Last March, a friend in the Netherlands told me about a researcher nearby who had discovered that cows don’t reply to each other’s ‘moos’ right away. It can take a minute or two for them to respond. They are paying plenty of attention, but their linguistic rhythm is different from ours. This got me intrigued about what else we might learn concerning cow communication.
Several interviews and much contemplation later, this became the story published on the BBC today: “Stares and ear-twitches: The linguist learning to speak the expressive language of cows.” The tale offers another lesson on how easy it is to be dismissive of the capacities of other animals. I’m eager to see that change. Let me know what you think.
“Stares and Ear Twitches,” BBC Future, February 6th, 2025
Christopher J. Preston 