"Speaking feels like the most natural thing in the world. You think a thought, open your mouth, and words tumble out in perfect sequence. Yet this apparent simplicity masks one of the most remarkable feats your brain performs daily. Consider this: An 18-month-old can form words reasonably well but won't master toilet training for another year. Meanwhile, our closest evolutionary relatives—despite their intelligence and dexterity—cannot speak at all. This is not because their mouth is anatomically incapable of speech, it's because speech is difficult to coordinate, and apes lack the brain networks to do it. How, then, does our brain enable speech?

This question has fascinated neuroscientists for decades. My own contribution to the problem started with a serendipitous finding: A tiny blip of brain activity showed up in an unexpected place during a seemingly simple task, and it led me to a revolutionary theory that bridges two previously separate scientific worlds."

Continue reading: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/wired-for-words/202509/how-your-brain-conducts-the-symphony-of-speech