Arizona Science Lecture Series

March 6, 2025 | Emily Bray and Evan MacLean

Sit, Stay, Speak: Unleashing the Science of Dog-Human Communication

Dogs have lived alongside humans for tens of thousands of years, occupying roles ranging from hunting partners to couch companions. What is it that allows dogs to thrive in a human world and how do humans and dogs seemingly communicate so effectively across the species divide?

In this lecture, we will explore what dogs really understand about human communication and whether dogs have evolved unusual abilities for success in this domain. We will similarly consider what we as humans understand about the communicative world of dogs and how a better scientific understanding of dog behavior and cognition can enrich dog-human communication in the future.

March 13, 2025 | Genesis Arizmendi

Two Languages, One Mind: What Science Reveals About Bilingual Communication

In a place like Tucson, where diverse cultures and languages intersect every day, bilingualism isn’t just common—it’s a powerful asset. In this talk, Dr. Genesis Arizmendi will explore how being bilingual shapes how we think, communicate, and connect within our communities. Drawing from the latest research, we’ll discuss how bilingualism enhances cognitive flexibility, fosters cultural understanding, and strengthens social ties.

Whether you speak one language or five, understanding and appreciating bilingual communication enriches our collective perspective, strengthens community ties, and highlights the linguistic wealth we all share. By exploring these dynamics, we can all better understand how language, in any form, connects us and strengthens our communities.

March 20, 2025 | Ellen Riloff

Following Your Heart: Recognizing Emotions in Human-Computer Communication 

More than ever, people are communicating with computers through writing and conversation. Emotions are central to the human experience, so computers must understand not only what people are literally saying but also what they are feeling.

In this talk, Dr. Ellen Riloff will explain why recognizing emotions is essential for computational language understanding and why it remains so challenging, including underlying phenomena such as ambiguity, sarcasm, implicit meaning, and common sense knowledge.

March 27, 2025 | Daniel Apai and Chris Impey

Cosmic Conversations: Communicating with the Unknown

In this talk, we will explore the potential for communicating with extraterrestrial civilizations. We will discuss questions such as: Is it possible to exchange messages with aliens and how would we do it? If we can communicate, what meaning and information could and should we convey?

We will also explore who may be receiving our messages and what the anticipated recipients may tell us about our own civilization’s future. Finally, we will discuss the question whether we should only listen and keep a low profile – or also boldly transmit?