Could be that they are simply responding to different ways of pronouncing vowels? This is something most ESL speakers have problems with, for example. I.e. the "o" sound in "love" is somewhere between the Russian "o" and "a", and "a" sound in "land" is somewhere between the Russian "a" and "э". English speakers are attuned to such minute differences. Russian speakers are not, which is why if you ask them to pronounce the word "fax", they'll pronounce it as "fucks". :-)
Crows’ ability to discriminate between languages
11–20 of 54 posts
Re: Crows’ ability to discriminate between languages
#12This discussion on crow vocalizations linked in the blog post was a bit more interesting to me: https://corvidresearch.blog/2019/03/14/crow-vocalizations-pa... Demonstrates how little we know! Our inability to understand the relatively-simpler communication of other life on earth generally makes me think we would fail spectacularly if we ever meet aliens...
There was a movie where the aliens patiently let humans try to devise a way to teach a way to communicate, but they were teaching the humans a superior way of communicating the whole time. Would be a spoiler if I said the movie name and you hadn't seen it. I wouldn't be surprised if various domestic and cohabiting animals feel that way about us. A lot of what we do is built around verbal nuance but isn't really neces…
Please post the spoiler in a few days, I have no idea but want to watch this.
Re: Crows’ ability to discriminate between languages
#13The Onion's take on crows research: https://www.theonion.com/researchers-find-crows-smart-enough... "Researchers Find Crows Smart Enough Not To Let On How Smart They Really Are"
I do believe that article should be about lab rats.
Re: Crows’ ability to discriminate between languages
#14Between the zoonotic origins of covid (and just epidemiology generally) and the book “are we smart enough to know how smart animals are” by Franz de Waal I’m really resetting my understanding of life. Animals are just way way smarter than we give them credit for - not the least because of eons of telling ourselves we’re the living beings and they’re the automatons (seriously, go read how Descartes wrote about them). We’re also clearly made of largely similar systems and “parts” since bugs are capable of going between different organisms. Like getting viruses from bats or pangolins or chickens or ferrets to humans. The “software” and “hardware” must all be similar enough for us to a little more humility.
Re: Crows’ ability to discriminate between languages
#15Earlier quoted context omitted.
There was a movie where the aliens patiently let humans try to devise a way to teach a way to communicate, but they were teaching the humans a superior way of communicating the whole time. Would be a spoiler if I said the movie name and you hadn't seen it. I wouldn't be surprised if various domestic and cohabiting animals feel that way about us. A lot of what we do is built around verbal nuance but isn't really neces…
Please post the spoiler in a few days, I have no idea but want to watch this.
google alien communication movie
good luck
Re: Crows’ ability to discriminate between languages
#16Between the zoonotic origins of covid (and just epidemiology generally) and the book “are we smart enough to know how smart animals are” by Franz de Waal I’m really resetting my understanding of life. Animals are just way way smarter than we give them credit for - not the least because of eons of telling ourselves we’re the living beings and they’re the automatons (seriously, go read how Descartes wrote about them).…
watching animals closely and forming relationships with them has led me to some of the most profound, incredible experiences of my life. they can also be great teachers.
and yes, our hardware and software is very similar, even insects and microbes. this is why *-cides are so dangerous.
Re: Crows’ ability to discriminate between languages
#17If crows are so smart, then why do they eat our garbage?
Re: Crows’ ability to discriminate between languages
#18If crows are so smart, then why do they eat our garbage?
Because they can make use of our calorie-dense refuse? Same reason rats gravitate to human civilization I guess.
Re: Crows’ ability to discriminate between languages
#19If crows are so smart, then why do they eat our garbage?
they're smart. so they eat our garbage.
we throw out what tonnage of good food a year?
Re: Crows’ ability to discriminate between languages
#20Earlier quoted context omitted.
There was a movie where the aliens patiently let humans try to devise a way to teach a way to communicate, but they were teaching the humans a superior way of communicating the whole time. Would be a spoiler if I said the movie name and you hadn't seen it. I wouldn't be surprised if various domestic and cohabiting animals feel that way about us. A lot of what we do is built around verbal nuance but isn't really neces…
Please post the spoiler in a few days, I have no idea but want to watch this.
I think parent poster is referring to Arrival: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2543164/