How Communication Makes us Human | Thom Scott-Phillips | TEDxCEU

Summary

In this engaging talk, the speaker, a cognitive scientist by day and a Lindy Hop dancer by night, explores the richness of human communication. They discuss how communication is not just about conveying information but also about expressing intentions, which is a unique aspect of human interaction. Drawing parallels to Edward Hopper's paintings and the dance form, the speaker highlights the diversity and flexibility of communication, which allows us to connect beyond our immediate surroundings and create complex social structures and cultural practices.

Takeaways

• 🎶 The speaker expresses a passion for Lindy Hop, a dance form with origins in African-American communities of Harlem, New York during the swing and jazz era.
• 🧠 The speaker is a cognitive scientist who studies communication, emphasizing the diversity and richness of human communication and its role in making us human.
• 🐠 The script compares human communication to the natural abilities of fish swimming or bats using echolocation, highlighting how ordinary communication is remarkable for humans.
• 🎨 It references Edward Hopper's painting 'Night Hawks' and his philosophy that if he could express something in words, there would be no need to paint it, relating to the idea of non-verbal communication.
• 🤔 The speaker discusses the imperfections in human communication but points out that given its complexity, it's remarkable how often we get it right.
• 📣 Communication is about intentions; we not only have intent but also reveal it to others through our actions and behaviors.
• 🍇 The script uses a berry-eating example to illustrate the difference between providing information and communicating intentions.
• 💡 The idea that communication involves revealing intentions is rooted in the philosophy of language and is a key concept in modern cognitive science.
• 🌐 The speaker suggests that the ability to communicate intentions allows for the flow of information that facilitates the invention of technologies, building of social institutions, and creation of cultural practices.
• 🕺 Dance, especially partner dance like Lindy Hop, is highlighted as a cultural practice that exploits and celebrates the biological and distinctly human aspect of communication through continuous expression and recognition of intentions.
• 👏 The script concludes with applause, indicating the speaker's successful conveyance of the importance and joy of human communication.

Q & A

What is the dance style called that is mentioned in the script?

The dance style mentioned in the script is called Lindy Hop.

Where does the Lindy Hop dance style have its origins?

The Lindy Hop dance style has its origins in the African-American communities of Harlem, New York during the era of swing and jazz.

What does the speaker do by profession?

The speaker is a cognitive scientist by profession.

What is the main focus of the speaker's research in cognitive science?

The speaker's main focus of research in cognitive science is communication.

What is the famous painting by Edward Hopper mentioned in the script?

The famous painting by Edward Hopper mentioned in the script is 'Night Hawks.'

What themes are associated with Edward Hopper's 'Night Hawks' painting?

The themes associated with Edward Hopper's 'Night Hawks' are melancholy, solitude, stoicism, and regret.

What does the speaker suggest about the nature of human communication?

The speaker suggests that human communication is diverse, varied, flexible, rich, and often successful despite its imperfections.

What is the key point the speaker makes about intentions in communication?

The key point the speaker makes about intentions in communication is that we not only have intent, but we also reveal our intentions to others.

How does the speaker describe the richness of human communication?

The speaker describes the richness of human communication by emphasizing its ability to free us from the here and now, allowing us to communicate about anything.

What cultural practice does the speaker use as an example to illustrate the concept of communication as a continuous expression and recognition of intentions?

The speaker uses partner dance as an example to illustrate the concept of communication as a continuous expression and recognition of intentions.

How does the speaker relate the concept of communication to the invention of complex technologies and the building of social institutions?

The speaker relates the concept of communication to the invention of complex technologies and the building of social institutions by stating that the ability to express and recognize intentions allows for the flow of information, which facilitates these advancements.

Outlines

00:00

💃 The Joy of Dance and Communication

The speaker begins by expressing their love for the spontaneous dance style, Lindy Hop, which originated in African-American communities in Harlem, New York, during the swing and jazz era. They draw a parallel between the dance and human communication, highlighting the continuous, improvised interaction between two people. The speaker, a cognitive scientist by day, introduces the theme of human communication's diversity and richness, and its role in making us human. They use the metaphor of a bat's echolocation to emphasize how ordinary communication is remarkable to humans, and reference Edward Hopper's painting 'Night Hawks' to illustrate the idea that sometimes words are insufficient to express what can be conveyed through art or non-verbal means.

05:02

🗣️ The Diversity and Intention Behind Human Communication

This paragraph delves into the vast array of human communication methods, from talking and pointing to shrugging and dancing. The speaker uses examples to show how the same gesture can have different meanings and purposes, such as reminding a friend of a conversation or signaling a joke. They emphasize that while human communication is not perfect, it is remarkable how often it is effective. The speaker introduces the concept that communication is about intentions, not just information, using the example of eating berries to illustrate the difference between providing information and revealing intentions. They explain that human communication is special because it involves revealing our intentions to others, which is a key idea in cognitive science.

