Neil Armstrong, first man on the moon, works on the Apollo 11 Lunar Module, after a safe landing in the ‘Sea of Tranquility’. This is the only photograph taken of him on the moon’s surface (Image: NASA)
Despite a remarkably close genetic heritage, our capacity to articulate sounds and understand complex symbols is a ‘quantum leap’ beyond the capabilities of our chimpanzee cousins. The actions of our vocal Central Pattern Generator circuits therefore underpin how we articulate our thoughts, allocate meaning, and use a communication tool that allows us to think about what it is that makes us human. But can we think without language?
Some fish and many other vertebrates make vocal noises to attract a mate. The neurobiology of sound generation in singing fish shows us how mate selection appears to have driven the evolution of vocal sounds.
Our minds construct an internal version of the view before us, using a scant set of samples. We then modify this picture with what we expect to see. How does this skewed visual perception allow us to ‘make sense’ of our world?
Although this is intended as a light-hearted guide to areas of science that might interest you, it serves to illustrate the inter-disciplinary nature of science.