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31 - Language Beyond Earth

from Part VI - Life and Language, Here and Beyond

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 September 2023

Raymond Hickey
Affiliation:
University of Limerick
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Summary

Language is a unique property of humans. It is located in our brains and is intimately connected with our experience of consciousness. Our interaction with other humans via language is the main means by which we can be sure that others experience levels of consciousness like ourselves. However, many animals have communication systems which in principle are similar to language, that is, they are used to convey information between members of a species, though not always by means of sounds. For instance, bees use a special set of movements in which information about a source of nectar, its size and distance from the hive, is transmitted by movements in space by the bees, their ‘dance’. Whales use noises sent out beneath the water to other whales. Other senses can and have been used for communication. For example, many insects exude pheromones, scents with a certain signal value for a member of a species, normally to attract females.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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  • Language Beyond Earth
  • Raymond Hickey, University of Limerick
  • Book: Life and Language Beyond Earth
  • Online publication: 16 September 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009229272.032
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  • Language Beyond Earth
  • Raymond Hickey, University of Limerick
  • Book: Life and Language Beyond Earth
  • Online publication: 16 September 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009229272.032
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Language Beyond Earth
  • Raymond Hickey, University of Limerick
  • Book: Life and Language Beyond Earth
  • Online publication: 16 September 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009229272.032
Available formats
×