[Music] ever since I was a child whenever I hear
ever since I was a child whenever I hear
ever since I was a child whenever I hear of the sound with a bird in nature on
of the sound with a bird in nature on
of the sound with a bird in nature on the answering calls of his mates I used
the answering calls of his mates I used
the answering calls of his mates I used to feel as if I could visualize the not
to feel as if I could visualize the not
to feel as if I could visualize the not song and scale all spread out within my
song and scale all spread out within my
song and scale all spread out within my consciousness somehow as a natural
consciousness somehow as a natural
consciousness somehow as a natural Symphony other since then I wanted to
Symphony other since then I wanted to
Symphony other since then I wanted to know the name of every bird I wanted to
know the name of every bird I wanted to
know the name of every bird I wanted to know how they got their beautiful colors
know how they got their beautiful colors
know how they got their beautiful colors and I wanted to know why do they think
and I wanted to know why do they think
and I wanted to know why do they think and how do they sing but living in a
and how do they sing but living in a
and how do they sing but living in a country where we appreciate birds for
country where we appreciate birds for
country where we appreciate birds for their meat more than their songs there
their meat more than their songs there
their meat more than their songs there was no one to tell me or answer my
was no one to tell me or answer my
was no one to tell me or answer my questions every word coming with one
questions every word coming with one
questions every word coming with one said your head as a forest full of
said your head as a forest full of
said your head as a forest full of songbirds I want him and hear by
songbirds I want him and hear by
songbirds I want him and hear by songbirds our ideas thoughts and
songbirds our ideas thoughts and
songbirds our ideas thoughts and emotions I felt as a continuous call
emotions I felt as a continuous call
emotions I felt as a continuous call within my thoughts and emotions to get
within my thoughts and emotions to get
within my thoughts and emotions to get closer to one understand this wonderful
closer to one understand this wonderful
closer to one understand this wonderful feathered vocalists time flew by my
feathered vocalists time flew by my
feathered vocalists time flew by my interest in bird song was rekindled once
interest in bird song was rekindled once
interest in bird song was rekindled once I graduated from UB in 2005 and moved to
I graduated from UB in 2005 and moved to
I graduated from UB in 2005 and moved to America for my PhD being in new to USA
America for my PhD being in new to USA
America for my PhD being in new to USA and being other fond of birds I decided
and being other fond of birds I decided
and being other fond of birds I decided to get couple parakeets home I did so
to get couple parakeets home I did so
to get couple parakeets home I did so very quickly they became my wonderful
very quickly they became my wonderful
very quickly they became my wonderful roommates not only that I taught them
roommates not only that I taught them
roommates not only that I taught them how to eat from my hands I taught them
how to eat from my hands I taught them
how to eat from my hands I taught them how to fly to my shoulders and I told
how to fly to my shoulders and I told
how to fly to my shoulders and I told them how to say a few words like Habibi
them how to say a few words like Habibi
them how to say a few words like Habibi Hey and okay there are not only great
Hey and okay there are not only great
Hey and okay there are not only great vocalists they were also great listeners
vocalists they were also great listeners
vocalists they were also great listeners I could swear they would listen to me
I could swear they would listen to me
I could swear they would listen to me and feel me and I continued wondering
and feel me and I continued wondering
and feel me and I continued wondering how can they think and feel more so it
how can they think and feel more so it
how can they think and feel more so it was other mind-blowing to me
was other mind-blowing to me
was other mind-blowing to me how can these tiny little creatures
how can these tiny little creatures
how can these tiny little creatures learn to imitate vocal sounds and
learn to imitate vocal sounds and
learn to imitate vocal sounds and sometimes with an attitude
sometimes with an attitude
sometimes with an attitude if record sound nowadays via a
if record sound nowadays via a
if record sound nowadays via a microphone we can understand and explain
microphone we can understand and explain
microphone we can understand and explain the underlying physics electronics and
the underlying physics electronics and
the underlying physics electronics and other other concept which enable us
other other concept which enable us
other other concept which enable us to hear our recorded sounds but with
to hear our recorded sounds but with
to hear our recorded sounds but with birds it was like a black box I had no
birds it was like a black box I had no
birds it was like a black box I had no idea what was going inside their fragile
idea what was going inside their fragile
idea what was going inside their fragile skulls and what’s the internal brain
skulls and what’s the internal brain
skulls and what’s the internal brain circuitry that’s orchestrating this very
circuitry that’s orchestrating this very
circuitry that’s orchestrating this very interesting behavior there’s an ancient
interesting behavior there’s an ancient
interesting behavior there’s an ancient proverb that says is very hard to find a
proverb that says is very hard to find a
proverb that says is very hard to find a black cat in a dark room especially when
black cat in a dark room especially when
black cat in a dark room especially when there is no cat I find this particularly
there is no cat I find this particularly
