Know Your Nature
Unheard sounds vibrate the environment around us. Elephants growl infrasonic secrets to one another; bats chatter and babble in ultrasound; jumping with the cracks, hisses, and clicks of marine life.
We were completely unaware of those sounds for generations. However, as technology has improved, so too has our ability to listen. Digital recorders, drones, and artificial intelligence are enabling us to listen to natural sounds in previously unheard-of ways today. This is revolutionizing scientific study and creating the enticing possibility that one day soon, computers might enable us to communicate with animals.
That has in some ways already started.
Creating The Harmony
Digital tools, which are sometimes linked to our alienation from the natural world, are giving us the chance to listen to non-humans in profound ways and revitalize our connection to it. In ecosystems all across the world, from rainforests to the ocean’s depths, automated hearing posts have been installed, and scientists have been able to attach microphones to creatures as tiny as honeybees thanks to advances in miniaturization.
The digital gadgets serve as planetary-scale hearing aid, allowing people to listen to and analyze natural sounds in ways that are beyond their sensory range.
The click-like vocalizations of sperm whales closely resemble Morse Code. In this instance, artificial intelligence (AI) planted the seeds for an exciting project called CETI, which would utilize AI to interpret these whale sounds so that people could understand them. Initiatives to translate have been made with regard to more than only whale communication. While some researchers used video and audio records to uncover the context of bat calls, others developed an algorithm that can analyze the emotional responses of pigs based on their cries. Up until recently, attempts to decipher animal communication were mainly based on observation. The area of research investigations has been greatly expanded by the development of technology. These digital tools work as a planetary-scale listening aid when used together, allowing people to observe and analyze natural sounds in ways that are not possible with their current senses. These gadgets have, however, also produced enormous volumes of data that are laborious and time-taking to manually sort through. Thus, to research the calls of a variety of species, from rodents and chickens to cats and lemurs, the scientific world is increasingly adopting technological instruments like drones, recorders, robotics, and AI.
AI The Bridge
The amount of data produced by all of those gadgets would be hard to process manually. In order to sort through the mountains of recordings and look for patterns that might assist us in comprehending what animals are saying to one another, researchers in the fields of ecoacoustics and bioacoustics are turning to artificial intelligence. However, it’s crucial to keep in mind that we aren’t necessarily learning about these sounds for the very first time. While the Western scientific world has historically rejected the concept of animal communication outright, indigenous people worldwide have long known that animals have their own means of communication.
Knowing The Unknown Is A Curse Or Blessing
We must carefully consider how we will utilize our technological breakthroughs to connect with the natural world, even though this attitude seems to be evolving as a result of our increasing understanding of animals. Being able to talk with animals has the potential to be both a blessing and a curse. We face the risk of utilizing our newfound abilities to establish our dominance over animals and plants, but we can utilize our comprehension of the acoustic diversity of our world to develop a sense of connection with nature and perhaps even repair some of the harm we have caused.
