Scientists Have Reported a Breakthrough In Understanding Whale Language (www.vice.com)
from L4s@lemmy.world to technology@lemmy.world on 08 Dec 2023 22:00
https://lemmy.world/post/9325765

Scientists Have Reported a Breakthrough In Understanding Whale Language::Researchers have identified new elements of whale vocalizations that they propose are analogous to human speech, including vowels and pitch.

#technology

threaded - newest

deegeese@sopuli.xyz on 08 Dec 2023 22:03 next collapse

Sokath, his eyes uncovered.

tabular@lemmy.world on 08 Dec 2023 22:41 next collapse

Temba. His arms wide.

deegeese@sopuli.xyz on 08 Dec 2023 22:45 collapse

Kadir beneath Mo Moteh.

EdibleFriend@lemmy.world on 08 Dec 2023 22:56 collapse

I’m too drunk to taste this chicken

FrostyTrichs@lemmy.world on 09 Dec 2023 00:52 collapse

THERE ARE FOUR LIGHTS!!!

lethargic_lemming@lemmy.world on 09 Dec 2023 01:01 next collapse

what does this reference

deegeese@sopuli.xyz on 09 Dec 2023 01:05 collapse

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darmok

JustZ@lemmy.world on 09 Dec 2023 12:48 collapse

It’s such a good commentary on language, how we understand it.

SkybreakerEngineer@lemmy.world on 09 Dec 2023 04:01 collapse

Will and Gracie, in the tank.

Chekov, finding Alameeda

thejml@lemm.ee on 08 Dec 2023 22:08 next collapse

“I wish I could speak whale!” - Dory

cheese_greater@lemmy.world on 08 Dec 2023 22:24 collapse

Oooooooookayyyyyyy

balder1991@lemmy.world on 08 Dec 2023 22:18 next collapse

Not only did the AI predict elements of whale vocalizations already thought to be meaningful, such as clicks, but it also singled out acoustic properties.

This is an amazing use of machine learning models.

SuckMyWang@lemmy.world on 08 Dec 2023 22:54 next collapse

Can’t wait for them to tell us to stop being fuckheads and ruining the planet

bionicjoey@lemmy.ca on 08 Dec 2023 23:13 next collapse

“So long and thanks for all the fish”

umbrella@lemmy.ml on 09 Dec 2023 04:10 next collapse

“end capitalism”

voluble@lemmy.world on 09 Dec 2023 04:36 next collapse

NOC’s vocalizations were recorded and studied by a team of biologists from the National Marine Mammal Foundation (NMMF) led by Sam Ridgway. In 1984, Ridgway and others at the NMMF began to hear peculiar sounds coming from the whale and dolphin enclosure. They were reminiscent of two people talking in the distance, the words just beyond the limit of comprehension.[5] Later, a diver working in the enclosure came to the surface after he heard someone cry “out, out, out!”[1] After he asked his colleagues “Who told me to get out?”, they realized it had been NOC.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NOC_(whale)

JustZ@lemmy.world on 09 Dec 2023 12:55 collapse

That was a trip.

BestBouclettes@jlai.lu on 09 Dec 2023 10:48 collapse

“the whales are communists, kill them all”

umbrella@lemmy.ml on 09 Dec 2023 17:08 collapse

we already are lol

LillyPip@lemmy.ca on 09 Dec 2023 16:14 collapse
SkyeStarfall@lemmy.blahaj.zone on 09 Dec 2023 03:33 collapse

Imagine if we managed to make a translator for the speech of an animal, knowing what they say and being able to say something back. Literally speaking with animals. That would have been so amazing and revolutionizing.

MyDogLovesMe@lemmy.world on 09 Dec 2023 04:26 next collapse

Honestly? We’d just fuck it all up, and find some way to exploit it.

If they could, the first words they speak to us would likely be akin to “Fuck you!”, or “Just what the fuck exactly is wrong with you people?”

Haggunenons@lemmy.world on 09 Dec 2023 12:03 next collapse

Yeah, exploitation like this is a big concern in the digital bioacoustics community with groups like Earth Species Project.

JustZ@lemmy.world on 09 Dec 2023 12:51 collapse

You saying this group is good or bad? It would certainly be transformative to hear what the animals are saying, an ancient fantasy of humankind, magic.

