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Study Shows Monkeys Like Watching TV

According to a Japanese study, monkeys are not immune to the siren call of the idiot box. It seems rhesus monkeys enjoy watching videos of circus animals. From the article: "The study found that when the monkey was witnessing the acrobatic performances of circus animals on a television screen, the frontal lobe area of its brain became vigorously active. The activity in such an area was significant in reflecting the monkey's pleasure, as the human equivalent is a neurological area associated with triggering delight in a baby when it sees the smile of its mother."

103 comments

  1. And right now by dread · · Score: 5, Funny

    Hundreds of millions of monkeys are watching other monkeys chasing a ball on TV. And deriving pleasure from it presumably.

    --
    I've had a wonderful time, but this wasn't it -- Groucho Marx
    1. Re:And right now by nigelo · · Score: 1

      And deriving pleasure from it presumably.

      Whatever toots your horn...

      --
      *Still* negative function...
    2. Re:And right now by Joce640k · · Score: 2, Interesting

      In our local zoo the chimps have a TV with Teletubbies on it....seriously.

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      No sig today...
    3. Re:And right now by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hundreds of millions of monkeys are watching other monkeys chasing a ball on TV. And deriving pleasure from it presumably.

      Yes, chasing a ball and watching a ball be chased. That's the extent of it.

    4. Re:And right now by Dunbal · · Score: 1

      You forgot the vuvuzelas.... no monkey would go to a ball chasing event without one.

      --
      Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
    5. Re:And right now by lsmo · · Score: 1

      The Men who stare at...

    6. Re:And right now by lgw · · Score: 4, Funny

      Surely the monkey demographic explains the success of Reality TV. Perhaps it seems like science fiction to its biggest audience?

      --
      Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
    7. Re:And right now by tonywong · · Score: 1

      While there's a lot of humour to be found in this article, there can be some benefit as well. While I couldn't help but laugh when I read the article, producing videos and having them broadcast to zoo animals (not debating the ethics of keeping zoo animals, except that they are there) may help stimulate them (for short periods) even though they are in relatively cramped quarters.

    8. Re:And right now by GooberToo · · Score: 3, Informative

      That's not surprisingly in the least since Chimps have been shown to like action movies and even porn. Chimps can become physically agitated when watching action movies or even scary movies. They seemingly even understand suspense, which seems to validate a higher level of intelligence. Like humans, chimps react to stimuli such as anger, violence, kindness, and sexuality. In each case, they have shown a propensity for enjoying the content of what is they watch; just as humans do.

    9. Re:And right now by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's only interesting if the monkeys are controlling the channel. If the zookeeper is setting it to Teletubbies because that's what he thinks they like, then it probably doesn't mean a whole lot.

    10. Re:And right now by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Funny how they keep insisting they don't come from monkeys.

    11. Re:And right now by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      and some have Fox news, a big hit with the tea bagging monkeys

    12. Re:And right now by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I thought the NBA season was over?

    13. Re:And right now by stupid_is · · Score: 2, Informative

      The gorilla at Longleat Safari Park has a big plasma/LCD screen with satellite and has to be actively discouraged from using it too much - he has the controller to use, too, I seem to recall.

      Can't remember what we were told was his favourite show, though

      --
      -- Intelligence is soluble in alcohol
  2. Well duh. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Have you seen what's on TV these days?

    1. Re:Well duh. by John+Hasler · · Score: 2, Interesting

      > Have you seen what's on TV these days?

      No, but from the reports it appears that it's what has always been there.

      --
      Warning: this article may contain humor, sarcasm, parody, and perhaps even irony. Read at your own risk.
  3. Really? by The+MAZZTer · · Score: 1

    Huh, I didn't know monkeys could type so well.

    1. Re:Really? by $RANDOMLUSER · · Score: 1

      They have this draft of Hamlet they want to talk about...

      --
      No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism. - Winston Churchill
  4. Duh by elrous0 · · Score: 1, Funny

    I bet they'll like Michael Bay movies too.

    --
    SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    1. Re:Duh by $RANDOMLUSER · · Score: 1

      I bet they'll like Michael Bay movies too.

      Actually, they think they're kind of douchey and stupid. But all the explosions are cool.

