It is a high priority that we communicate clearly. This is especially true when communicating with other species. Paradise Newland has developed a technology called Language Sculpting that allows the creation of coherent realities through the conscious use of language.
See: Language Sculpting at LanguageSculpting.htm and What Zero Means to Me

We will create a Language Sculpting Handbook, a Book, a Video, a CD, a DVD, all showing why and how language sculpting works and how anyone can apply it.  It will improve the clarity of everyone's communication.  In the longer term, we will create Language Sculpting software.  We envision it to be somewhat like a spell checker program except that it offers automatic and computer-assisted ways to improve the languaging of documents of all kinds.  We feel it would be a popular and certainly useful program. We can improve the clarity of legal and political speech.  Think how that would improve relationships among all peoples!

Cetacean Commonwealth

Legal recognition of the Cetacea

The Cetacean Commonwealth is a commonwealth of the Cetacea Nations comprising all species of Cetacea, the mammalian order of whales and dolphins and the Humans that support them.  The Cetacean Commonwealth was established March 7, 2002, at 1:34 AM Pacific time and publicly introduced at Earth Day L.A. on 4-20-02.

The Cetacean Commonwealth is a way for the people of the sea and the people of the land that support them to have a voice and gain rights for the Cetacea under human laws so they are recognized as the sentient intelligent beings they are.

It is now scientifically proven that the dolphins are self-aware, a trait shared with humans. Since other Cetacea have even larger brains, we conclude that the other Cetacea are self-aware as well.  They transmit information culturally across generations and are the longest lived of all species.  They have the largest brains, include the largest creatures on Earth and have a long history of friendship, cooperation and partnership with humans which makes us co-species, sharing the planet.

They therefore qualify as a people and with their intelligence, culture, and sentience, are entitled to full recognition under human laws.

It is a major goal of the Sirius Institute to have the Cetacean Commonwealth recognized so that the Cetacea have standing under human law.  It will take work by attorneys and others.  A milestone for the project will be a presentation by the Cetacea before the UN with live communications from them where they speak for themselves.  See: The Cetacean Commonwealth

The SongSwimmer Project

Whale & Dolphin Communication Interfaces

To accomplish goals like the Cetacean Commonwealth, we need two-way communication with the Cetacea.  This will complete John Lilly's work.  Our first model of a vocoder/musical interface is called the SongSwimmer.  It consists of sound processing hardware and software that tracks the pitch of Cetacean whistles and converts then to computer readable form.

With these techniques, we can create a vocoder, allowing the Cetacea to speak our languages, and a sound operated computer system that is a teaching/ communication device by which the Cetacea can show us what they think we ought to know.  A vocoder can be arranged for them that would convert their sounds to human language sounds.  This was a major goal of Lilly's Janus Project through the Human/Dolphin Foundation.

For example, Hawaiian has 14 sounds or phonemes, the lowest number in any language.   We can assign one note or frequency for each phoneme.   When a dolphin or whale whistles a sequence of these tones, the output will be, in this case, Hawaiian.   Similarly, English requires some 48 tones.  Dr. Wayne Batteau demonstrated part of this process for the Navy about 50 years ago, and the dolphins had learned about 40 words in Hawaiian by the time the project ended. 

The SongSwimmer will allow us to communicate and begin learning from each other.   Demonstration of this ability will support their recognition as sentient beings under the Cetacean Commonwealth and educate many people about their intelligence.

We have tested underwater speakers of our own design, have 2 hydrophones, and two “pitch to MIDI converter s. The speakers and the hydrophones have been tested. The pitch to MIDI conversion has been tested on taped dolphin & Orca sounds. We have done live pitch to MIDI conversion with humpbacks, and the whales were playing with the interface. See: www.planetpuna.com/CD

So most of the components are done. One thing yet to be tested is a subtraction stage that removes the speaker output from incoming hydrophone signals to eliminate feedback. This would allow on-line, real-time, interaction needed for the Interspecies Concert. (See below) A binaural hydrophone is designed and needs to be built and tested.

