{"id":1449,"date":"2026-05-01T20:12:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T20:12:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rjbarrett.redirectme.net\/?p=1449"},"modified":"2026-05-01T20:12:00","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T20:12:00","slug":"why-parrots-talk-like-humans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rjbarrett.redirectme.net\/?p=1449","title":{"rendered":"Why parrots talk like humans"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<section class=\"recurrent-blocks recurrent-newsletter-block recurrent-newsletter-email-block recurrent-newsletter-email-block-on-top pw-incontent-excluded flipboard-remove \">\n<div class=\"container newsletter-container\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-content\">\n<h2 class=\"newsletter-cta-title\"> <\/h2>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">Get the Popular Science daily newsletter\ud83d\udca1<\/p>\n<div class=\"newsletter-cta-description\">\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap pw-incontent-excluded article-paragraph skip\">The internet is chock full of talking birds, whether they\u2019re squawking at a vet, singing \u201cYou are my sunshine,\u201d or annoying cats while barking like a dog (naturally). But why are some birds so chatty? The answer, which we explore on a new episode of the Ask Us Anything podcast, has more to do with love than you might think.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-spotify wp-block-embed-spotify wp-embed-aspect-21-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<p>\n<iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: How come some birds talk like people?\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"152\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\" allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/episode\/54MCPO2If5IyLWRMNz07jz?si=162222c17e6047a9&amp;utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">Ask Us Anything by Popular Science answers your most outlandish, mind-bending questions\u2014from the everyday things you\u2019ve always wondered to the bizarre things you never thought to ask, from \u201cWere there any venomous dinosaurs\u201d to \u201cWhy cavemen and women had straight teeth.\u201d If you have a question for us, send us a note. Nothing is too silly or simple.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">This episode is based on the <em>Popular Science<\/em> article \u201cFrom chirps to \u2018hellos\u2019: Why some birds talk like people.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-subscribe-to-ask-us-anything\">Subscribe to Ask Us Anything<\/h2>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">Listen and follow <em>Ask Us Anything<\/em> on your favorite podcast platform:<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | Or wherever you get your podcasts.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-full-episode-transcript\">Full Episode Transcript<\/h2>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>Sarah Durn:<\/strong> Today, we are so lucky to have some very chatty podcast guests. Cosmo?\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>Bird: <\/strong>Was that good?\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD: <\/strong>That was so good. Care to elaborate? Anyone else?<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>Bird:<\/strong> You so cute.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Aw, thank you. You\u2019re cute too. Now, do you guys wanna introduce yourselves properly?<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>Bird:<\/strong> I\u2019m a banana.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Bananas? Yeah. I don\u2019t think that\u2019s right somehow, and you guys aren\u2019t coming in super clear either.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">Maybe you should check your tiny little bird mics? Okay, well let\u2019s cue that theme music anyway.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>Bird:<\/strong> Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday\u2026<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Again, not quite right. Welcome to Ask Us Anything from the editors of Popular Science, where we answer your questions about our weird world.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">From \u201cWhy can\u2019t we remember being babies\u201d to \u201cWhy do cats hate water,\u201d no question is too wacky or too simple.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">I\u2019m Sarah Durn, an editor at PopSci.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>Annie Colbert:<\/strong> And hello, humans and birds. I\u2019m Annie Colbert, editor-in-chief.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Welcome, Annie. Here at Popular Science, we can\u2019t stop thinking about all the world\u2019s strangest questions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>AC:<\/strong> And this week we\u2019re wondering why some birds can be so chatty. So Sarah, please explain: What\u2019s happening with all these talking birds?<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Yeah, well the answer\u2019s actually really sweet. Birds mimic what you say and even how you say it because they love you.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>AC:<\/strong> Hmm. Really?<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> You sound so skeptical. Really. Birds like parrots talk because they\u2019re trying to connect. It\u2019s not them doing a weird party trick for attention. It\u2019s more like they\u2019re saying, \u201cHey Annie, you\u2019re part of my flock.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>AC:<\/strong> Ugh, sounds so lovely to have bird friends.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> It is, but the way they actually pull this off\u2014their brains, the anatomy, the whole setup\u2014is even wilder.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>AC:<\/strong> Alright, I\u2019m in, despite my very hot and cold relationship with birds, which we will get into later, I promise. But before we dig into all the bird facts, we want to know: What questions are pecking at your brain?<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">If there\u2019s something you\u2019ve always wanted to know, submit your question by clicking the \u201cAsk Us\u201d link at popsci.com\/ask. Again that\u2019s popsci.com\/ask, and peck at the \u201cAsk Us\u201d link.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> And we\u2019ll be right back after this quick break to chirp through all the birdie details.