10:02

🌐 The Power of Intention in Communication and Cultural Practices

In the final paragraph, the speaker discusses the broader implications of intention-based communication for humanity. They argue that this form of communication frees us from the constraints of the present moment, allowing us to discuss anything at any time. This capability has enabled the development of complex technologies, social institutions, and cultural practices. The speaker also touches on the rewarding nature of communication, suggesting that it is so enjoyable that humans have created cultural practices, like partner dance, that are essentially conversations through movement. They conclude by applauding the deeply biological and distinctly human aspect of communication.

Keywords

💡Lindy Hop

Lindy Hop is a dance style that originated in the African-American communities of Harlem, New York, during the swing and jazz era. It is characterized by its improvisational nature, where partners engage in a continuous, spontaneous exchange of movements. In the video, Lindy Hop serves as a metaphor for the improvisational and dynamic nature of human communication, highlighting the theme that communication is an art form that requires continuous adaptation and interaction between individuals.

💡Cognitive Science

Cognitive Science is an interdisciplinary field that studies the mind and its processes, including how humans perceive the world, think, remember, learn, and communicate. The speaker identifies as a cognitive scientist, and this field provides the theoretical framework for understanding the complexity and diversity of human communication. It is the lens through which the speaker analyzes and discusses the nature of communication in the video.

💡Communication

Communication is the central theme of the video, defined as the act of conveying meaning from one entity to another through various methods, including speech, gestures, and other forms. The speaker emphasizes that communication is not just about transmitting information but also about revealing intentions. The video explores how communication makes us human, how it is diverse, rich, and often successful despite its imperfections.

💡Intentions

Intentions refer to the purposes or goals that individuals have when they communicate. The speaker argues that communication is unique because it involves not only the exchange of information but also the expression of one's intentions. This concept is crucial as it allows for the conveyance of abstract ideas and goals beyond the immediate context, as illustrated by the example of miming eating berries to communicate their edibility.

💡Echolocation

Echolocation is a biological sonar used by certain animals, such as bats, to navigate and locate prey by emitting sounds and listening for echoes. In the video, echolocation is used as an analogy to describe how humans use communication to navigate their social environments. It highlights the idea that, like echolocation, communication is a natural and essential ability for humans to understand their surroundings and interact with others.

💡Diversity

Diversity in the context of the video refers to the wide range of methods and forms that human communication can take. The speaker discusses the various ways people can communicate, from verbal language to non-verbal cues like dancing or gestures. This diversity is what makes human communication rich and adaptable to different situations and purposes.

💡Human

The term 'human' is used throughout the video to emphasize the unique aspects of communication that are specific to our species. It is used to contrast the communication abilities of humans with those of other animals, such as bats, and to highlight the complexity and richness of human communication as a defining characteristic of our species.

💡Cultural Practices

Cultural practices are the customary behaviors and social norms shared within a culture. In the video, the speaker mentions that communication has given rise to cultural practices, such as dance, which are forms of non-verbal communication that express and recognize intentions. This illustrates how communication is not only a biological trait but also a cultural phenomenon that enriches human life.

💡Complex Technologies

Complex technologies refer to the advanced tools, systems, and machines that humans have developed. The video suggests that the ability to communicate intentions and information effectively has facilitated the invention and development of such technologies, showcasing the power of communication in shaping human progress and innovation.

💡Social Institutions

Social institutions are established social organizations or patterns that govern human interactions and activities. The video posits that effective communication has been instrumental in building social institutions, underlining the role of communication in structuring societies and maintaining social order.

💡Expression

Expression in the video is tied to the act of conveying one's thoughts, feelings, or intentions. It is a key component of communication and is highlighted in the context of dance, where movement serves as a form of expression. The video uses dance as an example to show how expression through communication can be both a means of connection and a form of cultural celebration.

Highlights

Introduction of the Lindy Hop dance and its origins in African-American communities of Harlem, New York during the swing and jazz era.

The speaker's profession as a cognitive scientist and their research focus on communication.

The comparison of human communication to a bat's echolocation, highlighting its natural and remarkable nature.

A quotation from Edward Hopper emphasizing the non-verbal expression of ideas through art.

The diversity and richness of human communication methods beyond verbal language.

The importance of intentions in communication and how they are revealed, not just the information itself.

The difference between providing information and communicating intentions, illustrated with the example of eating berries.

The unique aspect of human communication that involves expressing and recognizing intentions.

The philosophical and cognitive science roots of the idea that communication is about intentions.

How communication allows humans to transcend the constraints of time and space.

The role of communication in facilitating the invention of complex technologies and the building of social institutions.

The enjoyment and reward humans derive from the act of communication, including in cultural practices like dance.

The cultural significance of partner dance as a form of non-verbal communication that mirrors conversation.

The biological basis of human communication and its distinction from other species' methods.

The applause at the end signifying the audience's appreciation for the insights shared on communication.

