Biologist Mark Pagel shares an intriguing theory about why humans evolved our complex system of language. He suggests that language is a piece of “social technology” that allowed early human tribes to access a powerful new tool: cooperation. (Recorded at TEDGlobal 2011, July 2011)

Here's my impression: Mark has a knack for showings us the importance that language had on our development, both as a species and from a societal  point of view.