mercredi, mai 11, 2005

SCIENCE VERSUS SCIENCE FICTION?

The Modern Age Evolution of Primates


In the fields of Formal Linguistics, Philosophy and Logic we struggle to obtain subsidies to our projects, including grants to training researchers. Other areas seem to be taken more seriously and have easier access. Perhaps, if you read the following, you can tell me why, for I do not get it:
The Great Ape Trust is an organisation dedicated to providing sanctuary and an honourable life for great apes, studying the intelligence of great apes, advancing conservation of great apes and providing unique educational experiences about great apes. If you have not heard of it, you will hereafter be surprised about their out of the ordinary ongoing research projects.
The challenge this institution proposes to itself is bold, in the words of its Founder Ted Townsend:
Imagine Galileo with access to the Hubble space telescope. Great Ape Trust of Iowa has begun delivering on the promise to generate a new level of excellence in this fascinating field of intellectual inquiry.
The news can be found here. The article says:
Researchers at the Iowa Great Ape Trust are putting eight intelligent bonobos in a human-like living situation to study how culture may emerge.
The apes will have all facilities modern culture may provide:
The bonobos will be able to cook in their own kitchen, tap vending machines for snacks, go for walks in the woods and communicate with researchers through computer touchscreens.

The Great Ape Trust website has more related news, with a complete coverage of the latest events.

posted by Tony Marmo @ 6:34:00 AM