Problems in general are often well posed in terms of language and language remains a handy tool for explaining them. But the actual process of thinking—in any discipline—is largely an unconscious affair. Language can be used to sum up some point at which one has arrived—a sort of milepost—so as to gain a fresh starting point. But if you believe that you actually use language in the solving of problems I wish that you would write to me and tell me how you go about it.
Then he goes ahead to explain how language probably happened - a fascinating story, I hadn't heard before.
I have experienced language loss personally. I was running in a wilderness area, when all of a sudden, my legs stopped working, and splat I fell face down on the ground. I managed to throw up my arms to protect my face, and they were badly scratched, and my glasses were broken. Two young men, riding their bicycles, saw me fall, and rode off to notify the park ranger.
But I managed to get to my feet again, and staggered off towards the trailhead. I could hear a fire engine coming to meet me. They are the first respondents to any emergency in California, They gave me some oxygen, that made me feel better. Then an ambulance showed up, and took me to the nearest hospital.
By the time I got there, I could not talk - only make strange noises. I lost conscious, and when I woke up, the next morning - I was tied down in hospital bed. Being without language is a frustrating experience! I could not explain to myself, what had happened to me. But gradually I recovered, could talk, and I was released from the hospital.
I had a TIA (Temporary Ischemic Attack) where the blood supply is lost to some part of the brain. If blood is returned less than 24 hours later, no permanent damage occurs.
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