Haggunenons@lemmy.world on 09 Dec 2023 13:29 collapse

So far as I know they are great, I mean it is a concern of theirs. They do some cool stuff, they have a fairly active discord with quite a bit in it.

CarbonIceDragon@pawb.social on 09 Dec 2023 15:10 collapse

I mean, would animals necessarily make a distinction between humans and other types of predatory or dangerous animal, understand exactly what our impact on their habitat actually is (something like warming temperatures would be hard to associate with us if you didn’t know about human co2 emissions or the greenhouse effect, for instance), and understand that our technology is an extension of our control and not some other, strange symbiotic creature? Considering whales have no technology of their own and therefore probably very little understanding of the concept, they might not realize things like ships and fishing boats are entirely our doing and not some massive surface creature that eats all the fish, that land dwelling creatures like us live on top of like barnacles. And assuming they do understand what our ships are, they might hate or fear us from passed down stories of whalers, or encounters with those whaling ships that still exist, but would they think of us much differently than how they’d think of other predators to whales, like orcas?

Meowoem@sh.itjust.works on 09 Dec 2023 17:35 collapse

They might think the boats have trapped us like they trap whales and fish, they probably want to team up against the menace

Haggunenons@lemmy.world on 09 Dec 2023 11:59 next collapse

Here is an elephant translator:

www.helloinelephant.com

I dont think its great or anything, a bit of a gimmick. Really, the most decoded animal language is probably prairie dogs, but I’ve not heard of anyone trying to make a translator for it.

Yearly1845@reddthat.com on 09 Dec 2023 15:31 collapse

“Do you think the human chattering means anything?”

First translation

just_another_person@lemmy.world on 08 Dec 2023 22:25 next collapse

So just fucking say what it is! We know they’re intelligent. Just tell us how they all think we’re running the planet.

KnightontheSun@lemmy.world on 08 Dec 2023 22:29 next collapse

They’ve already dispatched Orcas to send that message. We don’t seem to be getting it.

CarbonIceDragon@pawb.social on 08 Dec 2023 22:44 next collapse

Realistically, other whales would probably hate orcas, given they hunt whale calves

KnightontheSun@lemmy.world on 08 Dec 2023 22:45 collapse

This statement does not fit my joke.

How can I delete someone else’s comment?

NocturnalMorning@lemmy.world on 08 Dec 2023 22:55 next collapse

You have to type your password into a comment, post it, and then hop on one leg while refreshing lemmy for 10 minutes. After that, it should delete the user’s comment.

KnightontheSun@lemmy.world on 08 Dec 2023 23:03 next collapse

hunter2

KnightontheSun@lemmy.world on 08 Dec 2023 23:17 collapse

I think I’m doing something wrong. Does it matter which leg I hop on? Does it have to be mine???

NocturnalMorning@lemmy.world on 09 Dec 2023 03:22 collapse

Yes, and no.

crandlecan@mander.xyz on 08 Dec 2023 22:58 collapse

Write a stern letter to the Internet Committee, explaining your grievances. I’m sure they are happy to assist, especially on cases like this one! 👍

KnightontheSun@lemmy.world on 08 Dec 2023 23:04 collapse

Thank you. Will they raise the issue with the Lords of the Internet???

crandlecan@mander.xyz on 09 Dec 2023 09:12 next collapse

I wouldn’t go THAT far! Before you know it backfires 🤢

Emma_Gold_Man@lemmy.dbzer0.com on 09 Dec 2023 13:43 collapse

No, they’ll need to raise it with the Elders if the Internet.

KnightontheSun@lemmy.world on 09 Dec 2023 16:44 collapse

Oh shoot! I got it wrong. lol. Thanks for setting me straight! The Elders won’t be pleased with me.

[deleted] on 08 Dec 2023 23:02 collapse

.

Meowoem@sh.itjust.works on 09 Dec 2023 17:38 collapse

I don’t understand? Is this a weird joke about women being attracted to violent guys or something?

