Ape Apps help Orangutans talk to people
Orangutans at Miami Zoo are using iPads to communicate with humans. Associated Press reports that half a dozen of the endangered apes are using iPads, after being offered them as part of a mental stimulation exercise that uses Apps developed for autistic humans. The apps display pictures of various objects that trainers name, …
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Orangutans are using the devices to indicate body parts that need medical attention.
So, if they're so smart, why don't they just point at the afflicted part?
Re: Orangutans are using the devices to indicate body parts that need medical attention.
"So, if they're so smart, why don't they just point at the afflicted part?" Lets go with the obvious shall we? Ape points at penis, human thinks "hmm is there something wrong with it," ape thinks, "suck my willy ape-boy!"
Re: if they're so smart
In a cage all day with nothing much to do... apes have been known to take up smoking and drinking... maybe he's pointing to a picture of his liver.
iFads useful to mouth-breathing apes?
Not surprising ... Take a stroll around Sonoma's Plaza on any given weekend afternoon. You'll observe any number of mouth-breathing apes utilizplaying with iFads.
Re: iFads useful to mouth-breathing apes?
Damn! —when I saw there were only three comments, I was going to post an "in before first painfully predictable comment comparing Apple users to apes" but I'll obviously have to be a lot quicker than that.
Keep writing those hits, kid!
Re: iFads useful to mouth-breathing apes?
Re-read what I wrote, madra.
"Not surprising ... Take a stroll around Sonoma's Plaza on any given weekend afternoon. You'll observe any number of mouth-breathing apes utilizplaying with iFads."
That is a statement of fact, based on personal observation, and a fact that you are free to check out on your own, all by yourself. Really. I doubt you need to be in Sonoma ... pretty much any Western World city-center will do.
Methinks your inferiority complex is showing ... Or do you not realize you, personally, are an Ape? In that case, it's just ignorance on your part ...
Bindun without the tech.
It's possible to teach orangutans proper sign language, which they can then use to communicate with keepers and with each other. They have the smarts but not the vocal cords for talking.
Beer was the orangest colour icon available.
Wow !
5 comments already and no-one yet suggesting that they actually would crush them because they prefer android.
Damn, i've gone and said it.
So...
"when family members are relocated to other zoos."
I suppose they will keep in touch by using Faceook.
It's the one with another dimension in a pocket.
Re: So...
It is SOOOOO tempting to suggest any orangutans on facebook would be in the upper quartile of users intelligence-wise .
But we must resist such temptations, must we not
this is pretty awesome
better watch out though - the next time your score in Angry Birds gets beaten, don't trash talk against whoever did it, you might anger a 200 lb monke ape
Evolution in action
From fan-boys to higher primates in less than a generation.
OK, OK, calm down...
But...
...they still haven't scored 3 stars on all levels of Angry Birds
Fantastic
Can they come and train my CEO how to use technology next?
Amother inevitable response
Do they line up at the Apple store when a new model comes out?
WTF? an iPad to an ape? That budget is clearly too large and needs scaled back.
Christ! Even a sub $/£100 tablet would do.
But a £500 quid iPad, to an ape? REALLY??
STOP WASTING PUBLIC MONEY!
Jumping to conculsions
First off, it's in America so that's $500 (which is about £310 right now.)
Second, the article doesn't actually state that the Zoo *purchased* the iPads, just that they are using them. They might be donated, purchased cheap/used, or on loan from somebody.
I don't know if zoos in America publicly funded but if they are think about what you're saying. It's fine to use public money to imprison obviously intelligent animals for your entertainment but it's not ok to spend a small fraction of that money to alleviate some of the boredom experienced by them?
I'm not against responsible zoos and safari parks but your argument is ridiculous.
Teaching Angry Birds is a bad idea
Orangs are smart - smart enough to build a catapult from the ropes and trees in their enclosure.
Do we really want to be planting that idea in their head?
(could be worse: chimps. Catapult. Poo. 'nuf said.)
"Right Turn, Clyde!"
Actually the real reason why they're teaching them to use iPad is so when they release them back into the wild, they can stick a couple of fanbois in the cage and nobody will notice the difference. It's a cheaper alternative.
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