Computer synthesiser enables Neanderthals to be heard

We know, it's a dream of yours to one day hear what Neanderthals from eons past sounded like when they conversed of DAPs possessing a few kilobytes of storage space and longed for computers that wouldn't take up entire caves. Okay, so maybe that's a stretch, but an anthropologist at Florida Atlantic University has seemingly figured out a way to actually recreate what ancient human speech (probably) sounded like. By utilizing reconstructions of a trio of Neanderthal vocal tracts, the crew was able to engineer what a spoken "E" would've sounded like via a computer synthesiser; in time, they're hoping to construct an entire Neanderthal sentence. Of course, not everyone's convinced that the discoveries made thus far are entirely accurate, but be sure to hit the read link a take a listen for yourself (hint: it's nothing like those Bud Light commercials).

[Via Slashdot, image courtesy of ABC]

[paul34 @ Apr 16th 2008 10:09PM]

Direct link for those, like me, who had to spend a little time to actualyl locate the damn link on the page.

http://media.newscientist.com/data/images/ns/av/dn13672A1.wav

[Aguiluz @ Apr 16th 2008 10:11PM]

Sounds like a fart.

Or is it an "A!" sound?

[payne @ Apr 16th 2008 10:13PM]

Thanks, I was looking for that.

[Taylor @ Apr 16th 2008 11:34PM]

This is the most deserving first comment I have ever seen.

[Motoken @ Apr 17th 2008 12:36AM]

@paul, indeed, but i lack all tv/music knowledge and was too lazy to enter a poem on google, also i'd rather spur a conversation rather then google it. also-also, this is a blog, i dont care if my spelling is off, as long as you understand.
though i have a friend named paul.

[Jordan @ Apr 17th 2008 3:15AM]

Motoken, what the flying %^&* are you trying to communicate?

[tmlc @ Apr 17th 2008 5:41AM]

Thanks, now I know that my ancient ancestors sounded like poorly made killer robots. Which is pretty cool btw.

[giuliop @ Apr 17th 2008 6:21AM]

Sounds more like the noise a grasshopper makes. Maybe those were the "vocal tracts" of the insectoid aliens that subdued earth.

[Chicksta @ Apr 16th 2008 10:11PM]

I listen to them every day, so I know what they sound like.

[Andrew @ Apr 16th 2008 10:22PM]

That's....cute.

[andres @ Apr 16th 2008 10:48PM]

did you forget to put a forward option on your time machine?

[giuliop @ Apr 17th 2008 5:21AM]

@andres

Either way, her comment being posted to this blog at this time, in this age, means the Neanderthals she hears are contemporary.

Now if you'll excuse me... I've just heard a scream.

[Bernhard @ Apr 16th 2008 10:11PM]

Just get Arnold Schwarzenegger to say something, that's probably the closest you will ever get

[ThePengwin @ Apr 16th 2008 11:06PM]

"ITS NOT A TUMOR!"

[payne @ Apr 16th 2008 10:14PM]

Is this really engadget worthy?

[mushrooshi @ Apr 16th 2008 11:38PM]

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[low tech @ Apr 16th 2008 11:50PM]

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[-Tj- @ Apr 17th 2008 1:09AM]

God, seriously!? Are you seriously bringing this ASCII crap here? It's might be cute on 2chan and other such sites, but it's almost insulting to see this here. C'mon...

Back on topic, I suppose the tools used may be worthy, but maybe we've lost the sarcasm of the post somewhere. I find it pretty funny that some guy thinks he knows how Neanderthals sounded. 10,000 years from now I want some guy to exhume my grave, approximate my vocal cavities, and recreate my voice. Maybe he'll think I couldn't pronounce an "E" like they would in their time either.

[low tech @ Apr 17th 2008 1:32AM]

Yeah I was trying to make that point too, but I guess it didn't carry over so well. I guess when you try to ego trip you just lose your luggage ;.;

[-Tj- @ Apr 17th 2008 5:17AM]

No worries. My comment was supposed to be for mushrooshi above yours. Chalk it up to only one hierarchal level of comment replying. You got a + from me.

[Motoken @ Apr 16th 2008 10:20PM]

GREAT! now we mite be able to communicate with our government!

[linumax @ Apr 16th 2008 10:38PM]

That's a great insult to Neanderthals' language and intelligence, please respect the dead.

[paul @ Apr 16th 2008 11:58PM]

Perhaps your government would be more open to intelligent coversation if you first learned how to properly spell "might".

[Neoprimal @ Apr 17th 2008 2:11AM]

@paul,

well...I don't know. He may have a point...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viqlkKwZIlM

[rv @ Apr 16th 2008 10:21PM]

got me lifted shifted higher than a ceiling
And ooh wee it’s the ultimate feeling
You got me lifted feeling so gifted
Sugar how you get so fly?

