Could dolphins teach us how to talk to aliens? 👽

Dolphins, these marine mammals known for their intelligence and sociability, might well hold the key to understanding how to communicate with extraterrestrial intelligences. A recent study focuses on their whistles, which appear to function like words.

The team led by Laela Sayigh from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute won the Coller Dolittle Challenge prize for their research on interspecies communication. Their study concentrates on bottlenose dolphins in Sarasota, Florida, and their non-signature whistles.


These whistles, which account for about half of the vocalizations of the studied dolphins, differ from the better-known signature whistles. The team uses suction-cup hydrophones to record these sounds, hoping to decipher their meaning through deep learning.

Arik Kershenbaum from the University of Cambridge sees a parallel between this research and the search for extraterrestrial signals. He emphasizes the importance of studying animal communication to prepare for receiving messages from beyond.

Bill Diamond, president of the SETI Institute, explains that the study of non-human communication, such as that of humpback whales, is increasingly interesting to astrobiology researchers. These animals transmit sophisticated information, far beyond simple reproductive or danger signals.

The central question is whether there are universal mathematical rules governing information transmission. The discovery of such rules could not only help identify intelligent extraterrestrial signals but also translate them.


This interdisciplinary approach, combining biology, linguistics, and astronomy, opens new perspectives in understanding communication, whether terrestrial or extraterrestrial. Researchers propose creating a collaborative database to share their findings.

Why study animal communication to search for extraterrestrials?

The study of animal communication, particularly in intelligent species like dolphins and whales, provides clues about how intelligence can evolve and express itself in an environment different from ours.

This research helps identify potential universals in information transmission, which could apply to any form of intelligent life, regardless of its origin.

By understanding how terrestrial animals communicate, scientists hope to develop tools and methods to detect and interpret potential extraterrestrial signals, making the quest for life elsewhere in the Universe more tangible.