The BBC reports that scientists have evidence that dolphins call each other by name. This name is a unique whistle. When one dolphin sounds a particular whistle, the dolphin whose whistle, or name, it is responds. Dolphins only respond to their own whistle and not that of other dolphins.
Marine biologists Dr. Stephanie King and Dr Vincent Janik, of the University of St Andrews, conducted sound playback experiments with bottlenose dolphins on the east coast of Scotland and found that each dolphin only reacted when hearing a computer version of its own unique whistle, but not to other whistles played to it. They concluded that these whistles function as names.
According to DR. Janik, "Our results present the first case of naming in mammals, providing a clear parallel between dolphin and human communication. In experimental work, parrots are also good at learning novel sounds and using them to label objects. Some parrots may also use these skills in their own communication. Thus, both dolphins and parrots present interesting avenues of research for understanding labelling or naming in the animal kingdom.”
Although this research is interesting, its not really surprising. What I'd like to know is how each dolphin is assigned a particular whistle. By its mother?
Reading about this study reminded me of one of my favorite movies - The Day of the Dolphin - a science fiction thriller from the 70s.
"A brilliant and driven scientist, Jake Terrell, and his young and beautiful wife, Maggie, train dolphins to communicate with humans. This is done by teaching the dolphins to speak English in dolphin-like voices. Two of his dolphins, Alpha ("Fa") and Beta ("Bea"), are stolen by officials of the shadowy Franklin Foundation headed by Harold DeMilo, the supportive backer of the Terrells' research. After the dolphins are kidnapped, an investigation by an undercover government agent for hire, Curtis Mahoney, reveals that the Institute is planning to further train the dolphins to carry out a political assassination by having them place a limpet mine on the hull of the yacht of the President of the United States." - Wikipedia
BBC Article
Research Abstract
University of St Andrews News
The Day of the Dolphin on YouTube
Showing posts with label Science. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Science. Show all posts
Exotic Energy - A Pure and Perfect Body
A near-death experience (NDE) refers to a broad range of personal experiences experienced by people who have been pronounced clinically dead and brought back to life or by people very close to death. Often a sense of detachment from the body and the presence of a bright white light are reported as well as a variety of additional experiences. These experiences seem to be quite common and are often described as either hallucinations or evidence that there is an afterlife.
"In their quest to find answers about the cause of the NDE, the mainstream scientific community has so far come up with two explanations. The first one considers the NDE a neurological phenomenon. The second explanation considers the NDE a supernatural phenomenon. After more than ten years of study, I am convinced of a third possible explanation..." Maureen Venselaar, PhD.
In an article published in Noetic Now, Maureen Venselaar presents a new theory on what happens during a near death experience (NDE) which is rooted in the dynamics of both physics and astrophysics. Venselaar's theory takes the severity of the trauma the patient is experiencing into consideration and addresses the idea "that an NDE becomes more profound and more complete as a trauma or a sickness grows more life threatening."
Venselaar is a spiritual/mental coach who works with elderly and sick people in The Netherlands. She has been studying near death experiences for over ten years and is convinced that there is a third way of looking at near death experiences other than as either a neurological phenomenon or a supernatural phenomenon.
According to Venselaar, "As we approach the end of life, our sensorial observation decreases, our normal consciousness disappears, and deep down in our physical body, at the (sub)atomic level, a fundamental process starts which releases an 'exotic energy' (i.e. light-energy/photons). This special 'exotic energy' is the foundation of another new, pure and perfect body, and another kind of consciousness/awareness. With this new body, of exotic energy/photons, we can travel through the barrier of space and time. The near-death experience is without a doubt a real voyage."
A near death experience is a five stage process in which there is a separation from the physical body, a journey through a tunnel, an experience of being in the presence of the light near a border, a return through the tunnel and a unification once again with the physical body. Those who pass on do not return but cross over the border. Venselaar refers to this as The Five Phase Theory. For detailed information about each of these phases visit Noetic Now or visit Venselaar's website De (binja) dood ontrafeld
Visit our Table of Contents to view more interesting articles
"In their quest to find answers about the cause of the NDE, the mainstream scientific community has so far come up with two explanations. The first one considers the NDE a neurological phenomenon. The second explanation considers the NDE a supernatural phenomenon. After more than ten years of study, I am convinced of a third possible explanation..." Maureen Venselaar, PhD.
In an article published in Noetic Now, Maureen Venselaar presents a new theory on what happens during a near death experience (NDE) which is rooted in the dynamics of both physics and astrophysics. Venselaar's theory takes the severity of the trauma the patient is experiencing into consideration and addresses the idea "that an NDE becomes more profound and more complete as a trauma or a sickness grows more life threatening."
Venselaar is a spiritual/mental coach who works with elderly and sick people in The Netherlands. She has been studying near death experiences for over ten years and is convinced that there is a third way of looking at near death experiences other than as either a neurological phenomenon or a supernatural phenomenon.
