Woof The IF!

Today's show was inspired by our listener and Super IFFer Charlie who wrote in from Knoxville, Tennessee and asked:

"I thought how weird it would be if humans never had language to communicate and relied on basic sounds, grunts, and maybe even hand claps. So I was thinking: What the If Humans never developed language and relied solely on instincts and sounds like most animals? Would we create shelter? Would we clothe ourselves? Would we pass down information to our children? Would we ever advance as a civilization?"

So we tried it... for science! Take a listen, and join in!

Yearning For More Learning?

From WTiF’s Senior Researcher, Gabi Vardanega

• Watch one man replicate 30 animal sounds in this Youtube Video by RudiRok.

• Check out Top Fives’ Youtube video on 15 Unexpected Animal Sounds.

• Follow this link to find some more ScienceDirect pieces on Vocal Learning.

• Interested in learning more about the Kronauer Lab at Rockefeller University? Check out their website.

• Check out this NBCNews article on how mice woo mates.

• Read this article by the Linguistic Society of America which explores how language began.

• Read this BBCNews article or NCBI study about elephants mimicking human speech.

Got an IF of your own?

Want to have us consider your idea for a show topic? Send YOUR IF to us! Email us at feedback@whattheif.com and let us know what's in your imagination. No idea is too small, or too big!

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Keep On IFFin',
Philip, Matt, Gaby & Gabi