Edward Gibson

And the reasoning is like, that's bad reasoning. I'm pretty sure if you asked a whale what we're saying, they'd say, well, I'm making a bunch of weird noises. Exactly. And so it's like, this is a very odd reasoning to be making that human language is special because we're the only ones who have human language.

And the reasoning is like, that's bad reasoning. I'm pretty sure if you asked a whale what we're saying, they'd say, well, I'm making a bunch of weird noises. Exactly. And so it's like, this is a very odd reasoning to be making that human language is special because we're the only ones who have human language.

And the reasoning is like, that's bad reasoning. I'm pretty sure if you asked a whale what we're saying, they'd say, well, I'm making a bunch of weird noises. Exactly. And so it's like, this is a very odd reasoning to be making that human language is special because we're the only ones who have human language.

I'm like, well, we don't know what those other, we just don't, we can't talk to them yet. And so there are probably a signal in there and it might very well be. something complicated like human language.

I'm like, well, we don't know what those other, we just don't, we can't talk to them yet. And so there are probably a signal in there and it might very well be. something complicated like human language.

I'm like, well, we don't know what those other, we just don't, we can't talk to them yet. And so there are probably a signal in there and it might very well be. something complicated like human language.

I mean, sure, with a small brain in lower species, there's probably not a very good communication system, but in these higher species where you have what seems to be abilities to communicate something, there might very well be a lot more signal there than we might have otherwise thought.

I mean, sure, with a small brain in lower species, there's probably not a very good communication system, but in these higher species where you have what seems to be abilities to communicate something, there might very well be a lot more signal there than we might have otherwise thought.

I mean, sure, with a small brain in lower species, there's probably not a very good communication system, but in these higher species where you have what seems to be abilities to communicate something, there might very well be a lot more signal there than we might have otherwise thought.

Well, I mean, I think some of them are not going to have much interesting to say, but some of them will. We don't know. We certainly don't know.

Well, I mean, I think some of them are not going to have much interesting to say, but some of them will. We don't know. We certainly don't know.

Well, I mean, I think some of them are not going to have much interesting to say, but some of them will. We don't know. We certainly don't know.

Well, they're probably talking to other trees, right? They're not talking to us. And so to the extent they're talking, they're saying something interesting to some other, you know, conspecific as opposed to us, right? Yeah. And so there may be some signal there.

Well, they're probably talking to other trees, right? They're not talking to us. And so to the extent they're talking, they're saying something interesting to some other, you know, conspecific as opposed to us, right? Yeah. And so there may be some signal there.

Well, they're probably talking to other trees, right? They're not talking to us. And so to the extent they're talking, they're saying something interesting to some other, you know, conspecific as opposed to us, right? Yeah. And so there may be some signal there.

So there are people out there... Actually, it's pretty common to say that human language is special and different from any other animal communication system. And I just don't think the evidence is there for that claim. I think it's not obvious... We just don't know, because we don't speak these other communication systems until we get better.

So there are people out there... Actually, it's pretty common to say that human language is special and different from any other animal communication system. And I just don't think the evidence is there for that claim. I think it's not obvious... We just don't know, because we don't speak these other communication systems until we get better.

So there are people out there... Actually, it's pretty common to say that human language is special and different from any other animal communication system. And I just don't think the evidence is there for that claim. I think it's not obvious... We just don't know, because we don't speak these other communication systems until we get better.

I do think there are people working on that, as you pointed out, people working on whale speak, for instance. That's really fascinating.

I do think there are people working on that, as you pointed out, people working on whale speak, for instance. That's really fascinating.