About the Guest: Terrence Deacon, PhD is a Professor in the department of Anthropology at UC-Berkeley. He has written many papers and multiple books about the evolution of human language, origins of consciousness, and related topics.Episode Summary: Nick and Dr. Deacon discuss various aspects of biological evolution, from natural vs. sexual selection to gene duplication and the consequences of domestication; the domestication of dogs and songbirds; human vs. non-human forms of vocal communication; ritual behavior & the origins symbolic cognition; artificial intelligence & large language models (LLMs); and more.*This content is never meant to serve as medical advice.Support the showFind all podcast & written content at the M&M Substack:[https://mindandmatter.substack.com]Learn how to further support the podcast: [https://mindandmatter.substack.com/p/how-to-support-mind-and-matter]Try Athletic Greens: Comprehensive & convenient daily nutrition. Free 1-year supply of vitamin D with purchase.Try SiPhox Health—Affordable, at-home bloodwork w/ a comprehensive set of key health marker. Use code TRIKOMES for a 10% discount.Try the Lumen device to optimize your metabolism for weight loss or athletic performance. Use code MIND for $50 off...