science

Wow, this guy loves tits!

Just want to remind people of Alex the parrot who had a strong grasp on English, could do math, and was very much a bird. Without any of the in-built brain molding that we, as humans, have for human language, Alex did pretty well. Given how common social behavior is among birds, I’d be surprised if none could communicate beyond “fuck you!” or “fuck me!”

I think this is his most recent paper:

https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms10986

Here is the abstract:

Human language can express limitless meanings from a finite set of words based on combinatorial rules (i.e., compositional syntax). Although animal vocalizations may be comprised of different basic elements (notes), it remains unknown whether compositional syntax has also evolved in animals. Here we report the first experimental evidence for compositional syntax in a wild animal species, the Japanese great tit (Parus minor). Tits have over ten different notes in their vocal repertoire and use them either solely or in combination with other notes. Experiments reveal that receivers extract different meanings from ‘ABC’ (scan for danger) and ‘D’ notes (approach the caller), and a compound meaning from ‘ABC–D’ combinations. However, receivers rarely scan and approach when note ordering is artificially reversed (‘D–ABC’). Thus, compositional syntax is not unique to human language but may have evolved independently in animals as one of the basic mechanisms of information transmission.

I think most people's intuition for "can talk" is very different from "first experimental evidence for compositional syntax in a wild animal species"

Sometimes a parrot talks.

How fasinating!