Scientists have had a "conversation" with a whale. This could help us talk to aliens in the future. The scientists are from three different organizations in the USA. They teamed up and spoke to a humpback whale named Twain. They spoke to her in "humpback language" for 20 minutes. The scientists sent a "contact call" into the ocean off the coast of Alaska. Twain heard the call and responded. She swam to the research boat and chatted. A researcher said it was the first ever communication between humans and humpback whales.

The conversation with Twain was like a series of greetings. Whales use contact calls so other whales know where they are. The scientists made 36 calls over a 20-minute period. Each time, Twain responded by calling back at the same intervals. A scientist told the Business Insider website that the research could make it easier to talk to aliens. She said: "There are diverse intelligences on this planet. By studying them, we can better understand what an alien intelligence might be like because they are not going to be exactly like ours."