Why Chimpanzees Can’t Give Lectures: The Evolution of Human Speech

the vibe

🗣️ Why can humans give speeches, while our closest primate relatives can’t speak the way we do? The answer does not begin with the mouth, or even the brain, but with a seemingly unrelated change in how our ancestors walked through the world. This talk traces the evolutionary journey that restructured the human respiratory system to make speech possible in the first place. Dr. Nkemdi Agwaramgbo, an internal medicine physician and hospitalist with a longstanding interest in human evolution, walks through the anatomy behind the human voice, from breath to whisper to lecture hall. Along the way, he explains why this same anatomy also makes humans uniquely vulnerable to choking, and how various diseases can disrupt our ability to speak. Agwaramgbo views anatomy and physiology not just as biological machinery, but as part of a larger story of what makes us human. His hope is to leave audiences with a humbling realization: speech was never guaranteed, and we are remarkably lucky to have it. 🫁 *Accessibility & Seating Information We work hard to keep our lectures as accessible as possible while safely accommodating as many attendees as we can. Each of our venues is different. This venue has approximately 25% standing room. If you need a guaranteed seat, please plan to arrive early or email us at hello@bigbrainlectures.com so we can make special accommodations for you. 🕰 Event Details What should I expect? 7:00-7:35 --> arrival & chats 7:35-8:20 --> lecture 8:20-9:00 --> q&a and…