Online Event: The dawn of language
How and why did we evolve from languageless apes to languaging humans? How did our ancestors become language-ready, and what triggered the dawn of language? Join Sverker Johansson as he reveals the first speakers, what they talked about and in what language. He will explore how we went from the early communication to the full diversity of modern languages. Sverker will explain how we can find evidence to go beyond mere speculation about the dawn of language.
Sverker Johansson, senior advisor at Dalarna University
Sverker Johansson started his research career with a Ph.D. in particle physics, but soon changed tracks to work with teacher education, with regular hours, regular pay, and – most importantly – the joy of finding good explanations. Linguistics started as a hobby, but soon became his main research focus. For the past 20 years he has regularly published research on the origins of language and has built a solid reputation in the field.
Since 2014 he is based at Dalarna University in Sweden. Apart from writing books, his main hobby is developing AI software for creating Wikipedia articles. His software has written some 10 million articles, mainly in Cebuano and Swedish.
What's included in your ticket:
Live lecture lasting 60 minutes including Q&A with Sverker Johansson
On-demand access to a recording of the talk and Q&A for 12 months
Bonus content articles from New Scientist including:
How language evolved: A new idea suggests it’s all just a game
Language: Unlocking the past's most powerful secret
The origins of language discovered in music, mime and mimicry
On-demand talk: The handshake: an anthropologist’s guide with Ella Al-Shamahi, National Geographic Explorer, paleoanthropologist, evolutionary biologist and stand-up comic
Being Human Series - save 25% on a series ticket
About the series: What makes us human? What skills and concepts do humans have that separate us from the rest of the animal kingdom? And how did they emerge? The ‘Being human’ series from New Scientist will explore the beginnings of all the things that make us human, over the course of four virtual events. From Sverker Johansson’s work on the origin of language, to Anna Machin’s research into the origin of love, we’ll take a deep dive into all the things that make us, us.
Save 25% off the standard ticket price by purchasing a subscription to all four live online "Being Human" lectures (also available on-demand) or purchase single tickets for just £13 per lecture (early booking rate), to hear from the finest minds in science in 2022.
Booking information:
This online event will start at 18:00 BST/13:00 EDT on Thursday 9 June 2022 and will last for approximately one hour. Access to a recording of the event will be exclusively available to ticket purchasers for the 12 months following the live event. The on-demand recording will be available to view within 24 hours of the live discussion.
Eventbrite will email you a confirmation immediately after purchase. You will receive a separate email with a link to access the event auditorium prior to the event; please note that each link is unique and should not be shared. The event auditorium will also provide access to the other items included in your ticket.
Tickets are non-transferable to any other New Scientist event.
All tickets are non-refundable.
New Scientist reserves the right to alter the event and its line-up, or cancel the event. In the unlikely event of cancellation, all tickets will be fully refunded. New Scientist Ltd will not be liable for any additional expenses incurred by ticket holders in relation to the event.
Tickets are subject to availability and are only available in advance through Eventbrite. To secure your place we recommend you book in advance.
