Gasper Begus
@begus.bsky.social
Assoc. Professor at UC Berkeley
Artificial and biological intelligence and language
Linguistics Lead at Project CETI 🐳
PI Berkeley Biological and Artificial Language Lab 🗣️
College Principal of Bowles Hall 🏰
https://www.gasperbegus.com
Artificial and biological intelligence and language
Linguistics Lead at Project CETI 🐳
PI Berkeley Biological and Artificial Language Lab 🗣️
College Principal of Bowles Hall 🏰
https://www.gasperbegus.com
Reposted by Gasper Begus
fascinating research via @projectceti.bsky.social
CETI scientists have discovered vowel and diphthong-like patterns in sperm whale communication! Read: bit.ly/3WSn9rc
By: @begus.bsky.social, Ronald Sprouse, Andrej Leban, Miles Silva & Shane Gero.
@ucberkeleyofficial.bsky.social, @umich.edu, @carleton.ca, @csail.mit.edu
Animation: Meghan Fenske
By: @begus.bsky.social, Ronald Sprouse, Andrej Leban, Miles Silva & Shane Gero.
@ucberkeleyofficial.bsky.social, @umich.edu, @carleton.ca, @csail.mit.edu
Animation: Meghan Fenske
November 18, 2025 at 3:11 PM
fascinating research via @projectceti.bsky.social
Reposted by Gasper Begus
Thursday, 6.30 pm Pacific time!
I'm giving a talk in Hong Kong soon and am amazed to see over 250 people have registered!
www.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/web/events/a...
www.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/web/events/a...
November 20, 2025 at 12:06 AM
Thursday, 6.30 pm Pacific time!
Reposted by Gasper Begus
Read the rest of the conversations here: doi.org/10.1162/OPMI...
Vowel- and Diphthong-Like Spectral Patterns in Sperm Whale Codas
Abstract. The sperm whale communication system, consisting of groups of clicks called codas, has been primarily analyzed in terms of the number of clicks and their inter-click timing. This paper repor...
doi.org
November 19, 2025 at 5:38 PM
Read the rest of the conversations here: doi.org/10.1162/OPMI...
Reposted by Gasper Begus
A whale conversation in whale vowels. Pinchy the whale and her conversant.
The vowels are so clear that they can be transcribed with our human letters.
aye, aye!
The vowels are so clear that they can be transcribed with our human letters.
aye, aye!
November 19, 2025 at 12:22 AM
A whale conversation in whale vowels. Pinchy the whale and her conversant.
The vowels are so clear that they can be transcribed with our human letters.
aye, aye!
The vowels are so clear that they can be transcribed with our human letters.
aye, aye!
Reposted by Gasper Begus
as baleias: ai ai..
A whale conversation in whale vowels. Pinchy the whale and her conversant.
The vowels are so clear that they can be transcribed with our human letters.
aye, aye!
The vowels are so clear that they can be transcribed with our human letters.
aye, aye!
November 19, 2025 at 1:15 PM
as baleias: ai ai..
Reposted by Gasper Begus
"Spectral Patterns in Sperm Whale Codas" is the title of a poem from some lost New York School poet.
A whale conversation in whale vowels. Pinchy the whale and her conversant.
The vowels are so clear that they can be transcribed with our human letters.
aye, aye!
The vowels are so clear that they can be transcribed with our human letters.
aye, aye!
November 19, 2025 at 2:31 AM
"Spectral Patterns in Sperm Whale Codas" is the title of a poem from some lost New York School poet.
A whale conversation in whale vowels. Pinchy the whale and her conversant.
The vowels are so clear that they can be transcribed with our human letters.
aye, aye!
The vowels are so clear that they can be transcribed with our human letters.
aye, aye!
November 19, 2025 at 12:22 AM
A whale conversation in whale vowels. Pinchy the whale and her conversant.
The vowels are so clear that they can be transcribed with our human letters.
aye, aye!
The vowels are so clear that they can be transcribed with our human letters.
aye, aye!
Reposted by Gasper Begus
Fascinating! Decoding #SpermWhale vowel sounds :)) #whales #Wildlife #Nature
www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/arti...
www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/arti...
Exclusive: Sperm whale speech has human-like 'vowels'
The mammals' mysterious clicks contain a stunning level of complexity, a new study shows.
www.nationalgeographic.com
November 12, 2025 at 10:05 PM
Fascinating! Decoding #SpermWhale vowel sounds :)) #whales #Wildlife #Nature
www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/arti...
www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/arti...
