Contributors
The Scientist Staff | Jul 1, 2018
Meet some of the people featured in the July/August 2018 issue of The Scientist.
Why Human Speech Is Special
Philip Lieberman | Jul 1, 2018
Evolutionary changes in both the vocal tract and the brain were necessary for humans’ remarkable gift of gab.
Koko the Signing Gorilla Dies at 46
Shawna Williams | Jun 21, 2018
The primate was famous for her ability to communicate with humans.
The Wada Test, 1948
Philip Jaekl | Nov 1, 2017
A decades-old neurological procedure developed under unique and difficult conditions in postwar Japan remains critical to the treatment of epilepsy.
Singing In the Brain
Anna Azvolinsky | Mar 1, 2017
His first love was dance, but Erich Jarvis has long courted another love—understanding how the brain learns vocalization.
Newest Life Science Additions to the Dictionary
Kerry Grens | Feb 8, 2017
Need help explaining CRISPR, epigenome, or rock snot? The Merriam-Webster dictionary has you covered.
Baboons Can Make Sounds Found in Human Speech
Diana Kwon | Jan 13, 2017
The findings suggest language may have started to evolve millions of years earlier than once thought.
Fruit Bats Argue Using Nuanced Communication
Ben Andrew Henry | Dec 29, 2016
Audio recordings of bats hashing out disputes reveals that their calls are laden with information about identity and intent.
Birds Have Skills Previously Described as “Uniquely Human”
Jef Akst | Dec 1, 2016
Scientists are enlisting the help of pigeons, parrots, crows, jays, and other species to disprove the notion that human cognitive abilities are beyond those of other animals.