What Makes Speech Possible Makes Choking More Likely

Hello, you have A Way with Words.

Hi, my name is Andres. I’m calling in from Washington Heights.

So my question for you guys was that the other day I was listening to some other radio piece.

I don’t know what it was because I just stumbled upon it.

But they had mentioned this idea that in the course of development over evolution,

That humans developed the anatomy to speak.

But that same anatomy is what allows us to choke.

And they didn’t elaborate beyond that.

They moved on and then I wasn’t able to find the show.

So do we know anything about that?

Like what that specific anatomy is that allows us to speak, but also allows us to choke as opposed to other animals.

Oh, wow. That must have been quite the tease where you’re like, I want more.

And then they moved on. You’re like, no, it happens all the time.

Radio is just full of language and opportunity.

And you’re like, no.

But also, you’re in Washington Heights in New York City, right?

Up by Columbia University?

Yes.

Okay.

I know that area very well.

Well, it’s nice to talk to you, Andres.

And I think I can help you with finding that episode you’re talking about.

It wasn’t our show.

But, of course, it’s the classic, classic public radio show, Radio Lab, which does superb science all the time.

And they have an episode in January of 2024 called Our Stupid Little Bodies.

I love that title.

That makes sense.

It’s so accurate.

But in that episode, they talked to a bunch of very interesting experts.

But one of them is this guy, James Nestor, who wrote this bestselling book called Breath.

Oh, yeah.

The new science of a lost art.

I highly recommend that.

So either look for that Radiolab episode, Our Stupid Little Bodies, or maybe and find this book by James Nestor.

That’s N-E-S-T-O-R called Breath.

But in general, what he talked about and what the other experts in the show talked about in that Radiolab episode was that there’s this kind of package of bodily changes that make human speech possible.

So other primates have some of the stuff that we have in our oral cavity, in our throats, in other places, and could theoretically do it.

But then maybe they’re lacking this extra region of the brain or they’re actually missing this extra space.

So we have, compared to other primates, humans have flatter, less projecting faces.

We have a shorter oral cavity.

And we have a longer pharyngeal cavity.

That’s what contains the voice box.

And so our tongue sits in a different place.

And we can do more exact stuff with our tongues that make all this micro-articulation possible.

Oh yeah, and our larynx is just a little lower than the neck.

So it’s all this actual physical stuff we’re not even talking about necessarily, even the brain yet.

The Barocas region and other stuff in there.

So we’ve got this setup for producing these clear vowels and consonants,

And the lips and jaws are part of this, and super fine, super fine articulation.

But, as you said, the cost is that in these stupid little bodies,

As Radio Lab put it, is that food and air pass each other in the same channel,

In our heads, in our necks.

And so the same passage that the air comes through to breathe and to talk is right next to the one where the food passes.

So, yeah, it absolutely does make it easier for us to choke.

Wow. Yeah, thanks. That’s a great answer. I got more things to look at.

Yeah.

More books to read.

The world is filled with knowledge and lots of people who just want to tell you things.

I’m ready for it. I’m ready for it.

We’ll link to that book and the Radiolab episode on our website.

But thank you, André, so much for calling us about this.

Thank you very much.

You guys take care now.

Take care.

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