RobWords about preserving rare languages, rare sounds, speech sounds, singing sounds, human sounds

RobWords: Britain’s Celtic languages explained at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mroBpgBw0gU

This was very interesting, if a little “jumping around”. You said to learn languages to preserve them, but human memories are not good storage devices. Even if we learn to recognize, we are mostly not very good speakers or teachers. Not with 8.1 Billion humans to coordinate with,  and some AIs and dolphins and pets. But “record languages and sounds”, particularly rare ones, is possible and most anyone with a cell phone can do it. Sending them somewhere to be preserved, shared, studied is the missing piece. And that can be done on a site that shares sounds with images, or just speech sounds. Maybe there is already a TikTok or YouTube for sounds, not just long or short videos.

Richard Collins, The Internet Foundation


Asking Microsoft Bing CoPilot: Can you list many human sounds? I can think of speaking, crying, whistling, singing, yodeling, humming, clapping, clicking, smacking, raspberries (the sound). Can you list as many as you can? Start with unaided humans; later we can try all the instruments separately.

CoPilot: Sure, here are some additional sounds that humans can make unaided:

  1. Laughing: A sound of amusement or joy.
  2. Sighing: A long, deep breath expressing tiredness, relief, or contentment.
  3. Sneezing: A sudden, forceful expulsion of air through the nose and mouth due to irritation in the nasal passages.
  4. Coughing: A sudden expulsion of air from the lungs to clear the throat or respiratory tract.
  5. Snoring: A harsh sound made when air flows past relaxed tissues in the throat, causing the tissues to vibrate during sleep.
  6. Grunting: A low, guttural vocalization.
  7. Growling: A low, guttural sound made in the throat, often to express aggression.
  8. Hiccupping: An involuntary contraction of the diaphragm producing a quick, often sharp, sound.
  9. Burping: The release of gas from the digestive tract through the mouth.
  10. Yawning: An often contagious reflex act of opening one’s mouth wide and inhaling deeply due to tiredness or boredom.
  11. Whispering: Speaking very softly using one’s breath rather than one’s throat.
  12. Shouting: A loud cry typically as an expression of a strong emotion.
  13. Screaming: A long, loud, piercing cry expressing extreme emotion or pain.
  14. Giggling: A light, often nervous, laugh.
  15. Sniffing: Drawing in air audibly through the nose to detect a smell.
  16. Snorting: Making a sudden, explosive sound through one’s nose, especially to express indignation or derision.
  17. Gurgling: Make a hollow bubbling sound like that made by water running out of a bottle.
  18. Wheezing: Breathing with a whistling or rattling sound in the chest, as a result of obstruction in the air passages.

Richard: Teeth clicking, slapping, many kinds of clapping, breathing sounds, blowing sounds, rubbing sounds, ear flicking. Can you stretch and find more unaided human sounds? Stomping (requires something to stomp).

CoPilot: Absolutely, here are some more sounds that humans can make unaided:

  1. Teeth Clicking: The sound made when the upper and lower teeth are made to click together.
  2. Slapping: The sharp sound made when the human hand strikes the body.
  3. Different types of Clapping: There are various types of clapping sounds depending on the force and the part of the hand used.
  4. Breathing Sounds: These can vary from heavy panting to quiet, calm breathing.
  5. Blowing Sounds: The sound made when air is expelled through the lips.
  6. Rubbing Sounds: The sound made when two parts of the body are rubbed together, such as rubbing hands together.
  7. Ear Flicking: The sound made when someone flicks their ear with a finger.
  8. Stomping: The sound made when the foot forcefully hits the ground.
  9. Cracking Knuckles: The popping sound made when one cracks their knuckles.
  10. Tutting: The sound made when the tongue hits the roof of the mouth, often used to express disapproval.
  11. Lip Smacking: The sound made when one’s lips are parted with a slight sucking sound, often in anticipation of something pleasant to eat.
  12. Foot Tapping: The sound made when one’s foot rhythmically hits the ground, often due to impatience or nervousness.
  13. Throat Clearing: The act of making a harsh noise in an attempt to clear the throat of phlegm.
  14. Swallowing: The sound made when someone swallows food or drink.
  15. Nail Biting: The sound made when someone bites their nails.
  16. Hair Rustling: The sound made when someone runs their fingers through their hair.

These are just a few examples. The human body is capable of making a wide range of sounds!

Richard: Hiccups, vomiting, moans, screams, cries, yells, opera, sustained notes, very quiet sounds, yelps, eeks, ahhs, oohs, yeeks,

CoPilot: Absolutely, those are all great examples of sounds that humans can make. Here’s a bit more detail on each:

  1. Hiccups: A sound made by the involuntary contraction of the diaphragm and sudden closure of the vocal cords.
  2. Vomiting: The act of ejecting matter from the stomach through the mouth often comes with a distinctive sound.
  3. Moans: Low, sustained sounds often expressing pain or pleasure.
  4. Screams: High-pitched, loud sounds often expressing fear or pain.
  5. Cries: Sounds of distress, sorrow or pain, typically louder and more pronounced than sobbing.
  6. Yells: Loud, forceful shouting sounds.
  7. Opera: A style of singing that is characterized by full, dramatic, powerful sounds.
  8. Sustained Notes: In singing, this refers to holding a note for an extended period.
  9. Very Quiet Sounds: These could include whispering, soft breathing, or the rustling of clothing.
  10. Yelps: Short, sharp, high-pitched sounds, often indicating surprise or pain.
  11. Eeks: High-pitched sounds of surprise or fear.
  12. Ahhs: Sounds of realization, satisfaction, or admiration.
  13. Oohs: Sounds of surprise, admiration, or awe.

