Human/Dolphin translation machine invented!!

US Scientists have announced that they will soon be testing a newly invented Human/Dolphin communication device in an attempt to access the fountains of knowledge possesed by Dolphins.

See the New Scientist article here, where it dicusses the device and its uses.

In recent times, dolphins have begun to be seen as more than just an aquatic mammal. They have receieved the status of 'sentient beings' and have recently been described in this article as 'non-human persons'.


So the implications of being able to converse with Dolphins??? Share your thoughts

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/a6fcbaf92cd9.jpeg[/atsimg]

Check out this ATS thread.

There isn't much research done and not many links, but the concept is interesting.

The thread suggests that Dolphins are our ancestors and that if you simulate how a human may evolve in a water-environment, that we would evovle and look near identical to Dolphins. Interesting thought.

Honestly, evolving into a lifestyle of peace and happiness and freedom, while living in the Earth's oceans - sounds just awesome to me!

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/ff3eeb1f21fe.jpg[/atsimg]

Dolphins are undoubtedly HIGHLY intelligent, i wonder what wisdom they could share? I wonder what history they could tell? Perhaps first contact will be with Dolphins and not ETs?

reply to post by srsen


i think if we talked to dolphins they would hvae some not to terribly nice things to say

reply to post by connorromanow


Hah yeah you're probably right! The things we have done to their species is entirely unacceptable

Though it would be nice to be able to apologise i guess

A conversation between a Japanese person and a dolphin would be extremely awkward.

Dolphin: Hey jerkface, thats MY tuna!

Hello. My name is Inigo Dolphtoya.
You killed my father.
Prepare to die!

well maybe it would be
hey
We are sorry we kicked you Humans out of the pool for taking a pee
why don't we let bygones be bygones and lets all go frolicking in the deep together
just like old times...

oooopsi
no gills
who knew?

edit ooops
star and flag
in principle at least
maybe if somebody has an answer
it doesn't look like it'll be us

If dolphins can talk will they be able to go to court and say how bad tepco screwed up where they live?

Well, dolphins are territorial, we are too, they give themselves names, we do too, they give themselves surname, we do too, they make war, we do too... What is there to learn if they are our ancestors on the evolutionary scale?

I think we could be surprised at their view of the world and we probably will learn a thing or two. Like how to kill a shark ramming it full speed with our nose...

EDIT: Looking at the dolphins pics, I thought; "They are our grey ancestors and the Greys are sometimes thought to be future humans..." Hmmmmm....

I know exactly what they would say:

So long, and thanks for all the fish

I'm not sure why but, I do know that humans LOVE & adore certain types of animal/mammal species; myself, Dolphins are my #1 favorite of both, if I lived near a ocean that had them, I'd swim with them every day. Yes, I know they 'gang rape' the females, but, to US it's rape, to them it maybe territorial/selective/establishing a hierarchy process.. i don't know.

I know the first thing that would come out of my mouth would be..

"Please forgive us for testing and holding you against your will in pools for entertainment/scientific/military purposes. Thank you for providing safety and creating smiles to the thousands of humans that truly adore you.

Originally posted by Danbones
oooopsi
no gills
who knew?

Dolphins don't have gills either!

I can imagine the first conversation with a Dolphin would be awkward, whether it is a captive or wild one. That said, it would be amazing to converse with a creature other than a human.

Reminds my of SeaQuest DSV

reply to post by srsen


S&F

great post!!

and now back to reality

The animals can also project sound in different directions without turning their heads, making it difficult to use visual cues alone to identify which dolphin in a pod "said" what and to guess what a sound might mean.

which means they are also ventriloquists of a sort.

what do i find most amazing about dolphins [and whales]?

the chauvinistic refusal to acknowledge them as sentient beings.

they are still being referred to as animals.

did you know that dolphins dream awake?
that is, they experience waking and dreaming consciousness simultaneously.
one of the major goals of shamans by the way

they are truly the shamans of the sea and tide.

Originally posted by NowanKenubi

EDIT: Looking at the dolphins pics, I thought; "They are our grey ancestors and the Greys are sometimes thought to be future humans..." Hmmmmm....

edit on 18-5-2011 by NowanKenubi because: (no reason given)

Funny, I had the same thought when I glanced at Grey580's avatar. Weird because the thought never occurred to me before.

I believe it will help scientists, trainers, keepers and Veterinary staff to see more into their intelligence and what more can they offer as the same as we can offer to them. They seem to want to help out and, very compassionate!
Dolphins Help Rescue Dog

reply to post by connorromanow


back in the mid 60s a man invented one and went out to talk to one, came back 20 minutes later and broke up the device told the news they were smarter then us and he left never to be seen again
seen it on tv10news out of detroit the man tested it in florida
i do recall it like it was yesterday but cant recall his name
sorry the best that can recall

Wild speculation as to dolphin/human co-sentience aside...

I wouldn't say there is a "translation machine" that has been invented. It is more like they are beginning to do actual research on the native 'language' of dolphins.

The computer program they are using is similar to the proposed function of a "universal translator" used in the Star Trek series - more specifically, how it is described in the series that aired in the early 2000s. By taking a few known patterns and comparing them to the full range of speech and making basic assumptions about communication (such as the majority of the noises made have some kind of meaning and structure) - then you can stitch the language together.

Now, we're not able to listen to a few seconds of speech and then have a perfectly functioning translator - but by employing this type of device through regular interaction with dolphins, we can come to understand their system of communicating in ways that would be virtually impossible otherwise.

That said... I don't necessarily think we're going to be getting divine insight from dolphins once we do start communicating with them. Though I'm sure we'll see the Church of Bottlenosed Saints or something of the like spring up. It's almost unavoidable.

Anyway, so long - and thanks for all the fish.

reply to post by srsen


Wow, fascinating. I do hope this is true, or that it will be made public as to what these dolphins have to say...

As you never know. They might have some pretty "politically incorrect" things to say about us Humans poisoning their oceans and slaughtering their dolphin brothers off of Japan,

35,000+ dolphin "pests" die a year. The ones that survive the mass beaching, are sold to Marine World for no less than 600k a piece.

Might be something to focus on more than Obama's certificate. Just saying.

If we do end up being able to directly communicate with dolphins I could see them one day being labeled as intelligent genus with humans being the only other one. They could be given their own rights just like you and I have.