Discover the Top 12 Mind-Blowing Fun Facts About Communication That Will Amaze You!

1. Smoke Signal DMs

Before the days of sliding into DMs, people slid into each other's...smoke signals? That's right: From ancient Chinese soldiers along the Great Wall to Native Americans and Sri Lankan mountaintop guards, smoke signals have been used for centuries to communicate everything from the size of an enemy invasion to the selection of a new Pope during a papal conclave.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

2. Pigeon Texting

Before text messages were delivered in a flap, pigeons had a peck at it: Pigeons were essential communication tools throughout history, used by the Greeks, Romans, Phoenician merchants, and even Genghis Khan to send private messages, announcements about victories, and establish communication networks across empires.
Source => historyofinformation.com

Did you know the handshake dates back to 5th century B.C. Greece and was a symbol of peace, ensuring both parties were unarmed? Discover its fascinating evolution and how it now competes with the popular fist bump!

=> Fun Facts about Body-Language

3. Hydraulic Greek Messaging

Before Alexander Graham Bell picked up the phone, ancient Greeks had already poured their heart and soul – and a whole lot of water – into long-distance communication: The hydraulic telegraph was a clever system using water-filled vessels with rods to convey messages as the water drained, making it much more detailed than earlier torches and beacons. During the First Punic War, it even played a significant role in military strategies for sending messages from Sicily to Carthage!
Source => antiquitynow.org

4. Flag-Waving Semaphores

Before emojis, there was a sophisticated waltz: flag-waving edition! Picture this: choreographed body sways, fluttering flags, and a cryptic, eight-slice alphabet pie: Invented in 1790, Semaphore flag signaling system allowed for transmission of messages across long distances using patterns resembling a clock face divided into eight positions, each representing six letters of the alphabet – but don't worry, it doesn't require a horoscope to decode.
Source => anbg.gov.au

5. Bell's Game-Changing Call

Ring-a-ding-ding, Watson! The cat's outta the bag and onto the telephone wire: Alexander Graham Bell made his first successful telephone call to his partner, Thomas Watson, on March 7, 1876, just days after securing a patent for the telephone, ultimately revolutionizing the way we chat with our favorite humans from afar.
Source => guides.loc.gov

6. Doggie Body Language

Who let the dogs out – of etiquette school, that is? Canine conversations are all about giving good face (and tail, ears, and body): Dogs use body language as their primary form of communication, with vocalizations taking a secondary role. To truly decode the furry lingo, pay attention to poochy postures, wag-nificient tail movements, dramatic ear and eye expressions, and bark-tastic facial cues – these telltale signs help us understand if Fido is feeling frolicsome, fearful, or ready to rumble.
Source => centerforshelterdogs.tufts.edu

7. Kundu Drums in Papua New Guinea

Next time you're in the jungle, don't let the possums catch your vibes, or they might end up drumming to the beat of your blood: In Papua New Guinea, traditional Kundu drums can measure from 30 cm to almost 200 cm in length and are made of carved wood with a drumhead crafted from lizard or possum skin. The real kicker? The skin was once held in place using human blood as glue. Played during formal occasions, religious ceremonies, and celebrations like the Sing-sing, the sound of the Kundu is believed to channel the voices of spirits.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

8. Human-Ape Gesture Understanding

Hey, remember that time we were monkeys? Oh, wait, that was our ancestors: A study reveals humans can interpret the gestures used by chimps and bonobos to communicate daily goals, and even 1 to 2-year-old infants showcase 50+ gestures from the ape repertoire. This suggests that we retained our understanding of core features of ape gestures, potentially due to our shared body plans, social goals, or gesture resemblance to the actions they're meant to convey.
Source => cnn.com

9. Bee Dance Communication

Boogieing with the bees: It seems honeybees are busting out their fancy dance moves to communicate vital floral intel! They employ the waggle and round dances to share the location and quality of nearby flower patches for pollen and nectar, helping their fellow bees to forage efficiently and effectively.
Source => askabiologist.asu.edu

10. The Birth of Emojis

Before emojis took the world by storm and became the language of love, laughter, and eggplants, there lived a humble Japanese designer with a vision of tiny, pixelated expressions: Shigetaka Kurita created the first batch of emojis, 176 of them, in 1999. These pioneers of digital emotion were initially exclusive to Japan's iPhones, but the global takeover was inevitable. In our present emoji-verse, there are now over 3000 emojis circulating, making communication easier, cheekier, and exceedingly more delightful.
Source => coffeebreaklanguages.com

11. Cephalopod Color-Changing Camouflage

Octopuses and cuttlefish might be the ultimate queens and kings of disguise - transforming into a walking Picasso masterpiece in a flash, or hosting their own underwater rave: These cephalopod maestros use thousands of chromatophores, color-changing cells just below their skin, to camouflage themselves from predators, ward off potential threats with their venomous vibe, communicate with their peers, and even impress potential mates in the quest for love.
Source => ocean.si.edu

12. Cat Vocal Linguistics

Cat got your tongue? More like, cat’s got a linguistic genius up its sleeve: These whiskered maestros possess a vocal repertoire far superior to any other member of the carnivora family, with a staggering 21 distinct vocalizations used to communicate their feelings, desires, and the latest gossip from the neighborhood cat-versations.
Source => ncbi.nlm.nih.gov