Orangutans can play the kazoo – here’s what this tells us about speech evolution

Oct05
by on October 5, 2019 at 5:00 pm
Posted In: syndication


A kazoo might seem a world away from the spoken word. But our ability to produce its buzzing, Donald Duck-like sound at will was key in us ever developing the ability to speak at all. And while our capacity for speech is unique, my colleague Robert Shumaker and I have used the novelty instrument to show that great apes aren’t far behind. Speech is one of the defining marks of humanhood. It is the interface of our social and societal relationships, and the baton through which individuals and generations pass information and knowledge from one to the other. Yet, how…

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SmartDesk 2 review: A sit/stand desk with a lot to like for $349

Oct05
by on October 5, 2019 at 12:17 am
Posted In: Plugged


I’ve been using a sit/stand desk since 2017. I was never really keen on the idea for standing during an entire working day, but sit/stand desks — the autonomous creatures that raise and lower depending on your needs — were bulky, expensive, and just outside of my ability to justify spending the extra money. What if I didn’t like it? Autonomous made it easy for me by offering up one of their sit/stand tests for me to put through the ringer, in my own home. I tried it out for 30 days and never looked back. I understood the appeal.…

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