Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!bbn!rochester!cornell!batcomputer!pyramid!fmsrl7!grazier
From: grazier@fmsrl7.UUCP (Kevin Grazier)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: Parrot Paranoia--Sorry to disappoint you, but we're bored...
Message-ID: <7950@fmsrl7.UUCP>
Date: 8 Mar 88 20:33:08 GMT
References: <1988Feb25.145536.3854@utzoo.uucp> <4369@aw.sei.cmu.edu> <495@picuxa.UUCP>
Reply-To: grazier@fmsrl7.UUCP (Kevin Grazier)
Organization: Ford Motor Company, Scientific Research Labs, Dearborn, MI
Lines: 36
Keywords: parrots

In article <495@picuxa.UUCP> gp@picuxa.UUCP (Greg Pasquariello X1190) writes:
]In article <4369@aw.sei.cmu.edu>, ceb@sei.cmu.edu (Carolyn Bissell) writes:
]> time and energy in establishing our friendship and communication.  When
]> he says 'hi there' or 'water' or 'scratch' or 'window' or 'pretty good, 
]> huh?' he knows exactly what he means and uses the words accordingly.
]	< Followed by miscellaneous ramblings of how her bird emotes >
]
]Is this for real?  Can it be that parrots can not only speak like humans
]but ALSO _UNDERSTAND_ WHAT THEY ARE SAYING!!!  Maybe we can send a parrot
]to the moon, not as a test animal, but as an astronaut!  Hell, maybe he can
]run for President!!

Before you get TOO sarcastic, note that researchers at the University
of Wisconsin are teaching an African Grey ENGLISH.  They aren't teaching
it mere mimicry.  They'll show the bird a picture of a square and a picture
of a triangle and ask how they're different.  The bird will respond with
"shape."  They'll then show the bird a red circle and a blue circle and
ask how they're different.  The bird will respond with "color."  All the
research done so far, seems to indicate that this bird understands what it
is saying.  There were a lot more examples of the bird's feats in the
article, but I don't remember them all.

The concept of intelligence is getting greyer and greyer as we delve into
it.  I find it very egocentric to believe that human beings are the only
creatures who have a form of sonic communication  -- a form which is so 
complex that other creatures can't master some of its basics.

I also see no reason why the original poster couldn't have had a such
a rapport with her bird.

-- 
Kevin R. Grazier                            Mustang GT: There is no substitute.
Ford Motor Company 
Engineering Computer Center
uucp: {philabs | pyramid | ihnp4!mibte | terminus} !fmsrl7!grazier 
VOICE: (313) 739-7553  (home)   (313) 337-1625 (work)