A Hazardous Gift

        As I dive more into the complex world of linguistics it occurs to me that I have taken for-granted the fact that I can choke on food. That last sentence may sound absurd and you may now have the question; why would the scientific study of language make me start to appreciate a potential hazard to my life? Well the fact is choking is caused by our larynx  being placed further back in our throats, making contact between our esophagi and airways possible. This contact also gives humans the great gift of sophisticated and well articulated speech. Unfortunately, unlike our pet cats, this makes it impossible for humans to breathe and swallow at the same time. Don't let that get you down though because remember you can speak and your cat cannot. 

[Sources: (The Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson pg.21-22)(Lecture Notes Linguistics by Ed Stabler)]