Reposted by Gasper Begus
Vowel Sounds 'Thought To Be Unique To Humans' Discovered In Sperm Whales For The First Time
Vowel Sounds 'Thought To Be Unique To Humans' Discovered In Sperm Whales For The First Time
Sperm whales can alter the frequency of their clicks to make “a” and “i” sounds.
www.iflscience.com
November 13, 2025 at 8:00 AM
Vowel Sounds 'Thought To Be Unique To Humans' Discovered In Sperm Whales For The First Time
Reposted by Gasper Begus
Researchers from @ucberkeleyofficial.bsky.social discover human-like whale "vowels" in how sperm whales communicate, in a promising use case for AI:
ls.berkeley.edu/news/uc-berk...
ls.berkeley.edu/news/uc-berk...
UC Berkeley and Project CETI study shows sperm whales communicate in ways similar to humans
The way sperm whales communicate may be more similar to human language than previously thought. The acoustic properties of whale calls resemble vowels, a defining feature of human language, according ...
ls.berkeley.edu
November 18, 2025 at 11:25 PM
Researchers from @ucberkeleyofficial.bsky.social discover human-like whale "vowels" in how sperm whales communicate, in a promising use case for AI:
ls.berkeley.edu/news/uc-berk...
ls.berkeley.edu/news/uc-berk...
Reposted by Gasper Begus
whales know vowels !!!! science is so cool
🧪
🧪
Vowel Sounds "Thought To Be Unique To Humans" Discovered In Sperm Whales For The First Time
www.iflscience.com/vowel-sounds...
www.iflscience.com/vowel-sounds...
Eavesdropping On Sperm Whales Just Revealed They Use Vowel Sounds "Thought To Be Unique To Humans"
Sperm whales can alter the frequency of their clicks to make “a” and “i” sounds.
www.iflscience.com
November 12, 2025 at 7:06 PM
whales know vowels !!!! science is so cool
🧪
🧪
Reposted by Gasper Begus
Vowel Sounds "Thought To Be Unique To Humans" Discovered In Sperm Whales For The First Time
www.iflscience.com/vowel-sounds...
www.iflscience.com/vowel-sounds...
Eavesdropping On Sperm Whales Just Revealed They Use Vowel Sounds "Thought To Be Unique To Humans"
Sperm whales can alter the frequency of their clicks to make “a” and “i” sounds.
www.iflscience.com
November 12, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Vowel Sounds "Thought To Be Unique To Humans" Discovered In Sperm Whales For The First Time
www.iflscience.com/vowel-sounds...
www.iflscience.com/vowel-sounds...
Reposted by Gasper Begus
Thank you @iflscience.com and @rachaelhfunnell.bsky.social for featuring our research!
By: @begus.bsky.social, Ronald Sprouse, Andrej Leban, Miles Silva and Shane Gero.
By: @begus.bsky.social, Ronald Sprouse, Andrej Leban, Miles Silva and Shane Gero.
Vowel Sounds "Thought To Be Unique To Humans" Discovered In Sperm Whales For The First Time
www.iflscience.com/vowel-sounds...
www.iflscience.com/vowel-sounds...
Eavesdropping On Sperm Whales Just Revealed They Use Vowel Sounds "Thought To Be Unique To Humans"
Sperm whales can alter the frequency of their clicks to make “a” and “i” sounds.
www.iflscience.com
November 18, 2025 at 3:06 PM
Thank you @iflscience.com and @rachaelhfunnell.bsky.social for featuring our research!
By: @begus.bsky.social, Ronald Sprouse, Andrej Leban, Miles Silva and Shane Gero.
By: @begus.bsky.social, Ronald Sprouse, Andrej Leban, Miles Silva and Shane Gero.
Reposted by Gasper Begus
November 16, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Reposted by Gasper Begus
#Whales #WhaleLanguage #ScienceRocks
Fascinating article. Whales are smart!
www.yahoo.com/news/article...
Fascinating article. Whales are smart!
www.yahoo.com/news/article...
Exclusive: Sperm whale speech has human-like 'vowels'
The mammals' mysterious clicks contain a stunning level of complexity, a new study shows.
www.yahoo.com
November 14, 2025 at 5:00 PM
#Whales #WhaleLanguage #ScienceRocks
Fascinating article. Whales are smart!
www.yahoo.com/news/article...
Fascinating article. Whales are smart!
www.yahoo.com/news/article...
