Decoding signals from aliens! Humpback whales could help us communicate with aliens | Here’s how

A team of SETI researchers communicated with a humpback whale in research that could help us decode signals in space and communicate with aliens.

Whales can help us learn to talk to aliens: The SETI Institute, which is dedicated to the search for intelligent extraterrestrial life, recently came up with a theory about making contact with aliens, if they exist, including humpback whales. The fact that whales caught the team’s attention is that they are one of the most intelligent species on the planet and have an impressive way of communicating with each other. The team recently studied the communication systems of marine mammals to develop “intelligence filters” for the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.

Research and major breakthrough

A team of researchers from the SETI Institute teamed up with researchers from the University of California Davis and the Alaska Whale Foundation and began their research into whales’ communication systems. During their research, the team communicated with humpback whales. The researchers placed an underwater speaker in the sea and played a recorded “contact call” from the humpback whale, at which point a humpback whale named Twain approached their boats and circled. Interestingly, the whale understood and responded to each playback call, matching the interval variations between each signal.

What researchers said?

According to Brenda McCowan of UC Davis, co-author of a study in the journal PeerJ, this could be the first time humans communicated with the humpback whales in a “language.” Humpback whales in particular are intelligent marine mammals and have a very complex social system. These whales make tools and communicate with songs and different types of calls.

According to Laurance Doyle of the SETI Institute, co-author of this article, aliens will be interested in making contact through human receivers since human technology is not yet that advanced and we have limitations on it.

“Due to the current limitations of technology, a key assumption in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence is that aliens will be interested in making contact and thus target human recipients. This important assumption is certainly supported by the behavior of humpback whales,” Indian Express quoted Laurance Doyle as saying.

Signals from space and humpback whales

The researchers are now studying the humpback whale’s communication systems and trying to decode them so they can detect and interpret signals from space, if they exist. It is similar to how astronauts practice moon missions in simulations on Earth. It is worth noting that these findings can be used to develop filters or codes that can be used for any messages we receive from aliens.

SETI recently simulated the reception of a signal from Mars as part of its preparations for possible contact with extraterrestrial intelligence.