Dolphin 'language' revealed?

Recent reports claim that a British acoustics researcher has almost completed his 10 year mission to disipher dolphin 'language'. If this proves to be the case we wonder if everyone will like what they have to tell us ? (see article below).

A British acoustics researcher claims he may be able to help humans talk to the animals. In his lab in the UK, John Reid uses his invention 'Cymascope' to decode the clicks and whistles which make up "dolphin speak".

He says the invention uses sand, a brass plate and a violin bow to transform sounds into pictures. "We have to start with very simple sounds. So maybe something in the ocean that the dolphin would normally see, for example, a sea urchin. And if the dolphin is imaging with its sonar onto these various objects then that enables us to actually see that sound pattern on the Cymascope. And then to label that particular pattern as say, this is the dolphin word for sea urchin."

Reid has been working with a Florida-based ocean mammal researcher, who collects the dolphin and whale sounds in the field and sends them back to the UK.

The Cymascope team's ultimate aim is to build up a library of sound pictures which they eventually hope may allow them to speak to dolphins.

But they admit, this is still some years off.

source : CRI
image (c) SonicAge