TransplantedSconie@lemm.ee on 08 Dec 2023 22:30 collapse

“Yoooooooouuuuuuuu guuuuuuuuuuyyyyyyysssss reallllllllllllyyyyyyy suuuuuuuuuuuuccccccckkkkkk. Exccccceeeept Garrrrrrryyyyyyy. Heeeee’sssss niiiiicccceeeeeeeeeooooooooo.” -The Whales probably.

just_another_person@lemmy.world on 08 Dec 2023 23:03 collapse

It certainly worked for you.

dhork@lemmy.world on 08 Dec 2023 22:36 next collapse

“So Long, and thanks for all the fish”

Haggunenons@lemmy.world on 09 Dec 2023 00:17 next collapse

This is big news! We’ve got a lemmy community specifically about Digital Bioacoustics (technology and animal communication) for anyone interested.

!digitalbioacoustics@lemmy.world

Https://Lemmy.world/c/digitalbioacoustics

agitatedpotato@lemmy.world on 09 Dec 2023 00:44 next collapse

Hell yeah, I hope it works for orcas too so I can thank the ones that have been trashing the yachts.

Thcdenton@lemmy.world on 09 Dec 2023 03:57 next collapse

I’m learning how to sail right now. It would be great to have that sorted out before I make my way by Gibraltar.

And009@lemmynsfw.com on 09 Dec 2023 05:00 next collapse

Follow the stars and don’t look down

JustZ@lemmy.world on 09 Dec 2023 12:44 next collapse

Huge rock, can’t miss it.

childOfMagenta@lemm.ee on 09 Dec 2023 13:44 collapse

Don’t blast heavy metal.

dylanmorgan@slrpnk.net on 09 Dec 2023 05:20 collapse

How do I say “I support my seafaring cetacean brethren” in Orca?

anon6789@lemmy.world on 09 Dec 2023 02:51 next collapse

This was my favorite episode of Extrapolations!

EP 2: 2046 - Whale Fall staring Meryl Streep

andxz@lemmy.world on 09 Dec 2023 21:31 collapse

One of mine too. It’s a little scary seeing the things they got right so far.

anon6789@lemmy.world on 09 Dec 2023 21:38 collapse

It wasn’t a great show and I didn’t binge watch it, but I’m glad I ignored all the hate about it I read eventually. I really liked the drone defection plotline and the whale episode I feel is up there with some of the best Black Mirror stuff.

There was very much morale ambiguity of the “good” characters as well, it wasn’t all pro-environmentalist guys are all heroes, there was definitely eco-terrorism.

andxz@lemmy.world on 10 Dec 2023 16:48 collapse

I agree, it had its ups and downs, but on the whole it made me contemplate on things from many perspectives, and I think (and hope) that that was ultimately the goal of the creators as well. It certainly seemed to be.

Very few things I’ve watched have given me the same …vibe, so to speak. I have been to India and that episode felt very … authentic, for a lack of a better word.

In my opinion it’s a bit sad it didn’t get all that much recognition, but it also wasn’t the easiest series to watch at times.

anon6789@lemmy.world on 10 Dec 2023 17:03 collapse

Seeing the story play out over the span of a few decades really hit home about how long we’ve let this stuff go on already and how long it can take for people to change views and seek justice. We just need to do all we can and keep trying to set the example.

Being the main contributor of !superbowl@lemmy.world, my feeds get full of environmental destruction and habitat and species loss, and it’s tough to filter through all that every day looking for positive stories.

andxz@lemmy.world on 10 Dec 2023 17:48 collapse

I agree there too. Finding the fine line between staying informed and going nuts from all the negative stuff has forced me to step back at times, just for the sake of staying sane.

KingThrillgore@lemmy.ml on 09 Dec 2023 04:48 next collapse

What they’re saying is: “All shall perish” as they proceed to kill people and smash yachts.

NOT_RICK@lemmy.world on 09 Dec 2023 05:32 next collapse

That’d be really metal

Ghostalmedia@lemmy.world on 09 Dec 2023 16:28 collapse

More of a yacht rock thing.

GBU_28@lemm.ee on 09 Dec 2023 06:03 collapse

Flippity floppity y’all on my property

ExLisper@linux.community on 09 Dec 2023 11:17 next collapse

They probably have nothing interesting to say anyway. After a year or two all the scientists will be like “I fucking know you like krill, whale. Shut the fuck up about the krill already”.

Spacehooks@reddthat.com on 09 Dec 2023 13:12 next collapse

I kind of still want to know what I’m sleeping to.