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">Welcome back. Okay. Before we get into the science, Annie, you need to tell us: What is up with you and birds?<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>AC:<\/strong> Yes. As I hinted at earlier, I have a very complicated relationship with birds that started when I was about five or six and we ended up being the home of this very chatty parrot named Polly that my granny had acquired somehow. I\u2019m unclear of how my granny even ended up with a parrot, but the parrot ended up living at our house and Polly and I were sworn enemies.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Oh no.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>AC:<\/strong> Because every time I wanted to sit down and watch cartoons, she would start yelling and squawking, so I couldn\u2019t hear the TV. And we\u2019d end up in this shouting match of us yelling, \u201cNo! Shut up!\u201d at each other just at full volume. Like it really soured my relationship with parrots, especially.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Yeah, it\u2019s coming through.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>AC:<\/strong> As you can imagine, this did not thrill my parents having a screaming child and a screaming parrot, so they found a new home for Polly. She went to go live with an experienced parrot owner who I would like to point out confirmed that Polly was the loudest parrot she had ever met.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Wow. I mean, how loud is loudest?<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>AC:<\/strong> Yes. I mean, parrots are loud, but she would scream. You know, we lived in a house and my sister would be walking home from school and could hear us from down the street.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Oh my gosh.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>AC:<\/strong> Screaming \u201cNo! Shut up!\u201d at each other. It wasn\u2019t good. It wasn\u2019t good.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Yeah. You\u2019ve been holding onto that for a while.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>AC:<\/strong> Yes. Yeah, that was very nice to get off my chest and share. She was very smart, but we were not a good match. How about you? Do you have any parrot encounters?<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Not a ton of parrot encounters, but I did have a really, really fun encounter with a raven at the Cleveland Natural History Museum.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>AC:<\/strong> Ooh, do tell.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Yeah. They have this outdoor wildlife center. It\u2019s actually really, really nice where they rehabilitate wounded animals and they had this massive raven sitting on a perch. And I noticed on the little info panel, his name was Blackjack. And to be polite, I said, \u201cHi Blackjack.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>AC:<\/strong> Oh, very friendly.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Yeah. And then Blackjack answered me saying \u201cBlackjack!\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>AC:<\/strong> Whoa.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> I know. I was with my mom and we both kind of jumped a little and we had this whole little back and forth with him. It was actually really sweet and you know, kind of moving. I mean, it\u2019s like so magical to be able to say words to another animal and for them to say something back that you understand.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">I would love to, you know, do that with my dogs or cats, but birds, you know, they can actually do that.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>AC:<\/strong> Oh, totally. It\u2019s a very Disney movie. And it also leads to our big question today, which is why do some birds talk?<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Well, first off, we have to define what we mean by talking, because technically almost all birds talk.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>AC:<\/strong> Wait, what?<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Yeah. Most birds have their own language. They use calls and sounds to say things like, \u201cThere\u2019s a predator nearby,\u201d or, \u201cHey, let\u2019s pair up.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>AC:<\/strong> So birds are constantly talking, just not in a way that we can understand.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Exactly. But when we say talking birds, what we really mean is birds that can mimic human speech.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>AC:<\/strong> Mm. Little overachievers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Totally. And that ability mimicking sounds, including human words, is actually pretty rare. You mostly see it in parrots, but also in birds like crows, ravens, starlings, and mynahs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>AC:<\/strong> So why them? Why do some birds pick this up, but others don\u2019t?<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> A huge part of it comes down to social behavior.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">Parrots are incredibly social animals. In the wild, they form really, really strong bonds with other parrots, often mating for life.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>AC:<\/strong> Ah, another Disney movie moment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> I know so much Disney. They\u2019re also constantly communicating with their partner and flock.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>AC:<\/strong> All right, so how do humans come in then?<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Well in captivity, these birds don\u2019t have a flock. Instead they have us, you know?<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>AC:<\/strong> Oh, so we become their flock?<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Right, When a parrot starts mimicking your voice, it\u2019s not just about copying sounds for fun. It\u2019s about trying to connect with you. It\u2019s saying, \u201cHey Annie, you\u2019re my person now and I\u2019m going to learn your language.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>AC:<\/strong> Oh no. So my parrot was not trying to annoy me. It was trying to be my friend?<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Maybe.