Gabra Zachman

In 1980, a New York Academy of Science conference was held with the mocking purpose of declaring animal language endeavors a failure and the scientists frauds. The excitement and funding flamed out as spectacularly as it began. Nim finished his life in a cage at an animal refuge. Animal language studies acquired an unshakable odor of malfeasance and scientific malpractice.

In 1980, a New York Academy of Science conference was held with the mocking purpose of declaring animal language endeavors a failure and the scientists frauds. The excitement and funding flamed out as spectacularly as it began. Nim finished his life in a cage at an animal refuge. Animal language studies acquired an unshakable odor of malfeasance and scientific malpractice.

In 2019, Federico Rosano, an associate professor of cognitive science at the University of California, San Diego, got an email from a colleague suggesting someone they might invite to give a talk to the department. In it was a news article about Christina Hunger and Stella.

In 2019, Federico Rosano, an associate professor of cognitive science at the University of California, San Diego, got an email from a colleague suggesting someone they might invite to give a talk to the department. In it was a news article about Christina Hunger and Stella.

Mixed feelings about this, Rosano replied, attaching a book chapter he used in his classes titled, What Did We Learn from the Ape Language Studies? The answer, not a lot. But by the following summer, the pandemic had halted Rosano's research on how chimps communicate to share food and how human children make requests.

Mixed feelings about this, Rosano replied, attaching a book chapter he used in his classes titled, What Did We Learn from the Ape Language Studies? The answer, not a lot. But by the following summer, the pandemic had halted Rosano's research on how chimps communicate to share food and how human children make requests.

Leo Trottier, a former cognitive science PhD student at UCSD who left the program to found a company that makes game consoles for dogs and recently started the fluent pet recordable button brand with Divine, reached out to pitch a study about the buttons. He said he knew of more than a thousand pet owners who would be willing to participate.

Leo Trottier, a former cognitive science PhD student at UCSD who left the program to found a company that makes game consoles for dogs and recently started the fluent pet recordable button brand with Divine, reached out to pitch a study about the buttons. He said he knew of more than a thousand pet owners who would be willing to participate.

Despite his initial hesitation, Rosano saw that this was a unique opportunity to circumvent COVID restrictions and conduct a citizen science study from the participants' homes.

Despite his initial hesitation, Rosano saw that this was a unique opportunity to circumvent COVID restrictions and conduct a citizen science study from the participants' homes.

Because the study would not rely on a single animal trained by researchers in a lab, but rather on thousands of animals living their normal lives, it was less likely to suffer from the problems and ethical lapses that afflicted past animal language studies. The field of animal behavior, also known as ethology, had itself transformed since 1980, when the term animal cognition was barely used.

Because the study would not rely on a single animal trained by researchers in a lab, but rather on thousands of animals living their normal lives, it was less likely to suffer from the problems and ethical lapses that afflicted past animal language studies. The field of animal behavior, also known as ethology, had itself transformed since 1980, when the term animal cognition was barely used.

It is now known that primates, despite being our closest genetic relatives, are not all that good at understanding humans, while dogs and cats get us more easily. Research suggests that dogs, which have coevolved with humans over the past 18,000 to 32,000 years, might in fact be the ideal species with which to study two-way communication.

It is now known that primates, despite being our closest genetic relatives, are not all that good at understanding humans, while dogs and cats get us more easily. Research suggests that dogs, which have coevolved with humans over the past 18,000 to 32,000 years, might in fact be the ideal species with which to study two-way communication.

They were the first domesticated animals, and very likely the first that listened to us talk. When dogs hear human speech, their brains light up with interest. They look where we point. They recognize our facial expressions. They mirror our anxiety. In the buttons, Rosano saw an opportunity to learn what else they could do. But he was cautious.

They were the first domesticated animals, and very likely the first that listened to us talk. When dogs hear human speech, their brains light up with interest. They look where we point. They recognize our facial expressions. They mirror our anxiety. In the buttons, Rosano saw an opportunity to learn what else they could do. But he was cautious.

I did not want to destroy my academic career, to be very honest, he told me. The study that Rossano and his team began in 2020 is the largest animal communication study ever tried, with 10,000 dogs and cats in almost 50 countries around the world. It has proved hugely popular with the public, and much less so with other scientists. When I talked with Rossano in July, he had a beleaguered air.

I did not want to destroy my academic career, to be very honest, he told me. The study that Rossano and his team began in 2020 is the largest animal communication study ever tried, with 10,000 dogs and cats in almost 50 countries around the world. It has proved hugely popular with the public, and much less so with other scientists. When I talked with Rossano in July, he had a beleaguered air.

His second paper on the buttons was about to come out, but the path to publication had been slow and onerous. For the past two years, his papers were consistently rejected or not even considered for review. It felt like gatekeeping. Earlier that day, another scientist asked him, are you the person responsible for my wife wasting my time with clips of dogs?

His second paper on the buttons was about to come out, but the path to publication had been slow and onerous. For the past two years, his papers were consistently rejected or not even considered for review. It felt like gatekeeping. Earlier that day, another scientist asked him, are you the person responsible for my wife wasting my time with clips of dogs?