Scientists have a 20-minute “conversation” with a humpback whale named TwainByEric RallsEarth.com staff writerIn an unprecedented encounter, a research team successfully engaged in a “conversation” with a humpback whale named Twain.
Source: Scientists have a 20-minute “conversation” with a humpback whale • Earth.com
In a remarkable experiment by Whale-SETI, involving researchers from the SETI Institute, UC Davis, and the Alaska Whale Foundation, a humpback whale named Twain was engaged in what resembled a conversation using bioacoustic playback techniques. By broadcasting a specific “contact” call into the ocean, scientists were met with Twain’s curious and interactive response, demonstrating a significant breakthrough in interspecies communication. This encounter not only sheds light on the sophisticated communication of humpback whales but also parallels the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, suggesting that intelligent beings, terrestrial or not, might be inclined to communicate. This pioneering study, published in Peer J, marks a novel step in understanding both terrestrial and potential extraterrestrial intelligence.