Our current device has the advantage of being low-cost, in our audio range, and off-the-shelf, and is adequate for one or two cooperative Cetacea willing to put up with its limitations. So far, pitch trackers track only one frequency and can be easily confused with many parts at once.

It is now possible to do all the signal processing in software. and go beyond the current frequency response pitch to MIDI converters, with better source localization. Since one dolphin can create at least 4 sounds, all different, at the same time, out to about 1 MHz frequency, we need better processing to match their capability. To do this for a multi-part, multi-individual situation is complex.

Interspecies Concerts

Human & Cetacean Musical Compositions & Recordings

Part of Cetacean communication is musical and we have determined that the Harrison/Lucy scale is a good descriptor of their sounds.  Humpbacks also sing in and recognize different keys.  Orca pods use musical phrasing unique to their pod etc.  This brings us to the Interspecies Concert.

Using parts of our SongSwimmer interface we arrange that the Cetacea can sing for us; and we will convert their own sounds to instrumental sounds and broadcast them into the water with underwater speakers. This has been done in test. See: The Cetacea our CD at www.planetpuna.com/CD where the humpbacks are trigger our MIDI synthesizer in real time while we were in a boat off Maui with the equipment.  This demonstrates the concept will work.

Human musicians will play along with this, and will also be heard by the Cetacea.  This is a joint creation of the Cetacea and Humans, showing their creativity and ability as musicians. Our friend Kendall performed at a version of this idea and some 10 humpbacks and 20 dolphins came near the shore and listened. One possible result of this activity is a hit recording. 

WiFi Whale & Dolphin Communication Stations

A first step to our communication and concert goals is the establishment of two-way communications stations.  Basically, one puts hydrophones and underwater speakers on a buoy offshore to pick up and transmit whale sounds. An example is the Whalesong Project at: www.whalesong.org. We are in contact with them and they are willing to help us. 

We would like to place such buoys at Kehena Beach and near Richardson's Beach in Hilo.  Our vision is to have many stations.  They open up several possibilities, among them the chance for the whales to use them to communicate with each other.  We can then listen in and learn.

Rough estimates of the cost of a buoy for this purpose is about $1500 up to $5-10,000 for a fully solar powered device with both hydrophones and speakers capable of linking to the Internet.

Because most of our area is in a radio shadow”and too far from the Internet backbone for things like DSL service, WiFi is the most practical method to use and is included as a part of the Sirius Pod Home. We are about 3 miles from a beach where the dolphins come regularly.

Low Power FM Radio Station

We would like to establish a low power FM community radio station. It would give radio service to some 20,000 people in lower Puna, and provide a venue for our information, our whale sound links and other programming. One possibility is to provide a feed to cruise ships so that they can hear the local whales and dolphins live as they pass our island. In addition, we can establish an Internet radio station.

Wellness Begets Wellness Program

The "Wellness begets Wellness" program is about systematically, intentionally, intelligently and consciously setting about to create and provide what it takes to assure that every child that we can reach, everyone about to be a mom is hanaied, and is included as a member of the 'pod', a dolphin/whale term that relates to how they live together and raise their children, from which we are learning a great deal.

We know much about pregnancy and birth, infancy and early childhood development, that we could apply to every child born here from this day on so they would have an optimal start in life and thereby a much better likelihood for a better life in general. This in turn would result in more benefit to themselves, to their relationships, to their ability to be productive, balanced members of society and also pass these qualities to their children.

Our birthing centers address these kinds of births for the wellbeing of our children and our future. See: www.planetpuna.com/gentlebirth/

Hanai the Hapai is to "adopt/hanai" pregnant ladies, helping to assure that each mom feels cared for, her and her baby's needs met, before, during and after birth. Especially on this island, where 'ice' and 'crack' and other drug/alcohol use is rampant, and the economy is slack, we have a larger percentage of people needing such attention and caring.

Since the outcomes in adulthood are so closely linked to the birth experience, we know that improvement at this stage of a child's life is most important.  We can easily reduce the future consequences and costs of health care and reduce needs for police and the like just by insuring proper birth and rearing especially of those considered high risk.  Compared to the alternative of leaving the situation alone, it is more socially and cost effective.

