Rogue Syntax: Primer By Nathan Gray, Makiko Yamamoto and Danni Zuvela

The second part of our investigation into what happens when humans try to make non-humans talk, deals with two experiments with chimpanzees both intended to disprove ascendant theories of Noam Chomsky from the 60s onwards. We continue to listen to the evolving ethics of behavioural experiments with animals and the tragic effects on chimps and humans alike whose lives were altered by this struggle between competing linguistic theorists and theories.

Featuring music by Vera Dvale and guests Lekan Akinlosotu Martins and Sabine Gottfried

ROGUE SYNTAX PRIMER, EPISODE 3 Part 1: THE CLEVER HANS EFFECT

In the early 20th century, experiments with a performing horse, “Clever Hans”, sparked off a wave of scientific interest in the communication capacities of animals which continue today. Episode 3 of ROGUE SYNTAX is in two parts and both deal with this legacy of what happens when humans try to make non-humans talk. Part 1 explores the stories of “talking” horses and chimpanzee sign language experiments; introduces concepts such as operant conditioning and the observer expectancy effect in the context of language learning; and discusses the ethical and psychological effects of what happens when we make animals communicate with us.

ROGUE SYNTAX is supported by Liquid Architecture, 1646 and The Australia Council for the Arts. This episode written by Nathan Gray, edited by Danni Zuvela, script consultation by Dr. Rikke Bungaard-Nielsen and titles and examples by Makiko Yamamoto.

Featuring music by Vera Dvale (https://soundcloud.com/eravale)
recordings by Andrew Skeoch, Aural Archipelago and a recording of Nathaniel Mann's pigeon whistles.

roguesyntaxprimer@gmail.com