Enabling Speech and Abstract Words

13:52 • 7min

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Gossip as Social Glue

20:41 • 5min

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The Invention of Myths and Collective Fictions

25:45 • 5min

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Early Religions and Animism

30:43 • 3min

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Shame, Blushing, and Social Self-Regulation

33:44 • 5min

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Execution Hypothesis and Self-Domestication

38:35 • 5min

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Reactive vs Proactive Violence

43:20 • 4min

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Sharing, Rituals, and Everyday Governance

46:54 • 4min

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Human Cooperation: Miracle and Paradox

50:36 • 2min

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Language Evolution to the Present

52:12 • 3min

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Language Innovation and New Words

54:44 • 1min

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Aspiration and Shame as Cultural Engines

56:07 • 3min

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Historic Communication Revolutions

58:50 • 2min

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Could Brain-Computer Interfaces Break the Bandwidth Bottleneck?

01:00:30 • 4min

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Technical Limits and Challenges of Neural Interfaces

01:04:15 • 2min

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Ethical, Political, and Privacy Risks of Mind Tech

01:06:28 • 1min

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Plausibility and the Pace of Technological Change

01:07:53 • 2min

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From Words to Telepathy: Final Reflections

The Prehistory of the Mind

The Cognitive Origins of Art, Religion and Science

Steven Mithen

#48446

Concepts as Plug and Play Devices

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Nicholas Shea

#15372

• Mentioned in 3 episodes

Moral origins

The Evolution of Virtue, Altruism, and Shame

Christopher Boehm

In 'Moral Origins,' Christopher Boehm argues that our moral sense is a sophisticated defense mechanism that enables individuals to survive and thrive in groups. He explains that the biggest risks of group living are the possibilities of being punished for misdeeds, and that this social type of selection singles out altruists for survival. This selection pressure has uniquely shaped human nature, breeding the first stirrings of conscience and ultimately leading to the fully developed sense of virtue and shame we know today.

#23984

• Mentioned in 2 episodes

The Language Puzzle

James

#12

• Mentioned in 359 episodes

Sapiens

A Brief History of Humankind

Yuval Noah Harari

This book surveys the history of humankind from the Stone Age to the 21st century, focusing on Homo sapiens. It divides human history into four major parts: the Cognitive Revolution, the Agricultural Revolution, the Unification of Humankind, and the Scientific Revolution. Harari argues that Homo sapiens dominate the world due to their unique ability to cooperate in large numbers through beliefs in imagined realities such as gods, nations, money, and human rights. The book also examines the impact of human activities on the global ecosystem and speculates on the future of humanity, including the potential for genetic engineering and non-organic life.

#6668

• Mentioned in 6 episodes

Demonic males

Richard Wrangham

Demonic Males examines the evolutionary factors contributing to human male violence by studying the behaviors of chimpanzees and other great apes. The book contrasts the aggressive societies of chimpanzees with the more peaceful bonobos, highlighting the role of social structure and female dominance in reducing violence. It argues that while humans have a genetic predisposition to violence, societal structures and intelligence can mitigate these tendencies.

#26552

• Mentioned in 2 episodes

Concepts at the Interface

Nicholas Shea

Nicholas Shea's "Concepts at the Interface" delves into the philosophical and cognitive aspects of concepts. It explores how concepts serve as a crucial interface between perception, cognition, and language. Shea examines the structure and function of concepts. He investigates how they enable us to categorize, reason, and communicate effectively. The book addresses fundamental questions about the nature of mental representation. The book provides a comprehensive framework for understanding the role of concepts in cognition and human experience.

#1825

• Mentioned in 18 episodes

The Goodness Paradox

Richard Wrangham

How complex language evolved during the cognitive revolution, changing humanity and the world.

Discover how language transformed from simple grunts and hand signals to complex communication, enabling us to cooperate, create cultures, invent stuff and build civilizations. We explore the evolution of human imagination, the role of gossip, the development of societal morals, and the paradoxical nature of human violence and compassion.

Additionally, we discuss the future of communication technology and the potential mind-blowing implications of brain-computer interfaces. Packed with insights from anthropology, psychology, and neuroscience, this episode provides a comprehensive understanding of our past and a glimpse into our possible future.

ABOUT

How to Change the World is an independent podcast documenting the entire history of innovation. One world-changing event at a time. In the process we are building out frameworks and mental models to think more coherently about global change and the future of technology.

ChangeTheWorldPod.com

Written, edited, recorded, and produced by Sam Webster Harris.

Help from:

Designs - Francisca Correia (available to hire)
Mentorship - Jeremy Enns (available to hire)

REFERENCES

Richard Wrangham: Ape society lessons in human cooperation and violence - The Goodness Paradox | Demonic Males
Nicholas Shea: How we make and use concepts - Concepts as Plug and Play Devices | Concepts at the Interface
Steven Mithen: Evolution of the brain and language - Prehistory of the Mind | The Language Puzzle
Yuval Noah Harari: Cognitive revolution and myths - Sapiens
Christopher Boehm: How morals shape society - Moral Origins
Tim Urban: Future of brain computer interfaces - Neuralink and the Brains Magical Future

CHAPTERS

00:00 The magic of co-operation

02:26 Welcome

05:09 The Compression problem

08:50 ACT 1 - COGNITIVE BASIS OF LANGUAGE

08:50 Biological history of languages

13:46 The Interconnected Brain

17:24 Complex words and stuff

21:11 Teamwork

22:08 ACT 2 - GOSSIP, MYTHS & RELIGION

22:08 Gossip and the glue of society

25:46 Myths and shared delusions

30:40 Early Religions - Animism, art and penises

33:37 ACT 3 - SELF-DOMESTICATION

33:43 Shame and Blushing

38:30 The Execution Hypothesis

43:21 Reactive vs Proactive Violence

46:55 Mealtimes Sharing and small town thinking

52:12 ACT 4 - EVOLUTIONS OF LANGUAGE

52:12 Language shifts

55:59 Shame and Society

58:49 ACT 5 - FUTURE OF COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

01:01:33 Brain Computer Interfaces

01:07:38 Predicting the future

01:09:47 WRAP UP

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