This collection of talks comes from UC San Diego's CARTA (Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny) and features Merlin Donald (Queen's Univ) on Skilled Performance and Artistry, followed by Terry Deacon (UC Berkeley) on Symbolic Communication: Why Is Human Thought So Flexible?", and V.S. Ramachandran (UC San Diego) on Inter-Modular Interactions, Metaphor, and the "Great Leap.

I have also posted a previous collection of talks: Is the Human Mind Unique: Entering the Soul Niche.

Is the Human Mind Unique?- Artistry; Symbolic Communication; Metaphor and the Great Leap

Published on Apr 18, 2013

(Visit: http://www.uctv.tv/) Cognitive abilities often regarded as unique to humans include humor, morality, symbolism, creativity, and preoccupation with the minds of others. In these compelling talks, emphasis is placed on the functional uniqueness of these attributes, as opposed to the anatomical uniqueness, and whether these attributes are indeed quantitatively or qualitatively unique to humans. 

• Merlin Donald (Queen's Univ): Skilled Performance and Artistry
• Terry Deacon (UC Berkeley): Symbolic Communication: Why Is Human Thought So Flexible?"
• V.S. Ramachandran (UC San Diego): Inter-Modular Interactions, Metaphor, and the "Great Leap." 

Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [4/2013]