Cqrd@lemmy.dbzer0.com on 09 Dec 2023 13:18 collapse

Horny whale noises

Poem_for_your_sprog@lemmy.world on 09 Dec 2023 14:02 collapse

“Can I try putting it in your blowhole this time?”

Dkarma@lemmy.world on 09 Dec 2023 15:29 collapse

No Frank, idw Whale cum in my lung again.

lolcatnip@reddthat.com on 09 Dec 2023 17:28 collapse

To a whale, whale cum is just regular cum.

HerbalGamer@sh.itjust.works on 09 Dec 2023 17:38 collapse

Inspirational Quote Of The Day

FrostyCaveman@lemm.ee on 09 Dec 2023 22:22 collapse

/subscribe

FlyingSquid@lemmy.world on 09 Dec 2023 14:58 collapse

[Arthur Dent] learned to communicate with birds and discovered that their conversation was fantastically boring. It was all to do with wind speed, wingspans, power-to-weight ratios, and a fair bit about berries.

– Douglas Adams, 'Life, the Universe, and Everything.

FlyingSquid@lemmy.world on 09 Dec 2023 12:56 next collapse

So what I’m hearing is they can literally talk to each other in a way that we do and we still kill them constantly.

theherk@lemmy.world on 09 Dec 2023 14:54 collapse

We kill humans constantly too, and we probably obliterated the rest of the hominins also. I’m just saying we have a chequered track record.

FlyingSquid@lemmy.world on 09 Dec 2023 14:59 next collapse

I guess, but it feels to me like wiping out a species close to our intelligence is worse that killing each other.

pigup@lemmy.world on 09 Dec 2023 15:25 next collapse

I share this understanding with you and this is why I say that AI will absolutely kill us because that is what we would do. It’s trained on our data afterall.

lolcatnip@reddthat.com on 09 Dec 2023 17:27 collapse

Are we the baddies?

theherk@lemmy.world on 09 Dec 2023 18:03 collapse

While I always love a Mitchell and Webb reference, I can say I don’t think so. I think the book Humanity by Rutger Bregman is a good reminder that we are mostly good.

SoleInvictus@lemmy.world on 09 Dec 2023 19:17 next collapse

Agreed. It’s just that it’s really easy for a small amount of people to do a lot of bad things. It’s hard to maintain, harder to build, and easy to destroy.

whoisearth@lemmy.ca on 10 Dec 2023 13:35 next collapse

However take in context that it’s written by a human. Of course we will say we’re mostly good. If Pol Pot wrote a book about Pol Pot he’d probably say he was mostly good too.

theherk@lemmy.world on 10 Dec 2023 13:45 collapse

Well believe it or not the book isn’t one page whose entire contents read “We’re good”. It is a whole well reasoned length of prose supporting that with reason.

whoisearth@lemmy.ca on 10 Dec 2023 13:51 collapse

I understand but it’s written by us lol. Not that any other creature can write a book but consider the absurdity for a moment. We are saying we’re mostly good.

pacific@lemmy.world on 10 Dec 2023 18:19 collapse

Is this you?

<img alt="" src="https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/f2957722-2699-4d7b-8013-425c16164cd1.jpeg">

theherk@lemmy.world on 10 Dec 2023 19:42 collapse

Yep. Back left, trying hard not to sexualize Annie.

Spacehooks@reddthat.com on 09 Dec 2023 13:15 next collapse

Soooo this totally not going to go wrong by the military or a mad scientist?
I feel like I saw this movie.

rob_t_firefly@lemmy.world on 09 Dec 2023 13:51 next collapse

Gracie is pregnant.

FlyingSquid@lemmy.world on 09 Dec 2023 14:56 next collapse

Uh-oh. Risa’s leaking again.

RalphFurley@lemmy.world on 09 Dec 2023 16:45 next collapse

They’re still using money. We’ve got to get some.

hakunawazo@lemmy.world on 09 Dec 2023 18:58 next collapse

Alameda… Nuclear vessels.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=sf8rDpu1vCk&amp;t=1m14s

PipedLinkBot@feddit.rocks on 09 Dec 2023 18:58 next collapse

Here is an alternative Piped link(s):

https://www.piped.video/watch?v=sf8rDpu1vCk&t=1m14s

Piped is a privacy-respecting open-source alternative frontend to YouTube.

