|
|
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296 |
Thanks for the link, pfranz...
From it:
Koko initiates the majority of conversations with her human companions and typically constructs statements averaging three to six words. Koko has a tested IQ of between 70 and 95 on a human scale, where 100 is considered "normal."
It would be very interesting to know how Koko would perform on a gorilla IQ test--to know whether she is an average gorilla or a genius gorilla. Suppose she were an average gorilla. Imagine how a genius gorilla would perform on the human, instead of my imaginary gorilla, IQ test.
'Course: It has been well-argued that human IQ tests finally only prove which people perform best on IQ tests and not much more.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 2,661
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 2,661 |
Pfranz - It makes me want to send Koko an e-mail asking "What good does she want to come from her life?"
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 2,636
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 2,636 |
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 2,661
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 2,661 |
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 2,636
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 2,636 |
That's beside the point 
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,624
Pooh-Bah
|
|
Pooh-Bah
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,624 |
Pfranz - It makes me want to send Koko an e-mail asking "What good does she want to come from her life?"
Well, she wanted - and got - a pet kitten. Petted it and looked after it quite well, apparently. Unfortunately it got run over a few months later. When the keepers told her that the kitten was dead she showed that she understood death in the abstract, although I can't remember now exactly what she said. But it rocked the researchers back on their heels, because it was believed that only humans understand birth and death as concepts. Wrong.
The big thing (in relation to this thread) is that she compounds signs she knows to create new words when she wants them. She saw someone with an ice lolly once and was given a piece. She liked it, and asked for one. She didn't have the sign, so she combined "cold" and "stick".
Dunno if she is bright for a gorilla, but she doesn't do so badly, does she?
- Pfranz
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
she wanted - and got - a pet kittenDigging around in Pfranz's site we find these pictures of Koko and her kitten(s): http://www.koko.org/world/pics_g2.html
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400 |
Yes, Capfka, that it what i have heard/read-- Koko, (and other great apes), seem to be able to use language, to make up words to express new ideas, (re: The big thing (in relation to this thread) is that she compounds signs she knows to create new words when she wants them. She saw someone with an ice lolly once and was given a piece. She liked it, and asked for one. She didn't have the sign, so she combined "cold" and "stick".,
birds show the ability to learn colors, nuumbers, shapes and other human constructs, but never to make up new ideas. a myhna might learn to say "ice cream' or "ice lolly", but its seems they would never think up "cold stick"--Koko, (and other apes) don't have the right shape mouth or throat to be able to make all the sounds humans make... but with sign language, it is clear they are able to understand and use language.
Myhnas can express noises that humans make, and can even associate some noises with concepts.. (three red stars) but if you crossed triange over another, (to make a 6 pointed star, they wouldn't call it triangle star, or new star or big star (vs a 5 pointed star) its not even clear if they would recognize it as a star shape. Apes would. they would grok the pointiness as a characteristic of "stars", and realize a six pointed is not the same as star(five pointed) but still 'starlike"
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296 |
And to continue what oftroy was writing about:
I've read that birds are creative, at least in their song. Avian specialists have noted that birds will listen to each other's song--will imitate the song, learn the song, and then will embellish it: theme and variations in the making.
Our problem as humans is we lack the bird's ear for music. We cannot hear as rapidly as they hear--our human mind works more slowly. When bird song is slowed down so that we can see it in visual representations, that's when the specialists realize what is going on.
So, although the birds may not be able to do what Koko does, they create on a level that neither Koko nor we could compete. The bird's creativity is there--new formations of sound making are made--but they leave us in the dust.
|
|
|
|
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,330
Members9,182
| |
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
|
|
|
0 members (),
1,577
guests, and
1
robot. |
|
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
|
