Communication
Chimpanzees Appear to Use Insects to Treat Their Wounds
In a first, chimps in Gabon were seen applying insects to sores on themselves—and others, a possible show of empathy
A Hippo's Response to an Unknown Caller? A Blast of Poop and a Rowdy Holler
The lumbering animals respond calmly to their grunting and groaning friends, but a stranger's voice often prompted a loud, filthy territorial response
Why Do Dogs Tilt Their Heads? New Study Offers Clues
The adorable behavior may be a sign of concentration and memory recall
Could We Chat With Whales?
An ambitious project is attempting to interpret sperm whale clicks with artificial intelligence, then talk back to them
Baby Bats Babble—Just Like Human Infants
Both species make similar sounds as they develop language skills at an early age
Rattlesnakes Fool Humans Into Thinking They're Nearby With This Sound-Warping Trick
A new study reveals the snakes change the speed of their rattles to appear closer than they are
How Algae Communicate
Smithsonian scientist Valerie Paul studies the ways marine biochemicals can potentially help restore coral reefs and create new biomedicine
The First Mobile Phone Call Was Made 75 Years Ago
The evolution of the cell phone illustrates what it takes for technologies to go from breakthrough to big time
How the Pandemic Has Revealed the Promise and Perils of Life Lived Online
For good and for bad, Covid has propelled us even faster into immersive communication technologies
Biologist Marie Fish Catalogued the Sounds of the Ocean for the World to Hear
Scientists once thought marine life kept quiet. Then the Navy tapped an aptly named researcher with an open mind
When Radio Stations Stopped a Public Figure From Spreading Dangerous Lies
When radio was king, many outlets chose to cease broadcasting Father Charles Coughlin's anti-Semitic sermons
Kangaroos Communicate With Humans Like Dogs in Experiments
The study suggests people may have previously underestimated the communication abilities of other non-domesticated species
Why 'Pandemic Shaming' Is Bad for Public Health
Empathy may go further than annoyance when encouraging people to change their risky behavior
Before Chain Letters Swept the Internet, They Raised Funds for Orphans and Sent Messages From God
Recipe exchanges, poetry chains, photo challenges and other ostensibly comforting prompts are enjoying a resurgence amid the COVID-19 pandemic
Judge Rules Salvage Firm Can Recover the Titanic's Marconi Telegraph
Critics of the decision argue that the wreck is a memorial to the 1,500 who died when the ship sank and should not be disturbed
Upcoming Planet Word Museum Celebrates Language—and Is Slated to Be Talk of the Town
The Washington, D.C.-based museum will open its doors on May 31
The Meanings Behind Words for Emotions Aren't Universal, Study Finds
Certain emotions may be universal. But the way humans describe their feelings, it seems, is not
This Device Can Hear You Talking to Yourself
AlterEgo could help people with communication or memory problems by broadcasting internal monologues
Unhatched Bird Embryos Communicate With Siblings by Vibrating Their Shells
Baby seabirds exposed to nestmates' warnings exhibit behavioral and physiological adaptations designed to help avoid predators
Morse Code Celebrates 175 Years and Counting
The elegantly simple code works whether flashing a spotlight or blinking your eyes—or even tapping on a smartphone touchscreen
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