Naked Science Forum
Life Sciences => Plant Sciences, Zoology & Evolution => Topic started by: Alan McDougall on 17/01/2009 04:23:40
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Hi,
This article might suprise you and is a parrot more intellent than a dog?
Parrots 'as intelligent' as young children
By Kirsten Veness for The World Today
An American scientist says the results of a 29-year study suggest parrots could be as intelligent as five-year-old humans.
Brandeis University Professor Irene Pepperberg says her study of Alex, an african grey parrot, shows parrots have an impressive intelligence.
"They're about the same intelligence as a five-year-old child but their communication skills, at least as far as we've looked at in the lab, are only about that of a two-year-old," she said.
"So no long, complicated sentences but the ability to answer the questions that we ask."
Alex can identify 100 objects, most of them food and toys from around his home.
He can add up and identify seven colours.
"If you put language in quotes, yes, they use English speech," Professor Pepperberg said.
"So if I ask Alex … how many keys; he'll tell me 'two'.
"If I ask him what colour, he'll say 'green and if I ask what shape, he'll say 'three-quarter'."
Routine questions
Professor Pepperberg says Alex can use simple phrases to say where he wants to go, and even has a few more complex sentences under his wing.
"There are long phrases that he has that have what we call general reference, but not specific reference," she said.
"We'll have what we call the goodnight routine, so when we leave at night this: 'You be good, I'll see you tomorrow' or 'I'm going to go eat dinner, I'll see you tomorrow' - things like that.
"He has a general sense of the appropriateness of when these are supposed to be said, but probably doesn't understand what all those words mean."
But Alex is no galah - when he does not want to do what is asked, he makes it known.
"He'll generally perform with almost perfect accuracy for about the first maybe 12, 15 trials, and then he just does not want to do it … he'll sit there and he'll preen, or he'll give me all the wrong answers in a row, which takes a lot of intelligence because he's avoiding the one correct answer," the Professor said.
"If he's giving me six wrong answers in a row, you know he's avoiding that seventh answer carefully.
"So you know he knows it, because by chance he couldn't do that."[/color][/color]
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29 year study! How old was the parrot then? At least over 30 years old surely? Doesn't that mean that the parrot has at least 29 years of life experience compared to a child's 5?
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Did they only have one parrot and one human? If so, how is that a fair test? Parrots 'could be' smarter than a five-year-old, but did they put the two together in a head to head battle of intelligence/brain power? [:-\] [:-\]
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I had a parrot who could recite the "Dead Man" sketch off by heart.
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What is the point of this study [???][???] for the life of me, I can't see why anyone would want to waste 29 years talking to a parrot and then coming out afterwards and saying "we now have official prove that a parrot is indeed more intellegent than a 5-year-old".
Even then I would ask, what is the point of having a brain like a 5-year-old and not being able to communicate it like a 5-yr-old[???] Isn't that like you having Einstein's brain but not have a mouth or arms to write [???]
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I had a parrot who could recite the "Dead Man" sketch off by heart.
D'OH! (https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbestsmileys.com%2Fdoh%2F2.gif&hash=fef6931e562a6dc5fd0fd29a97202c70)
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:)
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Was the study conducted at a Polytechnic?
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Was the study conducted at a Polytechnic?
(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbestsmileys.com%2Ftextinbubble1%2F3.gif&hash=3183e9eb8dba5535593c448b37ce14fd)
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This question has many sides to it.
Polly gone~?
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That last post has no point other than to pad things out - Polyfilla!
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Heck,
I never thought how old the parrot was at the times of the test, good point, I must do More research before posting a topic, but it is a fun topic and i hoped some parrot geeks on the forum would enlighten me
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Parrot geek? What is there to enlighten? A five year old could do better than a geek [;D] [;D]
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Parrot geek? What is there to enlighten? A five year old could do better than a geek [;D] [;D]
5-year-old human or parrot?
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Hmmm... hadn't thought of that!
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When a parrot succeeds it does so by manipulating it’s beak! In doing so, did a Parrot discover the Kernal?
Was the study conducted at a Polytechnic?
(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbestsmileys.com%2Ftextinbubble1%2F3.gif&hash=3183e9eb8dba5535593c448b37ce14fd)
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When a parrot succeeds it does so by manipulating it’s beak! In doing so, did a Parrot discover the Kernal?
Was the study conducted at a Polytechnic?
(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbestsmileys.com%2Ftextinbubble1%2F3.gif&hash=3183e9eb8dba5535593c448b37ce14fd)
The KERNAL? Or just a GENERAL rule? Or is the answer PRIVATE?
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Isn't it kernel?
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Did anyone else just have trouble getting onto the forum?
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Isn't it kernel?
Yes, I was merely following suit [:I] (rightly FOGGED)
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The KERNAL is Commodore's name for the ROM-resident operating system core in its 8-bit home computers; from the original "PET of 1977", via the extended, but strongly related, versions used in its successors;
When a parrot succeeds it does so by manipulating it’s beak! In doing so, did a Parrot discover the Kernal?
Was the study conducted at a Polytechnic?
(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbestsmileys.com%2Ftextinbubble1%2F3.gif&hash=3183e9eb8dba5535593c448b37ce14fd)
The KERNAL? Or just a GENERAL rule? Or is the answer PRIVATE?
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I used to have a PET. It had a massive 32Kb memory!
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I used to have a PET. It had a massive 32Kb memory!
Them wus the good O'l Days Had an Oric :) Only just got the significance of your other post :) Private indeed.
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I remember the Oric. Wasn't that a 6502 based machine?
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Another topic that has been trashed from the start, typical, bloody typical...oh, and funny!
To change tack and stay on topic...
How intelligent is a parrot? Wouldn't it depend on the parrot? It's just a general nonsense question.
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We were staying on track. Some people have parrots as PETS! [:P]
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Another topic that has been trashed from the start, typical, bloody typical...oh, and funny!
To change tack and stay on topic...
How intelligent is a parrot? Wouldn't it depend on the parrot? It's just a general nonsense question.
The study is ludicrous. It is like trying to compare chalk and cheese.
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I remember the Oric. Wasn't that a 6502 based machine?
'Alas poor Oric, I knew him well.' Fred Shakearrow 1600 - 1657 (4 o'clock till 3 mins to five)
We have a flock of parrakeet's fly over our home on their way to work every dawn and home to roost every dusk. They are intelligent enough to survive the UK's weather, but not so bright as to go back to where they belong.
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Actuarial study shows that Parrots are intelligent as human...They response almost the same like human did.
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A heck of a lot more clever than my *clear throat* lovely, budgie.