      --
      No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism. - Winston Churchill
  5. Extend the research? by DriedClexler · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Knowing our similarities to other primate species, I think they should direct and film some "TV drama" type performance of monkeys -- basically, a TV show that uses monkeys doing the kinds of social interaction monkeys do. Then, see if the monkeys are just as interested in watching other monkeys handle situations, as we are in watching humans.

    Also, see if they're able to distinguish TV from reality, and if they start feeling strongly about the characters.

    Of course, it could be difficult to get the monkey "actors" to cooperate.

    --
    Information theory is life. The rest is just the KL divergence.
    1. Re:Extend the research? by nizo · · Score: 1

      Of course, it could be difficult to get the monkey "actors" to cooperate.

      Cattle prods should work, at least until the Monkey Actor's Guild comes into existence.

    2. Re:Extend the research? by RealErmine · · Score: 1

      Here you go. Just like this.

      --
      Dewey, you fool! Your decimal system has played right into my hands!
    3. Re:Extend the research? by hitmark · · Score: 2

      peta?

      --
      comment first, facts later. http://chem.tufts.edu/AnswersInScience/RelativityofWrong.htm
    4. Re:Extend the research? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Bananas?

    5. Re:Extend the research? by demigod · · Score: 1

      Then, see if the monkeys are just as interested in watching other monkeys handle situations, as we are in watching humans...

      So you want to show them re-runs of Lancelot Link Secrent Chimp? Seems a little like cruelty to animals.

      --
      "The last thing I want to do is deal with a bunch of people who want something."
      Major Major
  6. Re:RACIST! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Your attempt at humor needs work. A lot of work.

  7. off my lawn, etc by Eil · · Score: 2, Informative

    According to a Japanese study, monkeys are not immune to the siren call of the idiot box

    That's "siren song," you illiterate clod.

    1. Re:off my lawn, etc by DarkTempes · · Score: 1

      And what does a siren's song do, hmm?

    2. Re:off my lawn, etc by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      the siren's message

      the siren's invitation

      the siren's beckoning

      the siren's sweet offerings

      nope.

      siren's call

      that's the one.

      anything else is for schmucks.

    3. Re:off my lawn, etc by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Read some Homer. D'oh.

    4. Re:off my lawn, etc by Nugoo · · Score: 1

      Oh, he probably just plays Magic.

      --
      I explicitly release the above into the public domain.
    5. Re:off my lawn, etc by stimpleton · · Score: 1

      Interesting intepretation, as "siren song" suggests a quite lull towards the "idiot Box". Whereas, when I read "siren call" I envisaged a clambering to arms(in front of the idiot box). I lived in a rural area and was a volunteer firefighter. So the station siren meant the later for those on call..

      --

      In post Patriot Act America, the library books scan you.
  8. Re:Seriously, who cares? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    so we can make them watch Congo next, and determine that violent TV makes monkeys violent too

  9. If an infinite number of monkeys by macbeth66 · · Score: 2, Funny

    film everything they see, will one of them eventually create "Planet of the Apes"?

    Just asking...

    1. Re:If an infinite number of monkeys by Moraelin · · Score: 1

      If an infinite number of monkeys film everything they see, will one of them eventually create "Planet of the Apes"?

      Nope, but give a couple dozen monkeys a few weeks and you'll get a pretty good equivalent of an Uwe Boll movie ;)

      --
      A polar bear is a cartesian bear after a coordinate transform.
    2. Re:If an infinite number of monkeys by RevWaldo · · Score: 2, Funny

      Well, since they're monkeys, probably something like this instead

      Lancelot Link - Secret Chimp!

      .

    3. Re:If an infinite number of monkeys by Samah · · Score: 2, Funny

      film everything they see, will one of them eventually create "Planet of the Apes"?

      I'd have thought something more along the lines of "Planet of the Humans". :)

      --
      Homonyms are fun!
      You're driving your car, but they're riding their bikes there.
  10. Re:Seriously, who cares? by insertwackynamehere · · Score: 1

    Conveniently, Doom is in the film as well so we can also test violent video games!

  11. Obvious... by Amphetam1ne · · Score: 1

    How else would you account for the success of reality TV shows?