DAWN Birth Centers

Restoring the grace of birth

Many years of work in the Black Sea and elsewhere, including early Hawaii, have shown that water birth is beneficial.  With their therapeutic capability the dolphins can help insure an optimal birth. Hawaii is an ideal place for such a Dolphin-Attended Water and Natural (DAWN) Birth Center.  We show a potential area that is close to what we envision.  See:  www.planetpuna.com/hdh (aerial view below)

The birth experience is fundamental to the quality of our children's future lives.  It is now known that underwater birth is often better for the mother and the baby. This is established by some 30 years of work starting with Igor Charkofsky, Michel Odent, M.D., Estelle Meyers, Gowri Motha, M.D. and others.  In fact, birthing with the dolphins has been an ancient indigenous practice here and in other cultures.  Such births were done up till at least 1937 by Hawaiians.

It is therefore evident that underwater birth with the dolphins is an obvious and important area of research and development.  There has yet to be a facility, anywhere on Earth that easily allows such births.  Therefore, we are developing the Dolphin Assisted, Water, Natural (DAWN) and Gentle Birth Center here in Hawai'i.  This is one of the few places (along the Puna Coastline) where underwater birth with the free dolphins can be done.  The mild climate, the year-round availability of free dolphins, as well as the Hawaiian cultural milieu are supportive of this effort.  We have been here for some 13 years renewing the groundwork for all this.  The Sirius Institute is in a wonderful position to accomplish this goal.

We are now receiving up to 1-2 requests per week through the Internet from people searching for a place to birth with dolphins.  People who are deeply called to be with the dolphins search widely and find us. This indicates there is a larger population who want dolphin-attended births that are off the net or otherwise miss finding us.  This demonstrates there is a need for such a facility.  It is time to provide one.

Dolphin Assisted Therapy

Dolphin Assisted Therapy has proven effective in diverse cases.  More research and validation would be useful to speed its widespread adoption.  We feel we can accomplish therapy with free dolphins, thus preserving the dolphin's right of free choice.  A review paper on this matter can be found at: www.planetpuna.com/dp.htm

Educational Programs in Development

Celebration of Whales Great & Small

We envison this as a week long celebration starting in Hilo Bay and Puna with whale festivals, interspecies concerts, listening devices so we can hear them live, similar to what is done on the mainland. In combination with ceremony with our Hawaiian hosts as part of a multi-cultural event we bring understanding and kinship between us all. Since whales are a major tourist draw for the islands, a celebration of this kind can attract much attention, and funding from the tourist bureaus. Eventually, each island would participate.

Creating the Future ”Program

"the best way to predict the future is to build it"”

Making the world work

This will be a series of lectures and demonstrations at the schools and other venues to inspire the children. Education often lacks any connection to the real world.  By showing how knowledge of science, engineering, technology can help the world be a better place, it will inspire learning.

So You Wanna Be a Rocket Scientist!

A series of talks based on Dr. Michael Hyson's space program experience showing how we can live in space and throughout the solar system.

Biophysics Research & Sirius Space Ships

Dr. Michael Hyson has been invited to co-author a paper with a physicist who has one of the best unified field theories.  He is about to publish the results of his 20 years of work in a peer-reviewed journal.  Briefly, it appears that all structures in the universe can be described as singularities or so-called "black holes".   According to the Kerr-Newman-Haramein-Rauscher model, all structures from quarks, electrons, protons, neutrons, cells, our bodies, the Earth, the Sun, the Galaxy, galactic clusters, super-clusters and the observable Universe all lie on a single line defined by spin rate and radius!

Their conclusion is that ALL these structures satisfy the same solution to the "black hole", equations, just at different scales.  This has implications in all areas, and especially biology.  In addition, the theory has exciting implications for energy production and propulsion.  As former research director for Pacific American Launch Systems, I have a strong interest in space travel possibilities.  For these reasons, I am seeking support for my time and effort so we may work out the new biology and physics of this theory and publish our results