Communicating with an alien language is not an easy task, especially when it comes to an extraterrestrial civilization. The humpback whale may help us achieve this in some way.
Researchers from the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute (SETI) are eager to develop a communication method between us and aliens, even before humanity discovers another civilization.
Conversations with Humpback Whales
Humpback whales, known as the “Opera Singers of the Ocean”, are extremely intelligent creatures that communicate with each other through complex calls and songs.
The language of humpback whales may assist scientists in studying communication signals with extraterrestrials. (Image source: Futura Science).
As a result, the scientific community sees this species as a unique opportunity for research related to communication abilities between us and “non-human” entities.
The research team traveled to the habitat of a humpback whale named Twain (aged 38) to test whether humans could successfully communicate with it using the whale’s language.
They emitted communication signals across the vast sea using underwater loudspeakers.
The results were astonishing; not only did the whale Twain approach, but its peers also quickly joined in a “conversation” with the scientists.
According to the research team, emitting signals at different intervals is a sign of the high level of understanding and interaction of humpback whales with the signals produced by humans.
From Humpback Whales to Extraterrestrials
This research marks the first communication exchange initiated by signals between humans and humpback whales using the whales’ language.
Although the signals emitted by the scientists were quite limited—consisting of a sound that meant “hello” repeated after 20 minutes when the whales moved to another area—they still interacted with the researchers, providing many new insights for the team.
This may assist scientists in successfully developing certain types of filters (for extraterrestrial signals) by applying information theory to help the research team identify structures and translate messages received.