According to Venselaar, "As we approach the end of life, our sensorial observation decreases, our normal consciousness disappears, and deep down in our physical body, at the (sub)atomic level, a fundamental process starts which releases an 'exotic energy' (i.e. light-energy/photons). This special 'exotic energy' is the foundation of another new, pure and perfect body, and another kind of consciousness/awareness. With this new body, of exotic energy/photons, we can travel through the barrier of space and time. The near-death experience is without a doubt a real voyage."
A near death experience is a five stage process in which there is a separation from the physical body, a journey through a tunnel, an experience of being in the presence of the light near a border, a return through the tunnel and a unification once again with the physical body. Those who pass on do not return but cross over the border. Venselaar refers to this as The Five Phase Theory. For detailed information about each of these phases visit Noetic Now or visit Venselaar's website De (binja) dood ontrafeld
Visit our Table of Contents to view more interesting articles
Raisin Bread Cosmology & Deja Vu
I took an astronomy class in junior college in order to satisfy the science requirement. I have never been very interested in studying science as it seems so dry. Sitting in a classroom which doubled as a planetarium seemed more interesting than studying the Periodic Table of Elements (which by the way, ended up being an important part of the study of astronomy).
A major topic in astronomy class is The Big Bang Theory. This is a cosmological model which is said to explain the origin of the universe.
According to the Big Bang theory, a tremendous explosion occurred about 15 billion years ago causing the universe to expand. Prior to this explosion, all the matter and energy in the universe was contained in one point. After the explosion, matter and energy was thrust out into space in the form of particles rushing away from each other. We learned to visualize it as a loaf of raisin bread baking in an oven. It is a process that is still going on with the universe continuing to expand. We also learned that the universe may someday stop expanding and begin to collapse until it is once again one single point containing all matter and energy. And then, guess what, another Big bang may occur repeating what happened before.
This made me start thinking about Deja Vu. This is the feeling that what you are experiencing has already happened before. I started wondering if every time the Big Bang occurs everything happens exactly as before.
A couple of weeks ago I read The Strange Life of Ivan Osokin by P.D. Ouspensky. Ivan is given a chance to relive his past as he has a desire to correct his mistakes. He meets with a magician who sends him back in time warning him that although he will be fully aware that he is reliving his life in order to change it, he will do everything exactly as he did it before.
As it turns out, the concept of eternal recurrence is a major theme in Ouspensky's teachings and writing. The Strange Life of Ivan Osokin was published in 1915 and explores the idea that even given the free-will to make changes in our lives, the same events will occur regardless of our free will.
The philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche often wrote about the concept of eternal recurrence in his works. It is first mentioned in section 341 of The Gay Science
"This life as you now live it and have lived it, you will have to live once more and innumerable times more; and there will be nothing new in it, but every pain and every joy and every thought and sigh and everything unutterably small or great in your life will have to return to you, all in the same succession and sequence—even this spider and this moonlight between the trees, and even this moment and I myself. The eternal hourglass of existence is turned upside down again and again, and you with it . . ."
If the universe should ever collapse in upon inself ( The Big Crunch) and start over again with another Big Bang, I suppose there is a possibility that everything can reoccur as before, which would explain Deja Vu. But why would this happen and what purpose would it serve????
Visit our Table of Contents to view more interesting articles
A major topic in astronomy class is The Big Bang Theory. This is a cosmological model which is said to explain the origin of the universe.
This made me start thinking about Deja Vu. This is the feeling that what you are experiencing has already happened before. I started wondering if every time the Big Bang occurs everything happens exactly as before.
A couple of weeks ago I read The Strange Life of Ivan Osokin by P.D. Ouspensky. Ivan is given a chance to relive his past as he has a desire to correct his mistakes. He meets with a magician who sends him back in time warning him that although he will be fully aware that he is reliving his life in order to change it, he will do everything exactly as he did it before.
As it turns out, the concept of eternal recurrence is a major theme in Ouspensky's teachings and writing. The Strange Life of Ivan Osokin was published in 1915 and explores the idea that even given the free-will to make changes in our lives, the same events will occur regardless of our free will.
The philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche often wrote about the concept of eternal recurrence in his works. It is first mentioned in section 341 of The Gay Science
"This life as you now live it and have lived it, you will have to live once more and innumerable times more; and there will be nothing new in it, but every pain and every joy and every thought and sigh and everything unutterably small or great in your life will have to return to you, all in the same succession and sequence—even this spider and this moonlight between the trees, and even this moment and I myself. The eternal hourglass of existence is turned upside down again and again, and you with it . . ."
If the universe should ever collapse in upon inself ( The Big Crunch) and start over again with another Big Bang, I suppose there is a possibility that everything can reoccur as before, which would explain Deja Vu. But why would this happen and what purpose would it serve????
Visit our Table of Contents to view more interesting articles
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