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>AC:<\/strong> Alright, I\u2019m skeptical and now I feel a little bad. But I also want to know how are birds doing this? I imagine copying human speech is not easy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Yeah, this is where things get really cool. Birds that mimic human speech have a specialized part of their brains called the song system.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">It\u2019s basically a neural network that helps them learn and produce complex sounds.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>AC:<\/strong> So they\u2019re wired to learn different sounds?<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Exactly. And then there\u2019s the hardware. The thing actually making the sound,<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>AC:<\/strong> The beak?<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Not quite. It\u2019s an organ called the syrinx. It\u2019s basically their version of a voice box. The syrinx sits deep in their chest, and it\u2019s actually way more efficient than our larynx.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>AC:<\/strong> More efficient how?<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> It allows birds to control airflow and vibrations in really, really precise ways so they can produce a huge range of sounds\u2014even sounds that don\u2019t exist in their natural repertoire, like human speech.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>AC:<\/strong> So they have the brain and the instrument to say words.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Exactly.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>AC:<\/strong> Okay, but when a bird says something like \u201chello,\u201d or \u201cno,\u201d or \u201cshut up,\u201d does it actually know what it means?<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Okay. This is where things get a little fuzzy. Birds are really good at forming associations, so they might learn that saying \u201chello\u201d gets a reaction, or saying \u201ccracker\u201d gets them food.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>AC:<\/strong> So they\u2019re connecting words to outcomes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Exactly. But that doesn\u2019t mean they necessarily understand language the way we do.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">They don\u2019t know what \u201ccracker\u201d means. They just know what happens when they say it. At least that\u2019s what researchers can confirm at this point.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>AC:<\/strong> So they might be able to understand more?<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Potentially. Take the example of Puck the Budgie. Puck learned an astounding 1,728 English words before passing away at the young age of five in 1994.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">He even got a Guinness World Record for largest human vocabulary of any bird.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>AC:<\/strong> Oh, yay. Go Puck!<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Right? And Puck could even form sentences. Researchers have also documented how birds can categorize things like colors or shapes. And in the wild, some birds use specific calls to communicate that say there\u2019s a threat nearby.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">Like chickadees, they use varying numbers of \u201cD\u201d notes in their calls to indicate possible threats. The more \u201cD\u201d notes they use, the higher the risk. So maybe there\u2019s more going on than researchers currently understand.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>AC:<\/strong> Okay. I\u2019m reluctant to say that birds are kind of brilliant, even if they scare me a little.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> They really are! And it gets even cooler. So maybe I\u2019ll convince you to give them a second chance. Some birds in the wild even develop regional dialects.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>AC:<\/strong> No way.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Researchers have found the parrots in different places actually sound different, kind of like human accents. They also can develop calls that mean specific things in specific places.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>AC:<\/strong> So birds have like their own slang versions of yinz and y\u2019all.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Yeah. Bird slang is absolutely real, and it\u2019s learned, not genetic. Kind of like how people say sub versus hoagie.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>AC:<\/strong> All right, I love that.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Right. So to bring it all together, birds are wired to learn sounds, bond with others, and communicate. And when humans enter the picture, we become part of the flock.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>AC:<\/strong> Aww. So when birds talk, it\u2019s their way of bonding with the person they\u2019re closest to.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">This is all incredibly wholesome, and I don\u2019t know if I\u2019m fully sold on parrots. But we do love to learn.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> We do. And also very fair. And with that, we\u2019ll be back with one final bird fact that honestly might change how you see parrots forever, Annie.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>AC:<\/strong> Hmm. Skeptical.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Okay. Well that\u2019s coming up after this quick break.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">And we\u2019re back! After all this talk about parrots mimicking humans, I have one last delightful update from the bird world.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>AC:<\/strong> Alright, hit me.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Researchers recently found evidence that some parrots may actually use names.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>AC:<\/strong> Really?<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Yep. Names\u2014as in, like specific labels for specific individuals.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>AC:<\/strong> All right, hold on.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">So like, \u201cHi Steve. Hello, Frank.