Slashdot Mirror
Monkey Business and Freakonomics
marct22 writes "Stephen J Dubner, co-writer of 'Freakonomics' said there will be a second Freakonomics book. One of the items that will be covered is capuchin monkeys' use of washers as money, buying sweets, budgeting for favored treats over lesser treats. He mentioned that one of the experiments had similar outcomes as a study of day traders. And lastly, he watched capuchin prostitution!"
It was short. But also one of the most interesting short books I've read.
So I hereby counter your unrecommendation ;)
I remember watching this video about the sexual life of Bonobo apes (cousins of chimpanzee with a social life very similar to humans in many respects, in particular sex). One funny part was a young male coming to a female resting on a branch with a banana. The males makes it very clear what he wants in exchange, they do the deed and the the female eats the banana after he leaves. The funny part is that in the commentary they explain that this specific female never goes looking for food...
Non-Linux Penguins ?
I find it interesting how monkeys can be compared to day traders. I think to goes to show how similar us humans really are to other animals.
I think it simply goes to show how similar day traders are to monkeys.
How can they use washers as money? I assume they're the normal kind made of base metal (not silver or gold) so anybody could mine some more zinc or steel and make more of them. Where's the intrinsic value? It's just another fiat currency like dollars except in this case the 'the man' is the zookeeper.
I will have a sig when the market demands it.
It never spends much space on economic theory, even "distilled to plain English", because that isn't the purpose of the book.
Careful - the monkeys may sue for defamation of character.
Still, the analogy holds. Since we too are "trained" to see money as money. Do you really think a lot of people put any thought into the development of money and currency? No, they are trained that they get goods for their greenbacks, and that they may accept those green bills for their stuff 'cause there's someone else who's gonna give them other items for them.
People don't see that development, the money-for-gold of the old days. They see the essentially worthless token that becomes valuable because everyone around them deems it just as valuable. They don't care about how international trade influences inflation and how the Dollar stands towards the Euro or Yen, they know that prices go up or wages go down, but the why and how completely escapes them.
So generally, most people are just at the level of those monkeys. They know that if they perform some tricks (i.e. work), they will get some tokens (a paycheck) and they can redeem them for sweets (or a new computer). And that's it.
When you look at the bottom of it all, you'll see that many people are just that: Trained monkeys.
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
So, you're saying independent thinkers should take your word for it and do what you demand?
Lucky little bastages. I wish I could toss my wife some washers or food for some service. He needs to do experiments to see if a metal band around a Capuchin's ring finger stops the process of copulation. The males will give the females all of the washers and food, and the females will in turn become celibate or have intercourse with different monkeys.
"Please, shut up. Just when I think you can't say anything more stupid, you speak again." -Archie Bunker.
in that case they really are very similar to day traders
the more they over-think the plumbing the easier it is to stop up the pipe