    --
    I only buy pepper spray that's been tested on anti-vivisectionists.
  12. Shall we expand on this a bit? by Rogerborg · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Strap a monkey to a board, stick some electrodes in its brain, then measure how happy it is. Show it some moving images, which distract it from the fact that it's strapped to a board with electrodes stuck in its brain. It gets less unhappy. NOBEL PRIZE!

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    If you were blocking sigs, you wouldn't have to read this.
  13. Coming up on the Monkey Television Network by CaptDeuce · · Score: 1
    • Demolition derby
    • Pong
    • Men's tennis
    • Women's tennis (monkey focus groups indicate that male monkeys maintain a narrower focus)
    • Mythbusters
    • Baywatch (increased focus of male monkeys also noted)

    In followup studies, human males show almost identical focus intensities. Unexpectedly, focus was most highly concentrated for episodes of Mythbusters -- even when Kari Byron was on hiatus.

    --
    "Where's my other sock?" - A. Einstein
    1. Re:Coming up on the Monkey Television Network by Hatta · · Score: 2, Informative

      There was a short lived TV show on TBS featuring chimps running a TV network. It was appropriately named The Chimp Channel and was actually pretty good if you like that kind of thing.

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      Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
  14. Re:Seriously, who cares? by geekoid · · Score: 2, Insightful

    A) To find and parallels between the physiological make-up of monkeys and humans.
    B) To better understand Monkey behavior.

    Not everything studied needs an immediate reason. sometimes the knowledge is it's own reward, and very often other people come along look at that data and then find a practicable use for it. Much of what Einstein did was worthless at the time. His work on the concepts that you could stimulate electromagnetic emission. It wasn't until much later that the LASER was actually built.

    Until studied whether or not they would read to television was only speculation.

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    The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
  15. I get it now... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Well, that explains American Idol. . .

  16. Of course they do by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Image you were locked in a cage. Now image that your wife is a hairy beast, your children don't listen to a word you say, and your best friend is fond of masturbating in public and flinging his own waste at strangers. What else are you going to do with your time?

    1. Re:Of course they do by Red+Flayer · · Score: 1

      Image you were locked in a cage. Now image that your wife is a hairy beast, your children don't listen to a word you say, and your best friend is fond of masturbating in public and flinging his own waste at strangers. What else are you going to do with your time?

      Oh, I dunno. I'd probably pick some nits from my wife's fur, bare my teeth at the kids some, maybe masturbate, and then fling some poo (not necessarily in that order).

      Watching TV is way, way down on my list -- at approximately the same level as swinging into a bunch of fellows in the gorilla enclosure and taunting them.

      --
      "Trolls they were, but filled with the evil will of their master: a fell race..." -- J.R.R. Tolkien on Olog-hai
  17. Now try Monkey Pron... by kimgkimg · · Score: 1

    Using the circus videos as a control, now give them a channel changer and put pron on the other channel...

  18. what's next by pastafazou · · Score: 0, Troll

    a study that shows monkeys are easily addicted to caffeine and nicotine? Or alcohol gets monkeys drunk?

  19. TV? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Personally, I think the next step is posting AC comments here on /.

    Who am I kidding, even a monkey would register to get free karma while posting any BS.

    Hey, wait a min... Oh, no! What have they done!?!

  20. Wow, more evidence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    that humans evolved from monkeys!

    1. Re:Wow, more evidence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You evolved from us Apes, you insensitive clod!

  21. George Bush by Ponder+Stibions · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    We already knew this due to the behavior of the former US President, George W Bush.

  22. And in other news... by cayenne8 · · Score: 1
    ...top US TV shows are:

    American Idol

    Dancing with the Stars

    [name your reality show here]

    Looks like we're all monkeys here....but sadly, it appears the 'furrier' of the tv watching monkeys at least watch something entertaining.

    --
    Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
    1. Re:And in other news... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Speak for yourself. :P
      I dont watch trashy reality tv series.

  23. Obviously by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It only stands to reason, as most of the TV programming is done by monkeys...

  24. Re:Barrack Obama by cayenne8 · · Score: 0, Flamebait
    "We already knew this due to the behavior of the former US President, George W Bush."

    Yep, and this behavior is being displayed in droves once again by current US President Barrack H Obama.

