Deep Whale Listening

What would happen if we could understand what whales are saying? In this lecture, David Gruber will discuss the transdisciplinary research of Project CETI (Cetacean Translation Initiative) and its mission to decipher the communication of sperm whales. The lecture will also cover additional research developments that can help us better understand how marine life perceive the world, as well as artistic collaborations that have stemmed from this scientific discourse. 

David Gruber is the founder & president of Project CETI, a nonprofit organization that applies advanced machine learning and state-of-the-art robotics to listen to and translate the communication of sperm whales. CETI has made pioneering scientific discoveries, including the sperm whale phonetic alphabet, and aims to use their findings to support conservation and policy protections for marine life. Gruber is Distinguished Professor of Biology and Environmental Sciences at Baruch College, City University of New York, and a National Geographic Explorer.  

Sponsored by The Franke Program in Science and the Humanities, Performance Studies Working Group, Program in Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies at Yale