Alex the African Grey Parrot Dies

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Alex the African Grey Parrot Dies

Posted by kdawson on Sunday September 9, 2007 @07:16AM from the teaching-us-how-to-communicate dept.

grrlscientist writes "Yesterday, I received the devastating news that Alex the African Grey parrot, who was both a study subject and colleague to Irene Pepperberg, died unexpectedly at 31 years of age. 'Even though Alex was a research animal, he was much more than that. This species of parrot generally lives to be 50-60 years old, so Alex was only middle-aged when he died. According to some reports I have read, it is possible that Alex might have succumbed to Aspergillosis, a fungal infection of the lungs that he has battled in the past. However, the cause of death will not be known until after a necropsy has been completed... Alex's veterinarian is returning from vacation to personally conduct this necrospy.'"

26 of 242 comments (clear)

Cue the... by Anonymous Coward · 2007-09-09 07:18 · Score: 5, Funny

Anyone who makes a comment about pining for the fjords gets a slap.
1. Re:Cue the... by zeromorph · 2007-09-09 07:42 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Ok no jokes, but did we get any last words to quote then?
  
  --
  "Hannibal's plans never work right. They just work." Amy/A-Team
Uhm... by BlueParrot · 2007-09-09 07:18 · Score: 4, Funny

Ok... *still trying to figure out how this is newsworthy* I know, I know.. I'm new here...
1. Re:Uhm... by QMalcolm · 2007-09-09 07:27 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Newsworthy? Colored parrots are going down. Dude, you're next!
2. Re:Uhm... by Rebelgecko · 2007-09-09 07:28 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  by BlueParrot (965239) on Sunday September 09, @12:18PM (#20530525)
  Ok... *still trying to figure out how this is newsworthy* I know, I know.. I'm new here... As one of his fellow parrots, you should be very familiar with Alex. You should not let minor differences such as the color of your feathers get in the way of appreciating the scientific contributions of another parrot. Be tolerant of different-colored parrots, it's what Alex would have wanted.
  
  --
  CATS/Diebold '08- All your vote are belong to us!
3. Re:Uhm... by HTTP+Error+403+403.9 · 2007-09-09 08:04 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Hopefully there was any fowl play involved.
  
  --
  I'm not a Troll, it's reverse psychology.
4. Re:Uhm... by master_p · 2007-09-09 10:30 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  "Here's a previous Slashdot article about the fact that he may have grasped the concept of zero"
  
  Too bad he's dead. If he could grasp the concept of null as well, he would be a fine programmer.
5. Re:Uhm... by mblase · 2007-09-10 00:04 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  You missed "spontaneously offering up other little details in conversation" like he was interested in, and wanted to talk about the subject. I am sure it's on Youtube somewhere, the one when he's eating corn and they have a conversation about it.
  
  "Alex, would you like some corn?"
  *squawk* "Why do you want to talk about some corn?"
  "Well, we could talk about something else."
  *squawk* "Does it please you to believe we could talk about something else?"
What about the Norweigan Blue? by the_womble · 2007-09-09 07:25 · Score: 3, Funny

And have they tried putting 50,000 volts through it?
1. Re:What about the Norweigan Blue? by BlueParrot · 2007-09-09 08:03 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Jeg lever fortsatt. Er litt sliten da... tror jeg skal sove lidt...
Profit? by SavedLinuXgeeK · 2007-09-09 07:25 · Score: 3, Funny

I wonder if anyone has tried to sell him to a blind kid...

--
je suis parce que j'aime
1. Re:Profit? by meringuoid · 2007-09-09 07:34 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  1: Obtain dead parrot
  2: ???
  3: Profit!
  2 probably involves some sort of comedy routine, rather than any attempt to sell the thing, though.
  
  --
  Real Daleks don't climb stairs - they level the building.
Re:Elsewhere, by meringuoid · 2007-09-09 07:31 · Score: 4, Funny

in other news, 300 Chinese people died from a coal mine explosion.
Yeah, but that doesn't give us a cue to commence the recital of Monty Python routines.

--
Real Daleks don't climb stairs - they level the building.
I don't know... by thegnu · 2007-09-09 07:35 · Score: 4, Funny

in other news, 300 Chinese people died from a coal mine explosion.

Yeah, but that doesn't give us a cue to commence the recital of Monty Python routines.

I don't know, the Chinese government says they're sleeping.

--
Please stop stalking me, bro.
Great attention grabbing first sentence by antifoidulus · 2007-09-09 07:39 · Score: 3, Funny

albeit probably unintentionally: As you know, I have spent my life researching, breeding and living with birds,

This coming from someone who calls themselves grrrlscientist. You could probably make some videos to pay for your research.....

--
Monstar L
For the sake of completeness... by E++99 · 2007-09-09 07:50 · Score: 5, Funny

Dead Parrot Sketch

The cast:

MR. PRALINE
John Cleese
SHOP OWNER
Michael Palin

The sketch:

A customer enters a pet shop.

