Hi y'all - after seeing the video I was so thrilled, I went out to buy a parrot. The guy at the store sold me a Norwegian Blue. When I got it home, it wouldn't talk at all - in fact, it didn't even move. I discovered that it had been nailed to be perch. Needless to say I returned it. The guy argued that it wasn't dead but sleeping and pining for the fiords. After much argument, her exchanged it for a talking slug.
On Jan 10, 9:42 am, "Liz Purkrabek" <[email protected]> wrote: > I'm not surprised and have no problem believing at what level of thought and > communication Alex is capable of. We humans think of ourselves as the > intelligent ones, but then we are the ones who design the IQ tests, and the > tests are then undeniably "culturally" biased. :-) > > I have to wonder what it even means to be "intelligent." > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] > > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of > Isparklaria > Sent: Saturday, January 10, 2009 7:44 AM > To: Memphis Freethought Alliance > Subject: Birds Offer Evidence That Human Language is Not Uniquely Human > > This is old news, but since we are discussing an article that includes > language at the book club, I though it both interesting and relevant. > It also applies to the second article we are reading. Bird brains are > small and also, if I am not mistaken, not all that complex. It is weak > evidence that there is more to this than their brains. > > Actually after viewing the video I am wondering if this has been > confimed. The only number I heard alex say was two. He may be making > the sound two with out understanding. I want to believe this video is > not bogus, but it will take some more evidence to dispell my doubts. > It is worth watching the vid and reading the article anyway since it > is provoking. In the meantime I will search some more on the > internet. > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6KvPN_Wt8I&feature=related > > http://www.birdminds.com/CongoGrey.html > > Few birds achieve more distinction than Alex, the famous subject of > Irene Pepperberg's language experiments. > > Named "Bird of the year" by the New York Times after his death in > 2007, Alex learned thousands of words, expressed understanding of > numbers, could identify objects, colors, shapes, and sometimes showed > a certain peevishness about cooperating that made him seem even more > human. > > Nor are his achievements exceptional. People who have worked with > African (or Congo) Greys know their remarkable abilities go far beyond > their capacity to imitate human speech. > > My own family has included an African Grey named Max for many years, > and I can personally attest to their amazing skills. These birds can > perfectly articulate long sentences -- even months after hearing them > only once. (For example, singing the first line of "Jingle-Bells" in > April. The bird can carry a pretty good tune.) After heaing the > telephone ring, they will say "Hello" at exactly the same time I do. > In fact, by anticipating many words that I make in casual > conversation, Max makes me realize how stupid and stereotyped most > human speech actually sounds. > > Max seems to enjoy showing off -- making the noise of a soda can tab a > fraction of a second before it actually happens. The bird often will > say "bye-bye" when I get ready to leave -- putting on my coat, picking > up my car keys, or even walking around looking for them. This is no > random utterance, but a phrase that is always spoken in the > appropriate context of someone leaving. Even more remarkably -- the > bird on one occasion was able to show it understood the exact meaning > of the phrase. > > Some months after we added a nest box to the cage, Max laid an egg > (instantly changing her name to "Maxine.") When we discovered the egg, > the whole family crowded around the box to see -- much to Max's > dismay. Max stuck her head out and in a loud, fierce voice spoke -- > "Bye-bye!"- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Memphis Freethought Alliance" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/memphisfreethoughtalliance?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
