I am a cognitive scientist and philosopher.

Humans are similar to other great apes in many ways. Yet the few differences that do exist combine to generate social and cultural systems: Languages, symbols, technologies, institutions, democracies and more. How and why does this happen? And why humans? These are the big questions that shape my research, teaching and thinking.

I have a particular focus on the evolution of communication and languages.

I am based at the Institute for Logic, Cognition, Language & Information, in San Sebastian. I have a permanent research fellowship funded by Ikerbasque, the Basque Foundation for Science.

I am an associate member of the Centre for Language Evolution at University of Edinburgh; and of the Social Mind Center at Central European University.

When not at work I dance the lindy hop.

I write an occasional substack newsletter, Ideas Big & Simple. Short essays on big ideas. Read and subscribe here.