[Igor Antunov]

Dogs understand what some human words mean, according to a study published in the prestigious journal Science.

In a world-first experiment, academics in Hungary trained 13 dogs to voluntarily lie in an MRI scanner to monitor what happened in their brain when the researchers spoke to them.

They discovered that dogs’ brains process language in a similar way to humans, with the right side dealing with emotion and the left processing meaning.

It was only when both sides of the brain agreed they were hearing praise that the dog was truly happy.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/scien ... 16481.html

Well to anyone with a dog this is patently obvious, but it is nice to have confirmation.

[Besoeker]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/dogs-can-understand-human-speech-scientists-say-a7216481.html

Well to anyone with a dog this is patently obvious, but it is nice to have confirmation.

You're right. Dog owners know. Ours is like the black and white one to the right of the bunch. We have taken to spelling words to each other but now the dog is even picking up on that.

But puting them in a MRI scanner to prove it seems a bit of an extreme measure.

[Igor Antunov]

It's funny when I have a discussion about feeding the dog or taking him for a walk and he hears me through the door, and is there expecting to be fed or walked.

[AFAIK]

What a waste of an MRI machine.

[Frollein]

Why a waste? The objective of science is to gain greater understanding of the world around us. Learning how to communicate with other species more effectively certainly fits the bill. And frankly, dogs have a better character than most humans, so I'd question on whom it'd really be "wasted." Humans have no inherent worth except the one they self-importantly ascribe to their own species.

[mikema63]

AFAIK is just jealous that dogs are better than him.

[Frollein]

Dogs are better than most of us.

[Besoeker]

Dogs are better than most of us.

Or maybe that should be most dogs? Or many dogs?

We have a gem. He is from a rescue centre a little over a year ago. and has turned out to be a gentle and friendly giant. I've just come back from our fourth walk of the day.
But, as we walk a lot, we come across a few that are just mean and agressive.

[Saeko]

I, for one, welcome our furry, bacon-loving overlords.

[AFAIK]

It doesn't take an MRI machine to tell me that my dog recognises her name, various commands, scolding and affection.

Are we going to build a supersized MRI to prove that whales who perform at seaworld are capable of performing at seaworld?

[Donna]

<3 those doggos, puppers, and borkers everywhere

[mikema63]

It doesn't take an MRI machine to tell me that my dog recognises her name, various commands, scolding and affection.

Are we going to build a supersized MRI to prove that whales who perform at seaworld are capable of performing at seaworld?

That's not what the article is talking about though. What they discovered isn't that dogs can recognize sounds, associate it with an action, and then do it. But that they process it in a similar way humans do and understand things like tone.

Essentially the research showed that Dogs process language in a much more complex way that we though previously. Obviously we knew they could obey commands.

[AFAIK]

Dogs are mammals. Why be surprised to learn that their brains work in similar ways to other mammals?

MRIs are expensive. They should be used to identify and diagnose injuries and diseases.

[mikema63]

Research funding wouldn't magically turn into MRI scans for humans. It would buy petri dishes or something.

It actual is really surprising that dogs process information like this. Identifying potential animal models is vastly important to curing human diseases.

Even if we did already think that dogs process language similar to humans you do actually have to prove that, you cannot skip the basic scientific process just because you assume something is true.

Tl;dr the radaradarada science is a waste of money shtick is ridiculous.

[Kaiserschmarrn]

It doesn't take an MRI machine to tell me that my dog recognises her name, various commands, scolding and affection.

Are we going to build a supersized MRI to prove that whales who perform at seaworld are capable of performing at seaworld?

In fairness though, we did at least learn something from this and I can think of plenty of research that is far worse. And while I agree that it's not particularly surprising, you still have to actually show that dog brains and human brains process language in a similar way.

[Potemkin]

In fairness though, we did at least learn something from this and I can think of plenty of research that is far worse. And while I agree that it's not particularly surprising, you still have to actually show that dog brains and human brains process language in a similar way.

Indeed. It is also interesting in that it implies that what Steven Pinker called "the language instinct" is not unique to human beings. Many of the other higher mammals seem to have come close to evolving language too - it's just that a particular species of great ape beat them to it. Even if humans had not evolved language, the wolves might well have done so instead, given another few millions of years of evolution.

[Besoeker]

:D

In fairness though, we did at least learn something from this and I can think of plenty of research that is far worse. And while I agree that it's not particularly surprising, you still have to actually show that dog brains and human brains process language in a similar way.

I think dogs respond to simple commands and usually in one word bytes - no pun intended.
Our dog understands commands. I wondered if it was tone of voice and maybe that's part of it. But I think not all of it. He'll respond to those same commands from the local children.

[Le Rouge]

Dogs can understand people? Stop the presses! Science: the technique of examining the obvious (or less obvious) for truth-value. Alas, it seems this was also an experiment in discovering the love of wisdom could be knowing the obvious needs examination.

[Igor Antunov]

He'll respond to those same commands from the local children.

Mine won't. Only listens to me.