Whistled language uses both sides of the brain
Unlike spoken Turkish, whistled form processed symmetrically by hemispheres
Amid the mountains of northeast Turkey, people whistle messages that ring across valleys like ornate bird songs. Unlike with hearing spoken languages, listeners who understand this rare form of communication rely on both sides of their brains, a new study suggests.
For most people, the left side of the brain does the heavy lifting in understanding speech. But when listening to whistled Turkish, people appear to engage both brain hemispheres, scientists report in the Aug. 17 Current Biology.