Words and language appear to be a uniquely human characteristic. We have no evidence that other species use names to identify things. Rather their understanding of the world is based primarily on sensory recognition, on colour, light, sound and smell.

Perhaps though, humanity is now beginning to move away from language. Think of those people on Facebook who you identify through their profile picture rather than their names. Sometimes you might even recall the image but struggle to remember the name of the person. And then there is the mass of information that can be conveyed in an advertising image.

Our evolution may takes us to a stage where we cease to perceive the world through language but through understandings of our senses we could not previously have imagined. But then would we need names at all?

Damian Mark Whittle