I’m open-source; check me out at GitHub.

trackindakraken@lemmy.whynotdrs.org on 10 Dec 2023 00:10 collapse

“Wessles.” FTFY

Olhonestjim@lemmy.world on 10 Dec 2023 01:15 collapse

How did you know Gracie’s pregnant? Nobody knows that!

rob_t_firefly@lemmy.world on 11 Dec 2023 03:52 collapse

Gracie does.

littlebluespark@lemmy.world on 09 Dec 2023 18:25 next collapse

Oooh, look! The translation’s coming through!!

Thanks… for… all… the…

For what? Thanks for all the what?!

hakunawazo@lemmy.world on 09 Dec 2023 18:43 next collapse

Obama?

littlebluespark@lemmy.world on 10 Dec 2023 11:08 collapse

Fuck, you people are everywhere, hunh?

hakunawazo@lemmy.world on 10 Dec 2023 12:16 collapse

<img alt="" src="https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/1456f952-4e13-4f87-908a-d5b4035ad44e.jpeg">

69420@lemmy.world on 09 Dec 2023 18:53 next collapse

Ovaltine

m3t00@lemmy.world on 09 Dec 2023 23:25 next collapse

<img alt="" src="https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/60e2b77b-b554-4f40-ae31-d8e27cf9fefc.jpeg">

Zozano@aussie.zone on 10 Dec 2023 13:11 next collapse

Fish

JoJoGAH@lemmy.world on 10 Dec 2023 18:55 collapse

This is what I came here for

AWittyUsername@lemmy.world on 09 Dec 2023 19:11 next collapse

My Avatar whale dream might actually become a reality

Tikiporch@lemmy.world on 09 Dec 2023 22:00 next collapse

“Who turned up the heat?”

aidan@lemmy.world on 10 Dec 2023 11:40 next collapse

If complete mutually intelligible communication of complex ideas with another species is undeniably proven, that will be a massive boon for veganism(although of course not all animals are equal), and a legal quagmire. What do you do if they are suffering in ways that we can fix due to their environment? Like humans were, and then we changed our environment. Do you give whales weapons so they can defend themselves from orcas? Do you shoot whale pochers? Do you shoot orcas attacking whales? Do you farm krill for them to eat? Do you drastically alter the ocean surface to be more comfortable for whales?

After all, most people recognize it as good to alter a person’s natural state(hunting and gathering from caves) for the better, so would that not be the same for animals that are considered essentially people or near-people?

iegod@lemm.ee on 10 Dec 2023 11:45 next collapse

We don’t even treat other humans on earth with dignity and respect and you think anything will change for whales as drastically as you propose? Maybe I’m mega jaded but I see this having little impact.

Linkerbaan@lemmy.world on 10 Dec 2023 14:44 next collapse

Nobody said anything about complex ideas. Maybe they just said. “food here”

Speaking to animals would be cool but I doubt they’d have much to share other than basic instincts.

aidan@lemmy.world on 10 Dec 2023 15:01 collapse

Nobody said anything about complex ideas.

Well actually having a language allows way more complex ideas than ever communicated with an animal before

Dazawassa@programming.dev on 10 Dec 2023 14:44 next collapse

Last time I checked you don’t eat abstract linguistic concepts.

pinkdrunkenelephants@lemmy.world on 10 Dec 2023 17:25 collapse

Abstract linguistic concepts ensure you can eat.

schmorpel@slrpnk.net on 26 Dec 2023 18:23 collapse

What is this idea about not eating non-humans I communicate with. I speak with my plants too and they entertain complex thought. Do I have to stop eating them? There is nothing out there that isn’t a person. Continue eating as you see fit and be kind to the living.

aidan@lemmy.world on 14 Jan 2024 11:51 collapse

Speaking to something doesn’t mean it understands and reacts to it.

schmorpel@slrpnk.net on 15 Jan 2024 09:17 collapse

Speaking is an act of changing reality, always. If you want to go as far as calling this ‘speaking to’ is up to you.

SpezBroughtMeHere@lemmy.world on 10 Dec 2023 14:56 next collapse

They been talking to Dory?

paddirn@lemmy.world on 10 Dec 2023 18:15 collapse

Just in time for them to go extinct. It’ll be helpful in a few hundred years though when we need to travel back in time again.