Neuroscientists studying bat brains found that sound categorization happens earlier than expected—in the midbrain, not the auditory cortex. Using two-photon imaging, they discovered that the DCIC region classifies vocalizations based on meaning, not just frequency. Neurons responded in an all-or-nothing way to social vs. navigational calls, revealing an efficient, early-stage decoding system. Bats are redefining how we understand auditory processing.