Mr. Praline: 'Ello, I wish to register a complaint.

(The owner does not respond.)

Mr. Praline: 'Ello, Miss?

Owner: What do you mean "miss"?

Mr. Praline: I'm sorry, I have a cold. I wish to make a complaint!

Owner: We're closin' for lunch.

Mr. Praline: Never mind that, my lad. I wish to complain about this parrot what I purchased not half an hour ago from this very boutique.

Owner: Oh yes, the, uh, the Norwegian Blue...What's,uh...What's wrong with it?

Mr. Praline: I'll tell you what's wrong with it, my lad. 'E's dead, that's what's wrong with it!

Owner: No, no, 'e's uh,...he's resting.

Mr. Praline: Look, matey, I know a dead parrot when I see one, and I'm looking at one right now.

Owner: No no he's not dead, he's, he's restin'! Remarkable bird, the Norwegian Blue, idn'it, ay? Beautiful plumage!

Mr. Praline: The plumage don't enter into it. It's stone dead.

Owner: Nononono, no, no! 'E's resting!

Mr. Praline: All right then, if he's restin', I'll wake him up! (shouting at the cage) 'Ello, Mister Polly Parrot! I've got a lovely fresh cuttle fish for you if you
show...

(owner hits the cage)

Owner: There, he moved!

Mr. Praline: No, he didn't, that was you hitting the cage!

Owner: I never!!

Mr. Praline: Yes, you did!

Owner: I never, never did anything...

Mr. Praline: (yelling and hitting the cage repeatedly) 'ELLO POLLY!!!!! Testing! Testing! Testing! Testing! This is your nine o'clock alarm call!

(Takes parrot out of the cage and thumps its head on the counter. Throws it up in the air and watches it plummet to the floor.)

Mr. Praline: Now that's what I call a dead parrot.

Owner: No, no.....No, 'e's stunned!

Mr. Praline: STUNNED?!?

Owner: Yeah! You stunned him, just as he was wakin' up! Norwegian Blues stun easily, major.

Mr. Praline: Um...now look...now look, mate, I've definitely 'ad enough of this. That parrot is definitely deceased, and when I purchased it not 'alf an hour
ago, you assured me that its total lack of movement was due to it bein' tired and shagged out following a prolonged squawk.

Owner: Well, he's...he's, ah...probably pining for the fjords.

Mr. Praline: PININ' for the FJORDS?!?!?!? What kind of talk is that?, look, why did he fall flat on his back the moment I got 'im home?

Owner: The Norwegian Blue prefers keepin' on it's b
No no he's not dead, he's, he's resting! by Per+Abrahamsen · 2007-09-09 07:50 · Score: 2, Funny

nt
Pining for the fjords? by GBC · 2007-09-09 07:52 · Score: 5, Funny

Finally, I can quote the "Dead Parrot Sketch" and not be off-topic!
Luckily for me, Alex died young - I don't know if I could have held out for another 19-29 years...
Arrrggghhhh!!!!!!! by fishthegeek · 2007-09-09 08:13 · Score: 4, Funny

Me an Me shipmates extend to ye oer sympathies. Tis tuf to looz a parrot, I wuldnt be da same witout mine. Arrrrrggghhhh.
May he rest in Davy Jones Locker in peace. Arrrgghhhh!!!!!

--
load "$",8,1
What They Didn't Tell... by Anonymous Coward · 2007-09-09 08:26 · Score: 2, Funny

He was delicious!
how sad by Rutulian · 2007-09-09 08:26 · Score: 3, Funny

I met Alex four years ago at Brandeis. He tried to mate with my arm... :(
Re:Researcher's Famous Dog Seen in Bronco by morgan_greywolf · 2007-09-09 09:12 · Score: 3, Funny

No, the parrot may or may not have been killed by Schrödinger's cat, who may or may not be dead.

--
My blog
News for Nerds? by phorm · 2007-09-09 09:54 · Score: 3, Funny

If that doesn't make his death "News for Nerds", then I don't know what does.

Initially I read Nerds as Birds... which would make for an interesting headline:

News for Birds, stuff with crackers
operant conditioning by Anonymous Coward · 2007-09-09 10:10 · Score: 1, Funny

Noam Chomsky criticised the parrot's ability to speak saying it was just operant conditioning, but I'd say that's about as much as most slashbots have.

I can see it now: "In Soviet Russa... In Soviet Russia *SQUAWK* I FOR ONE WELCOME *SQUAWK*"
He's not dead... by cdomigan · 2007-09-09 12:52 · Score: 2, Funny

...he's pining for the fjords!
Re:No offense but by orclevegam · 2007-09-10 03:44 · Score: 2, Funny

Keep that in mind when our future alien overlords put you in a zoo and feed you happy pills.
A roof over your head, three square meals, and all the drugs you can want. Now, give me a computer with internet access, and I'm not seeing a down side here.

--
Curiosity was framed, Ignorance killed the cat.