The NYT has a fascinating piece on emerging research into sperm whales’ communications:

Scientists Find an ‘Alphabet’ in Whale Songs

Sperm whales rattle off pulses of clicks while swimming together, raising the possibility that they’re communicating in a complex language.

 

I think this speaks to Derrida’s point about the “asinine” notion that animals are fundamentally separate from human (animals) due to the lack of [logos, language, tool-making …]. Here we see clear evidence of a capacity for “response” in JDs sense, even if scientists debate whether it constitutes “language,” “music,” or something else. The discussion of the stylistics is really interesting: the wide range of patterns produced, and the capacity to vary an utterance (the “rubato” slowing of a sequence that is then matched by the others in the pod).

See you tomorrow.

And just for fun, Bill Staines’s kiddie klassic that kind of reimagines Genesis 2, with the multitude of animals forming a “choir” that encompasses all of animal life:

Live from Fiddle & Bow – Bill Staines ~ “All God’s Critters”

Singer/Songwriter Bill Staines performs one of his best-known songs, “All God’s Critters”