    --
    Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
  25. Every parent already knows this. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Just sayin'

  26. Re:Barrack Obama by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "We already knew this due to the behavior of the former US President, George W Bush."

    Yep, and this behavior is being displayed in droves once again by current US President Barrack H Obama.

    Wow, I knew you Tom Friedman-esque "democrats too!" balance fetishists were dumb, but "displayed in droves?"

      Do you even know what a drove is?

  27. FOX by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Somebody has to watch FOX news and be entertained, don't they? I mean - it's monkeys doing the show anyways.

  28. But even the monkeys... by N0Man74 · · Score: 1

    If we let them watch Uwe Boll movies on their TVs, I bet even the Monkeys will agree that they suck.

  29. Alternate description: by Desiderius · · Score: 5, Funny

    Study Shows Scientists Like Watching Monkeys Watching TV

  30. MOD PARENT UP! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Uh....why was this modded down? Nimp chimpanzees are well-known for stealing any objects that "flash," mainly being shiny metals (e.g. gold) out in the wild or in the cases of civilization, things that blink like electronics. They may not understand what these devices do, but they are fairly evolved for what they are.

    1. Re:MOD PARENT UP! by TrisexualPuppy · · Score: 1

      Strange...I thought the Monkees not only knew how to watch television but actually had their own television program. Shows what I know.

    2. Re:MOD PARENT UP! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It was modded down because he used the word 'monkeys' when he obviously should have used 'apes.'

  31. Re:Barrack Obama by cayenne8 · · Score: 1
    " Do you even know what a drove is?"

    I believe it do...I was using it as commonly used as meaning "in large numbers", "seeing many examples of like behaviors".

    From the Free Dictionary I found online:

    drove 2 (drv)

    n.

    1. A flock or herd being driven in a body.

    2.

    a. A large mass of people moving or acting as a body.

    b. A large body of like things. See Synonyms at flock1.

    3.

    a. A stonemason's broad-edged chisel used for rough hewing.

    b. A stone surface dressed with such a chisel.

    I guess according to this definition, I was going more for 2b.

    --
    Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
  32. Re:Study Shows Monkeys Like Watching TV by Onymous+Coward · · Score: 1

    Did you know that attacking other social groups is usually a product of low self-esteem?

    If at some point you develop a sense of valuing yourself, you retain your critical knowledge of other races and cultures but stop needing to attack them.

  33. Re:Seriously, who cares? by LeadSongDog · · Score: 1

    Einstein's Nobel was for his work on the photoelectric effect. As in "solar cells". That whole relativity thing was kind of interesting though, and it did get us to fission power. So one way or the other your monkeys can actually turn their plasma TV sets on to watch themselves without burning down their jungle.

    --
    Oh, I'm sorry sir, I thought you were referring to me, Mr. Wensleydale.
  34. Sensory deprivation by snooz_crash · · Score: 1

    So take an animal, sequestered for experimentation, and give it a modicum of stimuli and see if it likes it? I tell you what, release the monkey, put a TV into the wild and see if free monkeys will stop and watch.

    ...and take the dang headphones off.

    --
    ceci n'est pas un sig
  35. Re:wiu+wo+eo~1329pidw+o by gerddie · · Score: 1

    To whoever modded this Offtopic: wooooossssssh.

  36. Re:Barrack Obama by Reziac · · Score: 1

    Gee, that's an awful wordy way to put it. You could have just said "Lemmings". ;)

    --
    ~REZ~ #43301. Who'd fake being me anyway?
  37. Re:Study Shows Monkeys Like Watching TV by Reziac · · Score: 1

    Interestingly, these notions about "self esteem" had never been studied; they'd just been *assumed*, based on the notion that everyone likes to feel good about themselves. Recently some psych researchers took a notion to rectify this sad lack of actual documentation, and...

    Contrary to common assumption, they discovered that the highest self-esteem was found in career criminals, who essentially believe they are better than everyone else, and therefore they believe they can do no wrong. (IOW, people who make a career of attacking other social groups, namely those who work for a living or are otherwise "beneath" them.)

    (No, I am not making this up.)

