The Scientists Learning to Speak Whale

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April 29, 2024 a project of ServiceSpace There's a time for words and a time for silence. If you're listening, you'll hear the difference. - Yasmin Mogahed - The Scientists Learning to Speak Whale Two research initiatives -- Cetacean Translation Initiative (CETI) and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) -- are exploring not only what it means to collect data on how  whales communicate, but to listen and understand  what they are saying. Listening to whales ends up reflecting much more about humans, than anticipated: it highlights our relationship not only to another species, but to technology including the technology of our own language. While we have intentions of using the technology for good, including inviting better stewardship of our shared planet, the opportunity to use the technology to hunt with greater efficiency tempers the researchers’ hubris. “We should probably do more listening, and less talking," is one way to responsibly use the technology says Samantha Blakeman, a marine data manager for the National Oceanography Centre. More listening, less talking is a prevailing theme across both initiatives, and the nature of their work a testament to what is available when listening is practiced: “This is such a unique, gentle creature, and there's just so much going on. Each time we look, we find deeper complexity and structure in their communication.” This complexity allows whales to ‘see’ their world in a way research is just beginning to understand. { read more } Be The Change Find 15 minutes. Close your eyes (or even wear a mask). Attune your ears. Note the sounds around you. Move from those closest to you, toward your body, your breath. Now use your ears to reach for those farthest away. Release the concentration on the sounds themselves, and let the sound waves blend together into a symphony of vibration. COMMENT | RATE             DailyGood is a volunteer-run initiative that delivers "good news" to 152,318 subscribers. There are many ways to help. To unsubscribe, click here. Other ServiceSpace projects include: KindSpring  //  KarmaTube  //  Conversations  //  Awakin  //  More