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Madeleine Beekman
Evolutionary biologist and author of 'The Origin of Language – How We Learned to Speak and Why'. Her work explores the evolution of language and the role of underdeveloped human babies in driving the need for complex communication.
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Aug 3, 2025
• 35min
How humans learned to speak and why
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In this discussion, evolutionary biologist Madeleine Beekman, author of 'The Origin of Language – How We Learned to Speak and Why,' explores how our need to care for helpless infants propelled the evolution of complex language. She delves into the anatomical shifts that occurred as humans adapted to walking upright, the role of larger brains in communication, and the cooperative parenting that emerged. Beekman also touches on how language acquisition in children reflects our innate abilities and speculates on the future of a global language in an increasingly interconnected world.
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