Reposted by Gasper Begus
Sperm #whales use vowels like humans, new study finds
Scientists decoding whale clicks found patterns that echo the building blocks of human speech
www.popsci.com/environment/... #globalmuseum #language
Scientists decoding whale clicks found patterns that echo the building blocks of human speech
www.popsci.com/environment/... #globalmuseum #language
November 14, 2025 at 10:14 PM
Sperm #whales use vowels like humans, new study finds
Scientists decoding whale clicks found patterns that echo the building blocks of human speech
www.popsci.com/environment/... #globalmuseum #language
Scientists decoding whale clicks found patterns that echo the building blocks of human speech
www.popsci.com/environment/... #globalmuseum #language
Reposted by Gasper Begus
Exclusive: Sperm whale speech has human-like 'vowels' https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/sperm-whale-communicate-vowels 🐋 #cetaceans #marinemammals #marinelife #marinebiology #whales #Science
Exclusive: Sperm whale speech has human-like 'vowels'
The mammals' mysterious clicks contain a stunning level of complexity, a new study shows.
www.nationalgeographic.com
November 13, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Exclusive: Sperm whale speech has human-like 'vowels' https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/sperm-whale-communicate-vowels 🐋 #cetaceans #marinemammals #marinelife #marinebiology #whales #Science
Reposted by Gasper Begus
Thank you National Geographic and @chameauleon.bsky.social for featuring our research! By: @begus.bsky.social, Ronald Sprouse, Andrej Leban, Miles Silva and Shane Gero.
www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/arti...
www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/arti...
Exclusive: Sperm whale speech has human-like 'vowels'
The mammals' mysterious clicks contain a stunning level of complexity, a new study shows.
www.nationalgeographic.com
November 13, 2025 at 6:43 PM
Thank you National Geographic and @chameauleon.bsky.social for featuring our research! By: @begus.bsky.social, Ronald Sprouse, Andrej Leban, Miles Silva and Shane Gero.
www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/arti...
www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/arti...
Reposted by Gasper Begus
Thank you @economist.com for covering our paper,“Vowel and Diphthong-Like Spectral Patterns in Sperm Whale Codas.”
By: @begus.bsky.social, Ronald Sprouse, Andrej Leban, Miles Silva and Shane Gero.
By: @begus.bsky.social, Ronald Sprouse, Andrej Leban, Miles Silva and Shane Gero.
The clicks that the animals make share at least one property with human language
Sperm whales communicate with vowels
The clicks that the animals make share at least one property with human language
econ.st
November 13, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Thank you @economist.com for covering our paper,“Vowel and Diphthong-Like Spectral Patterns in Sperm Whale Codas.”
By: @begus.bsky.social, Ronald Sprouse, Andrej Leban, Miles Silva and Shane Gero.
By: @begus.bsky.social, Ronald Sprouse, Andrej Leban, Miles Silva and Shane Gero.
Reposted by Gasper Begus
Whowels!
The clicks that the animals make share at least one property with human language
Sperm whales communicate with vowels
The clicks that the animals make share at least one property with human language
econ.st
November 12, 2025 at 10:24 PM
Whowels!
Reposted by Gasper Begus
As a former opera singer this makes perfect sense. Consonants are typically brief, & plosive sounds can't be sustained. But vowel sounds can be sustained for long durations (how much breath do you have?) and with more volume - perfect for underwater long distance communication 🐳
The clicks that the animals make share at least one property with human language
Sperm whales communicate with vowels
The clicks that the animals make share at least one property with human language
econ.st
November 12, 2025 at 11:07 PM
As a former opera singer this makes perfect sense. Consonants are typically brief, & plosive sounds can't be sustained. But vowel sounds can be sustained for long durations (how much breath do you have?) and with more volume - perfect for underwater long distance communication 🐳
Whowels!
The clicks that the animals make share at least one property with human language
Sperm whales communicate with vowels
The clicks that the animals make share at least one property with human language
econ.st
November 12, 2025 at 10:24 PM
Whowels!
Reposted by Gasper Begus
The clicks that the animals make share at least one property with human language
Sperm whales communicate with vowels
The clicks that the animals make share at least one property with human language
econ.st
November 12, 2025 at 5:45 PM
The clicks that the animals make share at least one property with human language
Reposted by Gasper Begus
Dipthong song.
CETI scientists have discovered vowel and diphthong-like patterns in sperm whale communication! Read: bit.ly/3WSn9rc
By: @begus.bsky.social, Ronald Sprouse, Andrej Leban, Miles Silva & Shane Gero.
@ucberkeleyofficial.bsky.social, @umich.edu, @carleton.ca, @csail.mit.edu
Animation: Meghan Fenske
By: @begus.bsky.social, Ronald Sprouse, Andrej Leban, Miles Silva & Shane Gero.
@ucberkeleyofficial.bsky.social, @umich.edu, @carleton.ca, @csail.mit.edu
Animation: Meghan Fenske
November 12, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Dipthong song.