'Talking' elephant gains world attention - Polidicks

[quote]International researchers have travelled to South Korea to study an elephant who can say words in Korean. Trainers at the Everland Theme Park said they discovered the elephant could speak in 2006. They claimed the elephant, named Kosik, became better at pronunciation over time. The Korean words for "hi", "good" and "lie down" are among at least seven words in the elephant's vocabulary, keeper Kim-Jong Kap told Reuters. Dr Daniel Mietchen, a biological scientist from the University of Jena in Germany, is investigating the unique talent that has made Kosik a local attraction. While he believes the species may be able to learn language, Dr Mietchen has expressed doubt that Kosik knows the meaning of the words he makes. Prior research has found elephants are capable of mimicking noises, such as trucks and traffic. [/quote] Source: [url]http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/8104591/talking-elephant-gains-world-attention[/url] Teach it to sing Nelly the Elephant. :3:

Badass. I hope they try to teach it English.

WOAH! woah! WOAH! woah! [editline]11:40[/editline] I think the Elephant and the Korean guy in the video were high at the time, and were amazed that they were both saying 'woah!'.

An elephant that can use and understand human language? Sounds like a rather unique specimen of quality intelligence. Though I guess I shouldn't be surprised, as elephants are pretty intelligent creatures already.

normally i would claim shenanigans, but i'm curious to see what impact this has on the world.

fuck i want a talking elephant now

Good Rord, IT SING PLAISE OF GROLIOUS READER!

[QUOTE=ironman17;25357567]An elephant that can use and understand human language? Sounds like a rather unique specimen of quality intelligence. Though I guess I shouldn't be surprised, as elephants are pretty intelligent creatures already.[/QUOTE] What... that's nothing... a Human learning to speak Elephant would be amazing. Or both. Why are we so interested when an Elephant adapts to our communication form? What do we do when people start sounding like monkeys? we call the badshit crazy. Imagine the dent his reputation among the other Elephants when he struts around sounding like a fucking Human.

[QUOTE=Dr. Fishtastic;25357721]Good Rord, IT SING PWAISE OF GROWIOUS READER![/QUOTE] fixed it for ya

I for one welcome our new elephant overlords

I'd love a talk show with an elephant...

I wonder if they'll be able to isolate the gene for this and find it in other animal species. This could lead to awesome new scientific research. To those who rated me dumb: I take it you've never taken basic biology?

I reckon they just put a speaker inside it. Case closed.

[QUOTE=ironman17;25357567]An elephant that can use and understand human language? Sounds like a rather unique specimen of quality intelligence. Though I guess I shouldn't be surprised, as elephants are pretty intelligent creatures already.[/QUOTE] The amount of intelligence doesn't really matter. Understanding words is one thing, but forming words out of pronunciations can mean something extremely different, to the point of a mutation - evolution. For example, when we evolved we didn't learn to speak as we got more intelligence. It was a part of our DNA that was in charge of our ability to control our vocal cords to an extreme extent.

This is not an isolated case, there has been another talking elephant. He used to put something in his mouth, to be able to speak. He knew the meaning of the words too. Like "Water" "Food" and even "Fuck you" B-but... they killed him by accident. They overdosed him with something. Sigh.

[QUOTE=mrkaki;25360630]The amount of intelligence doesn't really matter. Understanding words is one thing, but forming words out of pronunciations can mean something extremely different, to the point of a mutation - evolution. For example, when we evolved we didn't learn to speak as we got more intelligence. It was a part of our DNA that was in charge of our ability to control our vocal cords to an extreme extent.[/QUOTE] No! our oral area decides wether we can speak or not. It's not for nothing we don't get what people with bracers say. Anemone's post suggests they have this capability as a species but just can't be arsed to learn/ can't comprehend ours. Evolution DOES play in as what decides wether we can speak is how our oral area functions. If it's really awkward for them to develop advanced oral communication (assuming they are even capable of this) then they won't bother. AFAIK they comnunicate by low frequency sounds that they send through the ground. Why are we even comtemplating this? one thing is them learning the same distinctions we teach our dogs and burst out the according sounds, another is them forming actual sentences. Get an Elly to form just a single short sentence and i'm in! But for now, we must consider our civilization a single species civilizations. I for one am NOT ready to welcome our fellow selfaware species untill we are sure we comprehend eachother and determine their level of intellectual awareness and so forth and so on. This just in... I'm going bonkers over "speaking" animals...

[QUOTE=Bomimo;25361159]No! our oral area decides wether we can speak or not. It's not for nothing we don't get what people with bracers say. Anemone's post suggests they have this capability as a species but just can't be arsed to learn/ can't comprehend ours. Evolution DOES play in as what decides wether we can speak is how our oral area functions. If it's really awkward for them to develop advanced oral communication (assuming they are even capable of this) then they won't bother. AFAIK they comnunicate by low frequency sounds that they send through the ground. Why are we even comtemplating this? one thing is them learning the same distinctions we teach our dogs and burst out the according sounds, another is them forming actual sentences. Get an Elly to form just a single short sentence and i'm in! But for now, we must consider our civilization a single species civilizations. I for one am NOT ready to welcome our fellow selfaware species untill we are sure we comprehend eachother and determine their level of intellectual awareness and so forth and so on. This just in... I'm going bonkers over "speaking" animals...[/QUOTE] Note how you didn't disprove anything I said, but supported it. I never said it directed affected our vocal cord muscles. What I was talking about it was this gene called FOP2 if I remember correctly (probably not) that is in charge of our brain's (or oral area of our brains - what you said) ability to control speech.

Dissect it and see how it works

[QUOTE=Bomimo;25357788]What... that's nothing... a Human learning to speak Elephant would be amazing. Or both. Why are we so interested when an Elephant adapts to our communication form? What do we do when people start sounding like monkeys? we call the badshit crazy. Imagine the dent his reputation among the other Elephants when he struts around sounding like a fucking Human.[/QUOTE] People comonly ask "what would it be like if we could understand animals" Thing is animals don't have a language and communicate through sounds and body language, which humans can easily understand by observing the animals behaviour and actions or just by reading a book about it.

[QUOTE=Pandemix;25358386]I'd love a talk show with an elephant...[/QUOTE] There was one. I believe it was called The Jay Leno Show

ELEPHANT TALK?! ELEPHANT TALK!?!! [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UKQHgamA-I[/media] Progressive Rock reference aside, this is an amazing discovery.

this is the first step on the road to elephantocalypse

there was already a parrot that like used language that was cooler

[QUOTE=Pandemix;25358386]I'd love a talk show with an elephant...[/QUOTE] Why hello there Kosik, how are you? HAI I AM AN ELEPHANT LIE DOWN