The 2002 Ig Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to a product that records and “decodes” the emotions of dogs. According to the jury, this work has contributed to promoting peace, harmony, and understanding between… dogs and humans.
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Device for decoding dog emotions (Photo: searchamateur/VNE) |
The product that records and translates the “words” of dogs is called Bow-lingual. This device helps convert dog emotions into written words. The creators are Matsumi Suzuki, Director of the Japanese Sound Laboratory, who has been instrumental in researching the sounds of dogs, and Norio Kogure, Executive Director of Kogure Veterinary Hospital.
They established a system to analyze the emotions conveyed through the barks of hundreds of dog breeds, then recorded and analyzed thousands of barks, categorizing them into six emotional communication groups. These include variations in barking when a dog is happy, unhappy, sad, affirming, needing help, or angry.
All this information is displayed on a screen that conveys emotions in about 200 expressions such as “I feel sad”, “Play with me”, or “Leave me alone”… Additionally, the device can translate these into 23 human languages from “je t’aime” to “I love you” for better understanding, along with illustrative images (such as a sulking dog or a wagging tail).
Device functions include:
– Sound language: The device expresses six emotions of dogs based on their barks.
– Body language: The device comes with a guide to explain dog behaviors, assisting in understanding and communication with dogs.
– Data Analysis Mode: The device records and stores 100 common barks, pre-analyzed for reference by owners.
– For dogs that are companions to lonely elderly people, there is a “Home Alone” mode for the device to record barking activities over a 12-hour period.
– The device includes training programs for common commands, such as where to relieve themselves.
– Health consultation references to help owners take care of their dogs during common illnesses.
Bow-lingual is a product created using complex recording technology, allowing dogs and their owners to easily communicate and understand each other. When a dog barks, Bow-lingual converts the bark into sound clusters through a microphone worn on the collar, transmitting to a receiver that compares it with pre-installed data. The device analyzes the data from the bark and displays the corresponding word on an LCD screen, enabling the owner to understand the dog’s feelings at that moment.
Artificial testicles for dogs have been “sanitized”
The 2005 Ig Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to American scientist Gregg Miller, who invented “Neuticles” – artificial testicles for neutered dogs available in three sizes and degrees of softness. Neuticles are implanted in dogs to address “sexual dysfunction” and the “lack of masculinity” in dogs, such as reduced vigor and strength. The inventor explains, “When a male dog becomes feminized, some dog owners also find it troubling.”
Nearly 8,000 veterinary clinics in the U.S. have performed artificial testicle implants. There are three types of Neuticles, such as Origine, made from polypropylene, and a symbolic type made from plastic. However, the most popular is the Naturel type, which is quite expensive, combining silicone with a dense, both soft and porous compound. “When touched, it’s impossible to distinguish which is real and which is artificial” – Trula Salazar from Houston, who recently had artificial testicles implanted for her beloved small dog, remarked. The company producing Neuticles even customizes them according to size requests.
According to veterinarian Karen Kemper from Riverside Veterinary Hospital in Houston, Neuticles are “popular” due to issues of pride. Simply put, owners do not want others to know that their dog is “neutered”.
To date, approximately 200,000 sets of artificial testicles for dogs have been sold in the U.S. and 36 other countries, priced between $60 and $130 per set, depending on the type. Business has flourished to the extent that owner Miller plans to create similar products for “neutered” cats, horses, and even wild cattle in Spain!
