cover of episode What Makes You Uniquely Human & How Words Affect Your Thoughts

What Makes You Uniquely Human & How Words Affect Your Thoughts

2024/10/14
logo of podcast Something You Should Know

Something You Should Know
AI Deep Dive AI Chapters Transcript
People
A
Adam Rutherford
M
Mike Carruthers
S
Steven Mithen
Topics
Mike Carruthers: 本期节目探讨了是什么使人类独一无二，以及语言如何影响我们的思维方式。我们采访了科学家和考古学家，就人类的独特性、语言的起源和演变以及语言对思维的影响展开了深入的讨论。节目中还探讨了诸如人类性行为、工具使用、以及不同语言对颜色和情感感知的影响等话题。 Adam Rutherford: 许多被认为是人类独有的特征，实际上在其他动物身上也能找到。例如，性行为的主要功能并非繁殖，许多动物也存在非繁殖性行为。人类的沟通能力虽然复杂，但动物也以复杂的方式进行沟通。人类具有残忍和善良的双重能力，而其他动物则对痛苦漠不关心。人类使用工具，但其他物种也使用工具，甚至会使用火。真正使人类与众不同的是人类作为教师的能力，即跨代和同辈之间知识的传递和积累。这需要人类大脑的高级认知能力，以及人与人之间思想交流的空间。 Steven Mithen: 人类语言并非凭空出现，而是从类似黑猩猩的祖先的沟通方式演化而来。语言的起源可能与拟声词和象征性词汇有关，随着人类社会复杂性的增加，抽象词汇逐渐出现。语言会随着文化和科技的发展而变化，但这种变化不会导致语言变得无法理解。不同语言对颜色和情感的感知存在差异，这表明语言会影响我们的思维方式。 Mike Carruthers: 本节目还探讨了其他一些与人类独特性和语言相关的话题，例如：大型风暴的命名、垃圾处理器中可以和不可以放入的东西等。

Deep Dive

Chapters
This chapter explores the evolution of human communication, examining the differences between human and animal communication, and challenging common beliefs about human uniqueness. It also touches upon the role of culture and social interaction in shaping human behavior and communication.
  • Humans engage in non-reproductive sex, a behavior also observed in other animal species.
  • Human communication, while sophisticated, shares fundamental similarities with animal communication.
  • Humans' capacity for cruelty and kindness stems from their social nature.
  • The use of tools, including weapons, is widespread across various species.
  • Cultural transmission of knowledge and specialization are defining characteristics of humans.

Shownotes Transcript

Major storms all get names: Milton, Katrina, Ian, Sandy etc. Why do we name storms? Do the names of storms ever get used again for other storms? Find out as we start this episode with a brief look at the tradition of naming major storms. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-do-hurricanes-get-their-names-who-chooses-and-why-list/)

What is it that makes us human and separates us from all the other animals on the planet? The answer will surprise you because a lot of characteristics you may think are uniquely human are not. Yet there are other things that do make us unique that you may have never considered. Here to sort it all out and make you think differently about what it means to be a human is Adam Rutherford. He is a science writer, broadcaster, and author of the book The Book of Humans: A Brief History of Culture, Sex, War, and the Evolution of Us (https://amzn.to/3YsxLyF))

At some point our ancestors stopped grunting and started using words to communicate. And those words started to affect how we think. So, how did that all happen? Where did our words come from? Why do some words seem so arbitrary while other words sound like the word they are describing? All this is what Steven Mithen is here to discuss. He is an archaeologist and professor of early prehistory at the University of Reading. He has written more than 200 hundred articles and books, his latest book is called The Language Puzzle: Piecing Together the Six-Million-Year Story of How Words Evolved (https://amzn.to/4dDd8E1).)

People have theories of what should and should never be put down the garbage disposal. Consumer Reports actually did some tests and came up with some interesting recommendations. Listen as I reveal if eggshells and chicken bones and a bunch of other things should or should not be put down there. https://www.consumerreports.org/appliances/garbage-disposals/foods-you-can-cant-put-down-a-garbage-disposal-a1074300549/)

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