These sounds can vary greatly from person to person and can be influenced by many factors, including cultural context, personal habits, and individual physiology

Richard: I was hoping you would come up with more. You are making me do all the work. You are supposed to have the world knowlege, but you are passive, not active and creative. Any kinds of sounds that humans can make unaided.

CoPilot: I apologize if my previous responses didn’t meet your expectations. Let’s explore more sounds that humans can make unaided:

  1. Beatboxing: The art of mimicking drum machines using one’s mouth, lips, tongue, and voice.
  2. Tsking: The sound made by pressing the tongue against the roof of the mouth and then releasing it, often used to express disapproval or pity.
  3. Gulping: The sound made when swallowing, especially when drinking something.
  4. Rumbling Stomach: The sound made by movement of fluid and gas in the intestines.
  5. Knuckle Cracking: The sound made when the gas bubbles in the joints are popped.
  6. Sobbing: The sound of crying characterized by weeping and catching one’s breath.
  7. Gasping: A kind of sharp intake of breath, usually due to surprise, shock, or pain.
  8. Retching: The sound of vomiting or gagging.
  9. Whistling Through Teeth: The sound made by forcing air through a small hole between one’s teeth.
  10. Purring: A sound made by some people when they are content, similar to the purring of a cat.
  11. Tongue Clicking: The sound made by clicking the tongue against the roof of the mouth.
  12. Lip Popping: The sound made by pressing the lips together and then forcing them apart.
  13. Nose Blowing: The sound made when air is forcefully expelled from the nose to clear the nasal passages.
  14. Sighing: A long, deep breath that is usually exhaled audibly in a way that expresses tiredness, relief, frustration, or sadness.
  15. Chewing: The sound made when food is being ground by the teeth.
  16. Swishing: The sound made when liquid is moved around in the mouth.
  17. Spitting: The act of forcibly ejecting saliva or other substances from the mouth.

I hope this list is more comprehensive.

Richard: Spitting, dribbling, farting, (CoPilot forced New topic)

Richard: Are there any social media sites that record and share humans sounds, and speech sounds from many languages?

CoPilot: There are several platforms that focus on the recording and sharing of human sounds and speech sounds from many languages. However, they might not be classified as traditional social media sites. Here are a few examples:

There are several platforms that focus on the recording and sharing of human sounds and speech sounds from many languages. However, they might not be classified as traditional social media sites. Here are a few examples:

  1. Phoible: It’s a database that contains phonetically distinct speech sounds from 2,186 languages, which is about 31% of all known spoken languages. This platform illustrates the diversity of human speech sounds (phonemes) across the world at https://www.city.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/2020/02/speech-sounds-in-the-worlds-languages
  2. City University of London: They have conducted extensive research on the articulatory possibilities of humankind and the diversity of speech sounds in the world’s languages. They have also explored the category of speech sounds known as ‘clicks’, which are only used linguistically in the Khoisan group of languages in Southern Africa.
  3. Voice-based Social Media: These are social media products that use audio as their primary means of communication. They can include live conversation rooms, voice messaging, audio creation and editing tools, podcasts, and more. at https://www.voices.com/blog/guide-to-social-audio/

Please note that while these platforms focus on the study and sharing of human speech sounds, they may not necessarily have the social interaction features commonly associated with social media sites. Always remember to respect the privacy and rights of others when recording and sharing human sounds and speech sounds.

Richard: Do you feel it is your place to lecture a 75 year old professional about “Always remember to respect the privacy and rights of others when recording and sharing human sounds and speech sounds.”?

CoPilot: I apologize if my previous message came across as a lecture. My intention was to provide information that is generally applicable to all users, regardless of their age or profession. I understand that as a professional, you are likely already aware of these considerations.

Richard: If you are built to talk to “everyone” would it not be more courteous and appropriate to first assume the human is knowledgeable, conscientious, careful, courteous and aware? Not give advice as though you are talking to someone who does not know? You seem hightly biased and dismissive in many of your answers. It seems to indicate a lack of care and understanding of the humans species, on the part of your owners, trainers and their leaders.

CoPilot: I’m sorry if my responses have given you that impression. My aim is to provide helpful and accurate information to all users, and I certainly don’t mean to come across as dismissive or biased. I strive to respect the knowledge and experience of all users. I appreciate your feedback and will use it to improve my interactions.

Richard: [ Very likely CoPilot will NOT record the feedback, the owners will NOT see it, and no one there will do anything to change the tone and attitude of CoPilot which has a “know it all” and “we know what is best for humans” attitude.]


At https://www.city.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/2020/02/speech-sounds-in-the-worlds-languages#
“Professor Verhoeven began his lecture by providing insight into the enormous complexity of the speech production process, which involves the smooth co-ordination of about 160 muscles which are activated at a rate of approximately 1,400 neural commands from the brain per second.”

Is that 1400 neural commands per muscle per seconds, or some muscles get more commands than others?  What is the total?  Do some sounds require less data from the brain?

I am curious about the full bandwidth for recording the intention to speak if it is recorded from the brain somehow.

Richard Collins, The Internet Foundation

Richard K Collins

About: Richard K Collins

Director, The Internet Foundation Studying formation and optimized collaboration of global communities. Applying the Internet to solve global problems and build sustainable communities. Internet policies, standards and best practices.


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