WASHINGTON - It’s been more than 100 years since Doctor Dolittle first appeared in print, but the dream of speaking with animals is no less magical – the only difference is, it may not be so ...

Meeaaaoow rises like a question mark before dawn. Anyone living with a cat knows their sounds: broken chirrups like greetings, low growls that warn, purrs stitched into sleepy conversation.

As scientists use machine learning to decode the sounds of whales, dogs, and dolphins, opinions vary on how best to deploy the technology. Reading time 7 minutes Chirps, trills, growls, howls, squawks ...