    --
    ~REZ~ #43301. Who'd fake being me anyway?
  38. monkey brains shown to work by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Scientists stick electrodes in to the heads of monkeys to prove that they contain brains, and said brains react to stimulus.

  39. anger, violence, kindness, and sexuality by Joce640k · · Score: 1

    I wonder if they picked up the underlying homoerotic messages in Teletubbies?

    --
    No sig today...
  40. Roger Waters knew all along... by altek · · Score: 2, Funny
    --
    THE MAGIC WORDS ARE SQUEAMISH OSSIFRAGE
  41. Re:wiu+wo+eo~1329pidw+o by enderjsv · · Score: 1

    I didn't mod this offtopic, but you're right with the whole "wooooooossssssh" thing. What's he trying to say?

  42. And the score is ... by Dumnezeu · · Score: 1

    Darwin 1 - God 0

    --
    Yes, it's sarcasm. Deal with it!
  43. They also like to rape frogs. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Forget goatse or tubgirl, here's the real thing!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVE60zwXx1k

  44. even monkeys by w00tsauce · · Score: 1

    don't want to watch uwe boll

  45. We don't like that word by jprupp · · Score: 1

    Please don't call us monkeys, we're chimpanzees. It's the gorillas who will destroy the world.

  46. Re:Study Shows Monkeys Like Watching TV by Onymous+Coward · · Score: 1

    Intriguing. Thank you for the information, I'll see if I can dig up the actual studies.

    I wouldn't call the distinction here "social groups", though. I imagine the particular persons you're referring to are more simply sociopathic.

    For more information on "groupism", see Muzafer Sherif's work in the Robbers Cave experiment.

  47. High Ratings... by tazer · · Score: 1

    Well at least that finally explains the high ratings on some shows (ie. American Idol). :-)

    1. Re:High Ratings... by tazer · · Score: 1

      Ooops...My monkey posted that comment before reading the same comment above. Bad monkey! Bad monkey!

  48. Re:Study Shows Monkeys Like Watching TV by Reziac · · Score: 1

    Well, it may be that unlimited self-esteem is a facet of that particular sociopathy :)

    I heard about the study from a friend's wife who is shrink, but keep forgetting to ask for details.

    --
    ~REZ~ #43301. Who'd fake being me anyway?
  49. Flypoop and dust by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I am lazy...

  50. Lance Link, Secret Chimp by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    been there:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmTmvBzNFY4

    bonus: captcha - SCREENS

  51. Re:wiu+wo+eo~1329pidw+o by gerddie · · Score: 1

    I think AC is a monkey who tries to express that he prefers posting on /. over watching TV.

  52. Re:wiu+wo+eo~1329pidw+o by inamorty · · Score: 1, Funny

    It's from Finnegans Wake.

  53. In a corollary study ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ... scientists have found that monkeys like cracking a cold beer, kicking back on a couch, and watching videos of female monkeys not wearing any clothes.

  54. This monkey's gone to Fox by vorlich · · Score: 1

    Were the monkeys given the remote control and what did they think of the SGU season finale?

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  55. Wrong by caranha · · Score: 1

    The linked article does not actually refers to the Scientific article (why not?), so I went and did some digging.

    http://frontiersin.org/neuroscience/behavioralneuroscience/paper/10.3389/fnbeh.2010.00031/

    Nothing like "monkeys like to watch TV". The experiment only measure the activity of the monkey's brain when it is watching the movie, but not when it is NOT watching the movie or when it is watching something else. Actually the paper is more about this new brain wave sensor that they are developing than about monkeys and TVs. Like a previous commenter said - if you have a monkey stuck into a chair, with a bunch of probes dug into its brain, in a dark room, it will get interested in a movie shown in front of him. Duh! (and, according to the article, at least 60% of the trials where thrown away because the monkey did not actually look at the movie).

  56. Internet.. by Wescotte · · Score: 1

    I have a feeling this video proves monkeys are ready to use the internet.

    1. Re:Internet.. by JustABlitheringIdiot · · Score: 1

      I have a feeling this video proves monkeys are ready to use the internet.

      Well at least they are ready for Chat Roulette.

  57. and the male monkeys by nopainogain · · Score: 1

    really enjoy video footage of other male monkeys committing dumb crimes, flipping their cars, and falling off of kegs.