[Motoken @ Apr 16th 2008 10:24PM]

come again? lol jk but its a real nice poem, did you make it or shake it?

[paul34 @ Apr 16th 2008 10:36PM]

Motoken, 10 seconds on Google then Youtube revealed:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=C6szDIy6SUs

[rv @ Apr 16th 2008 11:56PM]

What I wrote was supposed to be a joke
That video is even funnier (Though the ladies are hot)

[low tech @ Apr 16th 2008 10:32PM]

I'm sure they were just talking about being oppressed by car insurance ads.

[KangMin @ Apr 16th 2008 11:10PM]

Not the bud light commercials, but they prolly sound like the cavemen from the Geico commercials

[Drew @ Apr 16th 2008 11:27PM]

Me want Snu Snu, Out Me way!... typical sentence...

[mushrooshi @ Apr 16th 2008 11:37PM]

At school, "Snuu Snuu" is a slang word for secks. Note secks instead of sex. That is because we use it as an immature joke.

[Drew @ Apr 17th 2008 12:32AM]

Futurama... Episode no. 33

[MarkZ @ Apr 16th 2008 11:36PM]

Jesus, that's some Alien Vs. Predator shit right there (Use your imagination).

[deep @ Apr 16th 2008 11:36PM]

Sounds like a queef.

[eugene @ Apr 16th 2008 11:36PM]

How long before the creationists come out of the wood work and start telling us the world is only 6000 years old and that neanderthals were really the spawn of satan?

[mushrooshi @ Apr 16th 2008 11:39PM]

Some other students have told me carbon16 dating is so flawed, I can understand margins of half a million years, but not tens and fiftys and hundreds of millions of years!

One says man did really walk with dinosaurs.


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....................................,.-‘”...................``~.,
.............................,.-”...................................“-.,
.........................,/...............................................”:,
.....................,?......................................................\,
.................../...........................................................,}
................./......................................................,:`^`..}
.............../...................................................,:”........./
..............?.....__.........................................:`.........../
............./__.(.....“~-,_..............................,:`........../
.........../(_....”~,_........“~,_....................,:`........_/
..........{.._$;_......”=,_.......“-,_.......,.-~-,},.~”;/....}
...........((.....*~_.......”=-._......“;,,./`..../”............../
...,,,___.\`~,......“~.,....................`.....}............../
............(....`=-,,.......`........................(......;_,,-”
............/.`~,......`-...............................\....../\
.............\`~.*-,.....................................|,./.....\,__
,,_..........}.>-._\...................................|..............`=~-,
.....`=~-,_\_......`\,.................................\
...................`=~-,,.\,...............................\
................................`:,,...........................`\..............__
.....................................`=-,...................,%`>--==``
........................................_\..........._,-%.......`\
...................................,

[Jon Doe. @ Apr 16th 2008 11:43PM]

No that's fundi's but I see how people can get the two confused. :-P

[eugene @ Apr 17th 2008 1:12AM]

I wouldn't put too much stock in your blokes who're talking about "carbon 16" dating... seeing how's there no such thing.

[heather @ Apr 17th 2008 4:14PM]

check the comments on the read link... people have managed to turn it into yet another racism debate.

I personally do believe that we could have walked with dinosaurs... but that's a long debate that I'd rather not get into right now...

[Josh L @ Apr 17th 2008 10:44AM]

Interestingly, nobody has said anything of the sort. But now we have heard from the jackass elitist crowd. Telling?

Seriously man, trying to start ID flame wars just to stroke your e-peen gives fellow atheists a bad name. GTFO.

[eugene @ Apr 17th 2008 2:00PM]

lol, you think science is "elitest". HAHAHAHAHAHA.

[Josh L @ Apr 21st 2008 5:12PM]

QED

[dxprog @ Apr 16th 2008 11:37PM]

Bud Light presents... Real Men of Genius. (Real Men of Genius!) Today we salute you, Mr. Caveman Voice Recreator. (Mr. Caveman Voice Recreator!)


Perhaps the wrong Bud Light commercials.

[Brian @ Apr 17th 2008 10:03AM]

I love those commercials!

[Reader @ Apr 17th 2008 12:33AM]

I knew we descended from aliens... Glad I finally have proof.

[Marty K. @ Apr 17th 2008 12:34AM]

Good ol' FAU, my alma mater.

[Rainier @ Apr 17th 2008 10:36AM]

I was hoping to hear "Yabba dabba doo!"

[Josh L @ Apr 17th 2008 10:46AM]

WILLLMAAAAA!

[Californian @ Apr 17th 2008 5:16PM]

Stupid idiots. Who cares?