Doggedly searching for the crux of the biscuit.
Alex, the world's most famous talking bird, is now an ex-parrot. From the Alex Foundation:
Alex, the world renowned African Grey parrot made famous by the ground-breaking cognition and communication research conducted by Irene Pepperberg, Ph.D., died at the age of 31 on September 6, 2007. Dr. Pepperbergs pioneering research resulted in Alex learning elements of English speech to identify 50 different objects, 7 colors, 5 shapes, quantities up to and including 6 and a zero-like concept. He used phrases such as I want X and Wanna go Y, where X and Y were appropriate object and location labels. He acquired concepts of categories, bigger and smaller, same-different, and absence. Alex combined his labels to identify, request, refuse, and categorize more than 100 different items demonstrating a level and scope of cognitive abilities never expected in an avian species. Pepperberg says that Alex showed the emotional equivalent of a 2 year-old child and intellectual equivalent of a 5 year-old. Her research with Alex shattered the generally held notion that parrots are only capable of mindless vocal mimicry.
Wow. He could have been president with that intellect.
Posted by: DrFrankLives at September 11, 2007 11:17 AMTo be fair, the article doesn't mention whether Alex acquired the concept of "fjord".
I housesat this past summer for a couple who have an African Grey Parrot . They're definitely clever, and they can live to around age 60 or so in captivity. I was only there for about ten days, but by the time I left, "Merlin" could do a great impression of me.
Posted by: M/tch M/lls at September 11, 2007 11:18 AMSad but true. I used to delight in their buffoonery, nowadays it leaves me kind of cold. But note that the parrot which was pinin' for the fee-yords was a Norwegian Blue.
Posted by: Clownęsthesiologist at September 11, 2007 11:19 AMnowadays it leaves me kind of cold
And please note, this is not at all due to everybody and his brother repeating their lines ad nauseam on every blog comments thread ever.
Posted by: Clownęsthesiologist at September 11, 2007 11:25 AMHe used phrases such as I want X
Which irresponsible grad student researcher got him hooked on that?
Posted by: Cangrejero at September 11, 2007 01:58 PM11: With that strong, sharp beak, I bet Alex went through passifiers like nobody's business.
Posted by: M/tch M/lls at September 11, 2007 02:18 PM13: Brosk, my "c" key doesn't work.
Thanks for rubbing that in, jerk.
Posted by: M/tch M/lls at September 11, 2007 06:20 PMThat parrot knew 50 different object names. If he were alive now he could have BEEN GROOMED as Sarah Palin“s running mate in '12. She needs help in this area, he would have been perfect!
Posted by: Deo at November 19, 2008 04:04 PM