How to Speak Whale: A Voyage into the Future of Animal Communication

Description

'A must-read' New Scientist 'Fascinating' Greta Thunberg 'Enthralling' George Monbiot 'Brilliant' Philip Hoare A thrilling investigation into the pioneering world of animal communication, where big data and artificial intelligence are changing our relationship with animals forever In 2015, wildlife filmmaker Tom Mustill was whale watching when a humpback breached onto his kayak and nearly killed him. After a video clip of the event went viral, Tom found himself inundated with theories about what happened. He became obsessed with trying to find out what the whale had been thinking and sometimes wished he could just ask it. In the process of making a film about his experience, he discovered that might not be such a crazy idea. This is a story about the pioneers in a new age of discovery, whose cutting-edge developments in natural science and technology are taking us to the brink of decoding animal communication - and whales, with their giant mammalian brains and sophisticated vocalisations, offer one of the most realistic opportunities for us to do so. Using 'underwater ears,' robotic fish, big data and machine intelligence, leading scientists and tech-entrepreneurs across the world are working to turn the fantasy of Dr Dolittle into a reality, upending much of what we know about these mysterious creatures. But what would it mean if we were to make contact? And with climate change threatening ever more species with extinction, would doing so alter our approach to the natural world? Enormously original and hugely entertaining, How to Speak Whale is an unforgettable look at how close we truly are to communicating with another species - and how doing so might change our world beyond recognition.

Tom Mustill is a producer, director and writer specialising in stories of where people and nature meet. His work with David Attenborough, Greta Thunberg, Stephen Fry and conservation and science heroes across the globe have won over 30 international awards, including two Webbys, a Wildscreen Panda, two Jackson Wild Awards and been nominated for a Primetime Emmy. He directed on the blockbuster Inside Nature's Giants series which won a BAFTA, Royal Television Society and Broadcast award, as well as the ZSL Award for Communicating Zoology.

'A must-read... a hugely engaging personal story of a journey into the future of human-animal communication facilitated by delving into its past' New Scientist '[An] extensively researched and energetic book... it is via the informed, far-reaching empathy of intermediaries such as Mustill that we stand our best chance of seeing into the non-human depths' New Statesman 'First-class ... a reasoned, entertaining, and fact-filled inquiry' Forbes 'Fascinating and deeply humane' Greta Thunberg 'A rich, enthralling, brilliant book that opens our eyes and ears to worlds we can scarcely imagine' George Monbiot, Sunday Times bestselling author of Regenesis 'Tantalizing ... Think how transformative it would be if we could chat with whales about their love lives or their sorrows or their thoughts on the philosophy of language' Elizabeth Kolbert, New Yorker 'Mind-blowing ... You will never feel closer to the magnificence of whales' Lucy Jones, author of Losing Eden 'A scary, important and brilliant book ... If we do get to translate 'whale', will we like what they've got to say?' Philip Hoare, author of Leviathan, and Albert & the Whale 'Mustill takes us farther, much farther, than Dr. Dolittle ever imagined' Carl Safina 'Riveting ... One of the most exciting and hopeful books I have read in ages' Sy Montgomery, author of The Soul of an Octopus 'Mustill conveys the richness of whale song and communication' Frans de Waal 'Lively and informative' Jonathan Slaght, author of Owls of the Eastern Ice 'Extraordinary' Christiana Figueres