Transcripts

[Music]

[Music]

[Music]

No

[Music]

but really love monkey paw today

[Music]

thank you thank you can I have a special

round of applause please for my friend

and dance partner

booyaka hola

nothing of what you just saw was

choreographed the dance is called the

Lindy Hop it has its origins in the

african-american communities of Harlem

New York during the era of swing and

jazz and like other partner dances and

like an ordinary conversation - it's a

continuous improvised back and forth

moment by moment adaptation between two

people I love it it is so much fun and

soon I'm going to tell you a key reason

why

however while I'm passionate about dance

it is not my profession by day I'm a

cognitive scientist cognitive science is

the science of how the mind works and in

particular I research communication so

I'd like to talk to you today about the

diversity and the richness of human

communication and also about what holds

it all together I'm going to talk about

how communication makes us human

let me put it this way

if you're a fish and swimming is easy

its natural you don't even notice it for

what it is if your bat then echolocation

is normal you emit sound waves and you

use the echoes that they create to learn

what about what's physically around you

now to a human being like me like you

that is remarkable it's amazing to a bat

ordinary everyday communication is like

this for humans and I'm going to get

precise about that very soon and but

first I want to I want to give you a

quotation from a famous American painter

Edward Hopper middle of 20th century

realist painter this is probably his

most famous

this is probably his most famous

painting it's called night Hawks and

it's on public display in the Art

Institute of Chicago and the themes of

night Hawks are themes that recur

throughout toppers work words that

people use to describe it

are words like melancholy solitude

stoicism regret Hopper was once asked

about these themes and more generally

about what his paintings mean his reply

if I could say it in words there'd be no

reason to paint if I could say it in

words there'd be no reason to paint I

think that's a feeling we can all relate

to in a way you can ask me to put it in

words but I'm expressing myself this way

because this is the best way to express

the things I want to express now we

can't all paint like Hopper can but we

can talk we can point we can shrug we

can dance we can use a little movement

of the head so we remind our friend

quickly and efficiently about that

conversation we had last week well the

very same movement could be used for

very different ends you could use it to

order an assassination you could start a

war some people leave their dirty

laundry in the middle of the living room

as a way to remind their partner to do

the housework we can wink as a way to

share a joke to communicate in secret

human communication is incredibly

diverse it's varied it's flexible its

rich and we're also pretty good at

getting it right or finding the right

means for the right moment

we're not perfect of course

communication is imperfect but keep the

big picture in mind it's not like we

wink at someone and then accidentally

start a war

that is not what happens there's

misunderstandings at the edges but given

how varied human communication is it's

kind of remarkable how often we get it

right or close enough it's pretty

special

it's like echolocation in bats okay so

what what holds all together how does it

work

communication is all about intentions

and the key point is that we don't just

have intent we reveal our intentions now

I know that point is a little bit

abstract so I'm going to elaborate now

with a little toy example suppose that I

want you to know that these berries here

are edible and tasty now one way I can

do that is is just this I can just eat

them the information is there if you

want it that they are edible that I like

them another way I can try and meet my

goals is to not eat the berries at all

but instead I could mime eating them

perhaps in a slightly exaggerated way

and with my behavior directed towards

you it's a slightly comic exaggeration I

know but it makes the point notice the

difference in the first case there was

information there that the berries are

edible and tasty and I liked them but I

did not communicate with you in the

second case no evidence that the berries

are tasty I did not eat them what there

was evidence of a my intentions I showed

you that I want you to believe that the

berries are edible you don't have to

believe that of course that is up to you

maybe I'm trying to trick you maybe

they're poisonous the point is I showed

you what I want to do to your mind and

that's that's what communication is

about human communication is special

because has these extra

years of information we don't just

provide evidence of the topic itself of

the berries or whatever else we provide

evidence of our goals in interaction

this idea has its roots in the

philosophy of language and it's now a

key idea in modern cognitive science let

me finish by broadening out to the

bigger picture which is that this way of

communicating has enormous riches for us

as a species and that's because it frees

us it frees us from the here and the now

think about it if I have to provide

evidence of the topic itself the berries

whatever

well that's very constraining it means I

can only communicate about that topic

when I have it here if on the other hand

I have to provide evidence of my

intentions well they are always here and

they can be about anything at all it's

hugely powerful it allows us to

communicate about anything the flow of

information easily between us and it

happens on a grand scale - this is what

facilitates the invention of complex

technologies the building of social

institutions the creation of new

cultural practices it's also fun - it's

very rewarding we all like doing it in

fact it's so rewarding to do this

expressing and recognizing intentions

that we sometimes invent cultural

practices that are in a way just

communication that's what partner dance

is all about it's two bodies just like

in a conversation

simultaneously continuously expressing

and recognizing their intentions towards

one another it's a cultural thing dance

is a cultural practice but it's one that

exploits and celebrates something that

is deeply biological and distinctly

human communication

[Applause]