there is no cat I find this particularly accurate description of my scientific
accurate description of my scientific
accurate description of my scientific curiosity and the continuous monologue
curiosity and the continuous monologue
curiosity and the continuous monologue of questions in my head about many
of questions in my head about many
of questions in my head about many things around me always wandering around
things around me always wandering around
things around me always wandering around in dark room bumping into things trying
in dark room bumping into things trying
in dark room bumping into things trying to figure out where both black cats are
to figure out where both black cats are
to figure out where both black cats are but never finding a satisfying answer or
but never finding a satisfying answer or
but never finding a satisfying answer or even the route to do so then I thought I
even the route to do so then I thought I
even the route to do so then I thought I found this route it was a neuroscience
found this route it was a neuroscience
found this route it was a neuroscience the study of the brain and behavior and
the study of the brain and behavior and
the study of the brain and behavior and I quickly realized that neuroscience can
I quickly realized that neuroscience can
I quickly realized that neuroscience can be the flashlight that illuminate the
be the flashlight that illuminate the
be the flashlight that illuminate the dark room and help me find those black
dark room and help me find those black
dark room and help me find those black cats as you can guess I started studying
cats as you can guess I started studying
cats as you can guess I started studying the song bird brain you see those birds
the song bird brain you see those birds
the song bird brain you see those birds author neuroscientist with lots of
author neuroscientist with lots of
author neuroscientist with lots of advantages to answer many fundamental
advantages to answer many fundamental
advantages to answer many fundamental questions about our brain and they are
questions about our brain and they are
questions about our brain and they are accessible to invasive research
accessible to invasive research
accessible to invasive research techniques which were obvious Atika
techniques which were obvious Atika
techniques which were obvious Atika reason is not possible in a human
reason is not possible in a human
reason is not possible in a human research imagine for example you’d like
research imagine for example you’d like
research imagine for example you’d like to understand how a computer works and
to understand how a computer works and
to understand how a computer works and all that what you can get your hands on
all that what you can get your hands on
all that what you can get your hands on is a screen and mouse any keyboard you
is a screen and mouse any keyboard you
is a screen and mouse any keyboard you really would be unfortunate right
really would be unfortunate right
really would be unfortunate right because you’d like to open the computer
because you’d like to open the computer
because you’d like to open the computer crack it open and look at the wiring
crack it open and look at the wiring
crack it open and look at the wiring inside but we can do so with the human
inside but we can do so with the human
inside but we can do so with the human brain and the brain is a learning
brain and the brain is a learning
brain and the brain is a learning machine many cognitive and motor skills
machine many cognitive and motor skills
machine many cognitive and motor skills that we exhibit such as playing the
that we exhibit such as playing the
that we exhibit such as playing the piano on learning is poor such as
piano on learning is poor such as
piano on learning is poor such as hitting a tennis ball these skills are
hitting a tennis ball these skills are
hitting a tennis ball these skills are not innately programmed which means they
not innately programmed which means they
not innately programmed which means they don’t come to us from the sky or via
don’t come to us from the sky or via
don’t come to us from the sky or via genetics rather they are learned through
genetics rather they are learned through
genetics rather they are learned through a process of trial and error and often
a process of trial and error and often
a process of trial and error and often of the extensive practice one example of
of the extensive practice one example of
of the extensive practice one example of a skill which you may not have thought
a skill which you may not have thought
a skill which you may not have thought of but which humans are particularly
of but which humans are particularly
of but which humans are particularly good at is language or learning how to
good at is language or learning how to
good at is language or learning how to speak
speak
speak young children need to listen to the
young children need to listen to the
young children need to listen to the vocalizations of their parents and they
vocalizations of their parents and they
vocalizations of their parents and they quickly learn to reproduce them we hear
quickly learn to reproduce them we hear
quickly learn to reproduce them we hear the world around us in very similar ways
the world around us in very similar ways
the world around us in very similar ways just as built I’m gonna give you just
just as built I’m gonna give you just
just as built I’m gonna give you just couple examples
couple examples
couple examples neither birds can sing normally nor a
neither birds can sing normally nor a
neither birds can sing normally nor a human babies can speak normally if they
human babies can speak normally if they
human babies can speak normally if they are not being tutored by their parents
are not being tutored by their parents
are not being tutored by their parents or adults near them once his speech and
or adults near them once his speech and
or adults near them once his speech and birdsong are learned they often remain
birdsong are learned they often remain
