Smithsonian zoo introduces iPads to orangutans with 'App for Apes' project

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Comments

  • Reply 21 of 25
    davidwdavidw Posts: 2,115member


    Teaching apes to use tablets is not new. Microsoft been doing this for a while now. Just the other day, I saw a picture of Steve Ballmer using their new surface tablet.  image

  • Reply 22 of 25
    jragostajragosta Posts: 10,473member
    Wouldn't they have to be closer to sentience than they are now?

    Not at all. Apes can easily express their desire to be let out of their cages. Heck, even my dog can let me known when he wants to go out.
  • Reply 23 of 25
    asciiascii Posts: 5,936member


    It looked like they were just randomly tapping and swiping the screen to me, no comprehension of what they were doing.

  • Reply 24 of 25
    jragostajragosta Posts: 10,473member
    ascii wrote: »
    It looked like they were just randomly tapping and swiping the screen to me, no comprehension of what they were doing.

    Have a look at some of the reports of what these apes have been trained to do. It's actually quite impressive - they've demonstrated the ability to understand and express abstract concepts and even have grammar rules.
  • Reply 25 of 25
    asciiascii Posts: 5,936member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jragosta View Post





    Have a look at some of the reports of what these apes have been trained to do. It's actually quite impressive - they've demonstrated the ability to understand and express abstract concepts and even have grammar rules.


    Are you sure about that or is it just what the general culture has come to accept? Many of the biggest claims about great ape cognition were made by Marc Hauser who was found guilty of scientific misconduct last year. 


    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Hauser

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