Do Cats Have Language?
Animals bark, sing, purr, and even gesture—all fascinating but a far cry from human communication.
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Episode Notes
Dogs can be taught to distinguish between hundreds of basic words—which comes in handy if you need someone to fetch the blue, round object. Gorillas, meanwhile, can learn a vocabulary of hand signs. But those examples, says John McWhorter, should not be taken as evidence that animals have a capacity for language.
Podcast production by Mike Vuolo.
