The Sound of Science: How Evolution Gives 'Meaning' To Sound
Schedule
Wed Oct 01 2025 at 06:00 pm to 09:00 pm
UTC-04:00Location
The Mule at Devil's Foot Beverage | Asheville, NC
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The Sound and the Furry with evolutionary biologist Dr. James Fuller. What is the sound of one hand clapping?
Ummm … beats me. Maybe some kind of whoosh?
It is easier, perhaps, to characterize the sound of a scream, a sigh, or a moan. We might feel we “understand” a lion’s roar, a wolf’s growl, or the pigeons’ hypnotic cooing, even without consulting our trusty translator apps. But do we really understand these sounds or do we just assign “meaning” based on how they make us feel?
Vocal signals play key roles in how many animals – from toads to turkeys, emus to elk – manage the absurdly complex interactions that come with being social. Elephants emit infrasonic (below 20 Hz) rumbles, mice make ultrasonic (above 20,000 Hz) squeaks, and whales do whatever you want to call whale noises (“song” seems a little human-centric, don’t ya think?). To make sense of animal communication, we must first consider that, unlike symbolic language, vocal signals evolved because they have an innate effect on listeners. So, how do we explain why some sounds evoke a reflexive dread while others seem to soothe our savage beasts?
At the October salon, join evolutionary biologist and behavioral ecologist Dr. James Fuller to explore how sound waves, anatomy, neural pathways, and natural selection shape animal vocal signals. Dr. Fuller has studied the behavior of African primates for nearly three decades, with field research in Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda. His research examines the evolution of social behavior, with a focus on the development of vocal communication systems. James is a member of the New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology and an adjunct professor at Columbia University and also Mars Hill University. He reckons that curiosity is key to most things that matter, that questions are vastly more interesting than answers, and that he knows a lot less than he lets on.
Doors at 5:00 PM. Have a drink with old friends, meet new ones, and get ready for some serious science in a seriously un-serious setting.
Presentation starts at 7:00. Then, stick around for Q&A, discussion, and general mingling.
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Where is it happening?
The Mule at Devil's Foot Beverage, 131 Sweeten Creek Road, Ste. 10,Asheville, North Carolina, United StatesEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
