News tagged with vocalizations

Monkey lip smacks provide new insights into the evolution of human speech

Scientists have traditionally sought the evolutionary origins of human speech in primate vocalizations, such as monkey coos or chimpanzee hoots. But unlike these primate calls, human speech is produced using ...

Biology / Plants & Animals

created May 31, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Texting made possible for the illiterate

People incapable of reading and writing will have access to text messages from now on. A system using vocal synthesis, icons and contact management allows people to send and read text messages by those normally ...

Technology / Hi Tech & Innovation

created May 23, 2012 | popularity 2.3 / 5 (3) | comments 0

Bird vocalization research could improve poultry production, lower costs

Chickens can’t speak, but they can definitely make themselves heard. Most people who have visited a poultry farm will recall chicken vocalization – the technical term for clucking and squawking – ...

Biology / Other

created May 18, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

The sounds of Mars and Venus are revealed for the first time

In a world first, the sounds of Mars and Venus are revealed as part of a planetarium show in Hampshire this Easter.

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

created Apr 02, 2012 | popularity 2.8 / 5 (4) | comments 3

Baboons, infants show similar gesturing behavior, suggesting shared communication systems

Both human infants and baboons have a stronger preference for using their right hand to gesture than for a simple grasping task, supporting the hypothesis that language development, which is lateralized in the left part of ...

Biology / Plants & Animals

created Mar 21, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 1 | with audio podcast

Blue whale behavior affected by man-made noise: study

Blue whale vocal behavior is affected by man-made noise, even when that noise does not overlap the frequencies the whales use for communication, according to new research published Feb. 29 in the open access journal PLoS ON ...

Biology / Plants & Animals

created Feb 29, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 1

Bird brains follow the beat: Capacity to move in time with music may be connected with ability to learn speech

Even though typical dance-floor activity might suggest otherwise, humans generally demonstrate a remarkable capacity to synchronize their body movements in response to auditory stimuli. But is this ability ...

Biology / Plants & Animals

created Feb 24, 2012 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (2) | comments 1

'Duet of 1' possible with hand-controlled voice synthesizer

New technology at the University of British Columbia makes it possible for a person to speak or sing just by using their hands to control a speech synthesizer.

Technology / Hi Tech & Innovation

created Feb 19, 2012 | popularity 1 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Goat kids can develop accents

The ability to change vocal sounds (vocal plasticity) and develop an accent is potentially far more widespread in mammals than previously believed, according to new research on goats from Queen Mary, University ...

Biology / Plants & Animals

created Feb 15, 2012 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (4) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Tiny crooners: Male house mice sing songs to impress the girls

Male house mice produce melodious songs to attract mates. Unfortunately for us, because the melodies are in the ultra-sonic range human ears cannot detect them. Through spectrographic analyses of the vocalizations of wild ...

Biology / Plants & Animals

created Jan 26, 2012 | popularity 4.7 / 5 (3) | comments 0

Full ban on driver calls could be tough to enforce

(AP) -- A driver in the next lane is moving his lips. Is he on a hands-free cell phone or just talking to himself? If lawmakers follow the advice of a federal board, police officers will have to start figuring ...

Technology / Other

created Dec 15, 2011 | popularity not rated yet | comments 3

Scientists: Lions and tigers roar a bit like babies cry

When lions and tigers roar loudly and deeply – terrifying every creature within earshot – they are somewhat like human babies crying for attention, although their voices are much deeper.

Biology / Plants & Animals

created Nov 02, 2011 | popularity not rated yet | comments 2 | with audio podcast

Meerkats have ability to distinguish different voices

(PhysOrg.com) -- Vocal recognition is widespread in primates but a new study, published in Biology Letters, provides evidence that it may not be limited to humans and primates. The ability to recognize the vo ...

Biology / Plants & Animals

created Oct 13, 2011 | popularity not rated yet | comments 3 | with audio podcast report

Autistic mice act a lot like human patients

UCLA scientists have created a mouse model for autism that opens a window into the biological mechanisms that underlie the disease and offers a promising way to test new treatment approaches.

Biology / Cell & Microbiology

created Sep 29, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

Koalas' bellows boast about size

Koalas have a well-earned reputation for being dopey. Sleeping 19 hours out of every 24, and feeding for 3 of the remaining 5 hours, there doesn't seem to be much time for anything else in their lethargic lifestyle: that ...

Biology / Plants & Animals

created Sep 29, 2011 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0