1501HUM - New Communication Technologies Essay - Ryan Cook (2794334)
Essay Topic: What is communication? Do whales communicate? Do birds? Do atoms? Does DNA communicate? What would you suggest as the limits to communication? When does a failure of human communication occur?
Communication between humans, animals, plant life, atoms and DNA can be summed up as the activity of passing information from one form of life to the next. In the act of communication, there must be a receiver and a message sender, although communication can take the form of verbal speaking or physical movements (Sherwyn 2007, pp. 3)
In order to answer the question ‘What is communication?’ it is important to become acquainted with the history of human communication throughout time. The first evidence of human communication emerged in the form of pictographs, which were drawings carved into stone. The second phase occurred shortly after, but instead of stone, writing began to develop on paper, clay and wax. Finally, the third stage of communication developed in the form of electronic signals, in particular the telephone and later to date, computers.
Perhaps it could be best said that communication has developed alongside the human race. As humans have developed both physically and intellectually, so has communication, with the help and advances in technology.
In the form of animal life, however, communication has evolved much slower. Up until recently, communication among whales in particular has been very misunderstood, and although technological advances have helped, understanding how whales communicate in the ocean is still an ongoing project for marine biologists (Walsh 2011, p.1). What marine biologists do know though is that whales communicate verbally through sound due to their poor eye sight and sense of smell in the sea.
This kind of communication is known as echolocation, a term used to describe the sounds certain species of whales use. Echolocation is still a very difficult type of communication for scientists to grasp, but current studies using a serge synthesizer have helped to understand the ‘songs’ whales engage in under the sea.
Among other species of animals or mammals, however, whales differ entirely.
For birds, communication is both verbal and visual during their lives. Where birds perhaps remain separate from other animals though, is in their ability to learn a human word and reproduce it verbally themselves (Weir 2004, pp. 6-7). Birds also have the uncanny ability of teaching other birds words and phrases they may have learned from humans, making them the only species of animal to reiterate the human language.
Away from the animal world, some people may be surprised to learn that DNA does in fact communicate as well. According to scientists, no one knows exactly how DNA communicates with one another, but so far we understand that double stranded DNA is capable of recognizing other parts of DNA within the human body.
Atoms are also known for communicating, although research is still ongoing (Bauchner 2011, pp 3).
According to physicists however, in 2007 scientists successfully “coaxed two atoms to communicate with a type of quantum intuition”, something Albert Einstein once thought impossible.
So when does a failure in communication occur?
For humans, a failure in communication occurs quite often in everyday life. The first example of this would be between different languages, as someone speaking Japanese may come across a barrier when trying to communicate with someone who is of an English speaking background. On one hand, this kind of language barrier can be overcome once one party of the conversation is educated in the foreign language, but the use of hand gestures and body language can also help solve the problem in the short term.
The second example of failure in communication can occur between humans and machine. Since a computer was originally designed by a human, there are many flaws in the electronic world that prohibit humans from fully engaging with machines.
One example of this would be the speed in which machines operate. In comparison to the human brain, a computer takes much longer to process information and produce a result. The speed of a computer is slowly increasing alongside technological advances, but it easy to see why humans often experience problems with machines and equipment in everyday life.
Computers also cause problems due to human factors (Mindell 2002, pp. 4). Without electricity, a computer cannot operate, and without an internet connection, emails cannot be sent back and forward between recipients. This is also a limit to communication for many third world countries, as electronic resources are scarce, therefore, it is perhaps best said that electronic communication is great when it comes to communicating long distances, but face to face interaction is irreplaceable.
Overall, human communication continues to evolve whilst the human race develops. From wax and paper, to the telephone and now computers, communication has taken three very important steps in the space of the past 5000 years.
Studies into animal communication have also been aided by the advancements in technology, and for endangered species in particular, these studies have helped to further teach scientists about language between animals and mammals.
Finally, communication remains a vital part of human existence, and with the help of technology, future generations look likely to experience further developments.
Reference List:
· Author Unknown, 2011, ‘How Do Whales Communicate With Eachother Volume 2’, viewed 11 October 2011, http://www.whale-world.com/how-do-whales-communicate-with-each-other.html
- Bauchner, H 2011, ‘Atoms’, p. 3, Volume 96, Archives of Disease in Childhood
· Lad, K 2011, ‘How Do Whales Communicate With Eachother?’, viewed 10 October 2011, http://www.buzzle.com/articles/how-do-whales-communicate-with-each-other.html
· Lane, M 2011, ‘How Can Birds Talk to Eachother?’, viewed 11 October 2011, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-14930062
- · Mindell, D 2002, ‘Between Human and Machine: Feedback, Control, and Computing Before Cybernetics’, p. 6, The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore
· Sato, R 2010, ‘The Unsolved Mystery of DNA's Telepathic Communication (A Galaxy Classic)’, viewed 10 October 2011, http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2010/04/the-unsolved-mystery-of-dnas-telepathic-communication.html
- · Sherwan P, Morreale 2007, ‘Human Communication: Motivation, Knowledge and Skills’, p. 6, Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, Belmont California
· Thomas, M 1999, ‘The Impacts of Technology on Communication’, viewed 11 October 2011, http://online.adelaide.edu.au/LearnIT.nsf/URLs/technology_and_communication
- · Walsh, D 2011, ‘Deaf Whales = Dead Whale’, Pro Quest Database, United States Naval Institute, p. 1
- · Weir, K 2004, ‘Bird Word’, Pro Quest Database, p. 1