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Kind of. Yeah, scientists looked at reports from hundreds of companion parrots and found that many birds seem to learn and use names properly\u2014for humans, other pets, and sometimes other birds. We\u2019ll link to the story on popsci.com in the show notes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>AC:<\/strong> I mean, I gotta hand it to \u2019em that is impressive.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Right? And it makes sense when you think about it. Parrots are super social animals. Humans use names to manage complicated social lives, and parrots also live in complex social groups.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>AC:<\/strong> Yeah. So if you have a whole flock to keep track of, names are useful.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Exactly. And parrots don\u2019t just use names the way we do.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>AC:<\/strong> How so?<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Well, and I kind of love this, researchers found that some birds repeatedly say their own name to get attention.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>AC:<\/strong> Oh.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> So did your childhood parrot Polly ever scream her own name?<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>AC:<\/strong> Come to think of it, she did. And she also spoke in the third person a lot, a little bit like Elmo. So she would say the classic \u201cPolly want a cracker,\u201d and I feel like she would just say her name to mimic, or I think as I thought as a child, mock us, now that I\u2019m thinking back on it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Ooh, very intense mockery. So to recap: Parrots can bond with you. They can mimic your voice, and they may even call you by your name.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>AC:<\/strong> Okay. I hate to admit it, but I can\u2019t help but be impressed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> You\u2019re coming around.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>AC:<\/strong> Let\u2019s not get carried away.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">And that\u2019s it for this episode. But don\u2019t worry, we have more episodes of Ask Us Anything live in our feed right now.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">Follow or subscribe to Ask Us Anything by Popular Science, wherever you enjoy your podcasts. And if you like our show, leave a rating and a review.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Our producer is Alan Haburchak. This week\u2019s episode is based on articles written for Popular Science by Laura Kiniry and Margherita Bassi.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>AC:<\/strong> Thank you team. Thank you birds. Not all birds. And thank you to everyone for listening.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> And one more time, if you want something you\u2019ve always wondered about explained on a future episode, go to popsci.com\/ask and click the \u201cAsk Us\u201d link. Until next time, keep the questions coming!\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>Bird:<\/strong> Thank you baby.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> Wait, Annie, before you go, you have to hear the most impressive parrots I\u2019ve yet to share on the episode.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">May I introduce the Rihannas of the bird world!<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>AC:<\/strong> You may!<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>Bird: <\/strong>I\u2019m friends with the monster that\u2019s under my bed. Get along with the voices inside of my head.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>SD:<\/strong> It\u2019s like actually good.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\"><strong>AC:<\/strong> It\u2019s very good. I\u2019d listen to this on Spotify. Put this on Spotify.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-paragraph skip\">I can\u2019t sing in human, so I also cannot sing in bird.<\/p>\n<section class=\"content-widget content-widget--large pw-incontent-excluded\">\n<p>\t<span class=\"block bg-secondary-300 h-2 w-16 mt-10 mb-8\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"flex flex-col md:flex-row items-start justify-items-start\">\n<div class=\"mb-4 md:mb-0 md:w-4\/12 w-full\">\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/best-of-whats-new-2025-HERO.png?quality=85&amp;w=300\" class=\"max-w-[100%]\" alt=\"products on a page that says best of what's new 2025\" loading=\"lazy\" fetchpriority=\"low\"\/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"ml-0 md:ml-10 md:w-8\/12 w-full\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\n\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<p>2025 PopSci Best of What\u2019s New<\/p>\n<div class=\"content-widget-content mb-4\">\n<div id=\"1737663310.940689\" class=\"c-virtual_list__item\" role=\"listitem\" data-qa=\"virtual-list-item\" data-item-key=\"1737663310.940689\">\n<div class=\"c-message_kit__background c-message_kit__background--hovered p-message_pane_message__message c-message_kit__message\" role=\"presentation\" data-qa=\"message_container\" data-qa-unprocessed=\"false\" data-qa-placeholder=\"false\">\n<div class=\"c-message_kit__hover c-message_kit__hover--hovered\" role=\"document\" data-qa-hover=\"true\">\n<div class=\"c-message_kit__actions c-message_kit__actions--above\">\n<div class=\"c-message_kit__gutter\">\n<div class=\"c-message_kit__gutter__right\" role=\"presentation\" data-qa=\"message_content\">\n<div class=\"c-message_kit__blocks c-message_kit__blocks--rich_text\">\n<div class=\"c-message__message_blocks c-message__message_blocks--rich_text\" data-qa=\"message-text\">\n<div class=\"p-block_kit_renderer\" data-qa=\"block-kit-renderer\">\n<div class=\"p-block_kit_renderer__block_wrapper p-block_kit_renderer__block_wrapper--first\">\n<div class=\"p-rich_text_block\" dir=\"auto\">\n<div class=\"p-rich_text_section\">\n<p class=\"article-title\">The 50 most important innovations of the year<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t<span class=\"block bg-secondary-300 h-2 w-16 mt-8 mb-10\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<footer class=\"article-content-footer lg:max-w-[730px] lg:mx-auto\">\n<section class=\"recurrent-tag-list-article recurrent-tag-list mb-8 md:px-0\">\n<\/section>\n<\/footer><\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Get the Popular Science daily newsletter\ud83d\udca1 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. 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