Other: Animal Communication
Reading #1. Jim Nolman
By Travis Jepson (04/21/10 23:22:42)
Despite the age of Jim Nolman's research, I still found it amazingly relevant. Not much has been done in the way of communication with whales or turkeys for that matter. I found Nolman's approach very interesting. In his first article on the "Turkey Trot" he found that if he played certain pitches on his flute the turkeys would respond with high energy and excitement. Though not necessarily a two-way interaction, seeing how the animals responded to the pitch was an interesting concept and could touch on how the animals communicate. It was depressing to learn however that the owner of the turkeys asked Nolman to stop his interactions since the turkeys were getting "too much exercise," thus loosing weight.

His work with whales was what I found the most interesting. I had no idea that the sonar used on a submarine could kill a whale due to how they hear sound. I liked how Nolman described the thought process of a whale as well, unlike us, thinking in pictures/sound, Nolman believes that whales think in sound alone. I believe this could be true, but I think picture thoughts could very well be possible, seeing how whales have massive eyes. Though there is no doubt in my mind that basically all whale communication is done through sound. His love for music allowed him to seek communication with whales. Over time Nolman's deliberate process of whale communication gave him recognition. I was very impressed with his persistence, if you do anything long enough and do it with a specific method, you are bound to become good at it.

I found it humorous to learn that after all these years have passed, Nolman has become his own butcher. Raising animals on a farm and slaughtering them himself. To be honest it does seem kind of twisted; raising an animal with love and care till you have earned its trust, then killing it and eating it. Though I do see this as a healthy alternative to the mass production of the heat industry, it does seem like a 180 for Nolman to take on this lifestyle. Despite this, I believe Nolman is a truly innovative man that is a pioneer in the art of animal communication.


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