birdsong are learned they often remain remarkably stable throughout life time
remarkably stable throughout life time
remarkably stable throughout life time for example you know it’s very difficult
for example you know it’s very difficult
for example you know it’s very difficult to change our accents once we are adults
to change our accents once we are adults
to change our accents once we are adults or to develop fluency in a new language
or to develop fluency in a new language
or to develop fluency in a new language the same with birds and if songbirds
the same with birds and if songbirds
the same with birds and if songbirds were deafened when they are babies
were deafened when they are babies
were deafened when they are babies learning their songs then their songs
learning their songs then their songs
learning their songs then their songs would be highly abnormal likewise with
would be highly abnormal likewise with
would be highly abnormal likewise with the humans if a human babies were born
the humans if a human babies were born
the humans if a human babies were born deaf then they don’t acquire spoken
deaf then they don’t acquire spoken
deaf then they don’t acquire spoken language and if they were born with
language and if they were born with
language and if they were born with normal hearing abilities but they become
normal hearing abilities but they become
normal hearing abilities but they become deaf throughout their lifetime due to
deaf throughout their lifetime due to
deaf throughout their lifetime due to some injury thunders vocalization will
some injury thunders vocalization will
some injury thunders vocalization will deteriorate markedly already a billion
deteriorate markedly already a billion
deteriorate markedly already a billion people around the world have some kind
people around the world have some kind
people around the world have some kind of a brain disorder
of a brain disorder
of a brain disorder what are schizophrenia Parkinson’s
what are schizophrenia Parkinson’s
what are schizophrenia Parkinson’s depression a vine marathon song and the
depression a vine marathon song and the
depression a vine marathon song and the disorders associated with vocal
disorders associated with vocal
disorders associated with vocal communication and learning are just as a
communication and learning are just as a
communication and learning are just as a quite a dramatic themselves these
quite a dramatic themselves these
quite a dramatic themselves these diseases they not only steal our time to
diseases they not only steal our time to
diseases they not only steal our time to live they change who we are and the
live they change who we are and the
live they change who we are and the alter our identity and our emotions so
alter our identity and our emotions so
alter our identity and our emotions so next time you are outside listening to a
next time you are outside listening to a
next time you are outside listening to a bird singing I hope you remember that
bird singing I hope you remember that
bird singing I hope you remember that this is a very complex learned behavior
this is a very complex learned behavior
this is a very complex learned behavior and that we can understand so much about
and that we can understand so much about
and that we can understand so much about our own brains and behavior from
our own brains and behavior from
our own brains and behavior from studying verse I hope that you get to
studying verse I hope that you get to
studying verse I hope that you get to appreciate love and study a bird instead
appreciate love and study a bird instead
appreciate love and study a bird instead of shooting it I hope we don’t take
of shooting it I hope we don’t take
of shooting it I hope we don’t take everything for granted around us for
everything for granted around us for
everything for granted around us for example the brain rather reflect on this
example the brain rather reflect on this
example the brain rather reflect on this majesty
majesty
majesty this couple kilograms of flesh which you
this couple kilograms of flesh which you
this couple kilograms of flesh which you can hold your hand but which can
can hold your hand but which can
can hold your hand but which can meditate upon the vastness of the
meditate upon the vastness of the
meditate upon the vastness of the universe it can ask questions about the
universe it can ask questions about the
universe it can ask questions about the meaning of infinity
meaning of infinity
meaning of infinity and even the question is own existence
and even the question is own existence
and even the question is own existence absolutely the most incredible thing in
absolutely the most incredible thing in
absolutely the most incredible thing in the world I hope you realize that the
the world I hope you realize that the
the world I hope you realize that the derogatory term bird brain is very wrong
derogatory term bird brain is very wrong
derogatory term bird brain is very wrong and can be rather taken as a compliment
and can be rather taken as a compliment
and can be rather taken as a compliment after all this journey I’m more
after all this journey I’m more
after all this journey I’m more fascinated with birdsong than I ever was
fascinated with birdsong than I ever was
fascinated with birdsong than I ever was it’s beautiful it’s challenging and it’s
it’s beautiful it’s challenging and it’s
it’s beautiful it’s challenging and it’s truly a reflection on the masterfulness
truly a reflection on the masterfulness
truly a reflection on the masterfulness of modern nature and finally just
of modern nature and finally just
of modern nature and finally just remember what my Angela once said a bear
remember what my Angela once said a bear
remember what my Angela once said a bear doesn’t seem because it has an answer it
doesn’t seem because it has an answer it
doesn’t seem because it has an answer it sings because it has a song thank you
sings because it has a song thank you
sings because it has a song thank you [Applause]
[Applause]
[Applause] [Music]
”
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