Digital Dolittles: Talking to the animals?
AI and digital technology allow us to listen to the animal world in vastly expanded ways. Might we begin not only to listen, but also to communicate and become digital Dolittles?
Digital technology has transformed the science of bioacoustics - the ways we hear and record animal life in the deep oceans, through the earth and in the skies. Vast leaps in computing power allow us to analyse hundreds of thousands of hours of chirps, whistles, clicks and rumbles. Some researchers say AI can help us understand how elephants communicate in the jungle, what whales are clicking to one another across the watery abyss, and what bats squeal when swooping through the sky. Can we, should we, become digital Dolittles? Maria Margaronis listens in to these ever-expanding realms and wonders what they tell us about our own place on the planet.
Featured
-
.
Podcast
-
The Documentary Podcast
A window into our world. Investigating and reporting true stories from everywhere