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Experiment Suggests Monkeys Can Do Basic Math
sciencehabit (1205606) writes "It looks like a standardized test question: Is the sum of two numbers on the left or the single number on the right larger? Rhesus macaques that have been trained to associate numerical values with symbols can get the answer right, even if they haven't passed a math class. The finding doesn't just reveal a hidden talent of the animals—it also helps show how the mammalian brain encodes the values of numbers. Previous research has shown that chimpanzees can add single-digit numbers. But scientists haven’t explained exactly how, in the human or the monkey brain, numbers are being represented or this addition is being carried out. Now, a new study (abstract) helps begin to answer those questions."
Because the Republican "cut taxes while spending trillions invading other countries" works out so well.
--
BMO
WTF is with all the political bashing on this site lately?
Never knew math was so political...
It would be nice to see what animals are capable of this kind of differentiation - although the ability of Rhesus macaques to use symbolic representations to differentiate between 'more' and 'less' appears to be significant on several levels (at least, to me).
...of the Rise of the Planet of the Apes.
We can't have scientists doing experiments like these! Think of all the minimum wage jobs workers!
Ezekiel 23:20
You guys should really learn how to vote for 'none Of The Above'
If you tell a monkey that straight line cross squiggly line parallel lines double curved line, does it understand?
Fine, but doing the Macarena well is much more profitable for a monkey.
Table-ized A.I.
Monkey Paintings.
Cheers.
Sure it is, remember when W said, "Make the pi higher"?
Table-ized A.I.
Scientist: If I give you three bananas, then another two bananas, how many bananas do you have?
Dr. Zira: I don't like bananas!
Get free satoshi (Bitcoin) and Dogecoins
Apparently he didn't know about Tau heheh
Of course Rhesus monkeys can do math, how could we have Rhesus positive and Rhesus negative blood types if they couldn't?
This is my signature. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
How? By moving to a different country? Voting is a joke, especially when the majority morons rule.
He was talking about heaping more meringue on the lemon meringue pie.
General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
My accounting department and midmanagement is full of 'em.
Speaking of politics. There are no attractive women in national level politics.
This is what a woman who gets far in politics looks like. I guess the hot ones just let a man do all the work and give him some pussy once in a while.
WTF is with all the political bashing on this site lately?
It's gotten frankly absurd. Look, /., intelligent people disagree on some key cultural issues. There may be interesting discussions to be had where that's on-topic, but merely repeating abuse or over-used talking points on every freaking story is really dragging the site down.
Restrain your missionary zeal; it's not helping your cause folks!
Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
I've seen research experiments where they did more than simple math but could play simple games against human opponents and win more often than not (of course they could practice and the humans didn't get any). I've also seen them do simple sign language (arguably mimicking but they could clearly sign things they wanted). They also create and use tools.
So we are surprised they can seemingly do simple math? Really?
Now I don't figure they will be taking college algebra anytime soon, but I really am not all that surprised that they are capable of simple math.
"File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
Let me know when one of them provides a novel proof that the square root of two is irrational.
outsourcing industry is extremely interested in this research.
Monkey neither have labour laws nor they need H1B visas...
This might be blue ocean for low cost oursourcing...
I disappeared from this site for a few years. I have been back for a few days now and yes, the comment quality has gone to shit. I remember back in '99 when only a few thousand people were signed up(I had a 4 digit number in the 6000s),sadly lost that log in, but the comments were decent and could have a good quality conversation or even a debate about something walking away satisfied without either party getting all butt-hurt or bent out of shape about something. Time to just read news and find another site in which to throw(and read) good comments.
First I hear they can write Shakespeare and now math? They're more teachable than the average high school student
Did you know 80 to 90% of the moderators on slashdot wouldn't recognize a troll even if one dragged them under a bridge.
The ex-Aussie PM was worth a bonk, even if she was a rustymuff.
Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
One prevailing theory on number representation—dubbed logarithmic encoding—had proposed that the brain always underestimates the value of larger numbers in a systematic and unchangeable way
But, it turned out, they did not underestimate any number systematically. They did it only when it was the smaller argument to the add() function. So, the take away is, meh, they can add single digit numbers, but can't do logarithms. Right?
sed -e 's/Chuck Norris/Rajnikant/g' joke > fact
Can count better than most Americans , though it dosnt say if the give the Americans an advantage and let them use their toes.
Even I can do basic math, and I'm a fairly stupid monkey.
"It looks like a standardized test question: Is the sum of two numbers on the left or the single number on the right larger?
It does not look like standardized test question at all. The typical standardized test question would be, "Represent these two number in the number line. Use the $latest_fad to find the total of the two numbers. Explain how you would use the number line to select to whether to be chased by hyenas or cheetahs. Or Draw a picture of a flower".
The child that writes, "I talked to my brain about the number line and the brain said the test is dumb. So I am off playing super mario cart" makes it to the Colbert Show.
sed -e 's/Chuck Norris/Rajnikant/g' joke > fact
JFK was a Republican?
http://www.jfklibrary.org/JFK/JFK-in-History/JFK-on-the-Economy-and-Taxes.aspx
That's the big question!
they are hairless apes, and just because you can't bend space and time like a proper species doesn't mean you can only do basic maths!
Your compassion is overwhelming. What is it like, not being able to feel the suffering of others? Do you think that when you pretend to care about people around you, that they believe you?
"The question is not, Can they reason? nor, Can they talk? but, Can they suffer?"
Jeremy Benthan
I conjecture the better question is do they taste good with a side of sauteed onions and peppers?
---Saying gnome 3 is better than windows 8 not so much a compliment as it is damning with light praise.
A rising tide may lift all boats. But that does little good when the only thing you care about is that someones boat is nicer than yours.
Why is it so hard to only have politicians for a few years, then have them go away?
It seems to mostly apply to men also. Congressmen as a whole look like a Crypt Keeper gathering.
Table-ized A.I.
We have livestock working dogs. They do guarding and herding as well as other jobs on our farm. They do math. They can differentiate less, more, count, know numbers (we use numbers with them) and do simple addition.
Yes, these are not your ordinary pet dog - they're bred for intelligence and work at their jobs from a very young age so this may not be representative of all dogs. However, if our dogs can do math I'm not at all surprised monkeys can and I expect apes including chimpanzees and dolphins can probably do math too. These are social, cooperative animals and most of them are hunters which tends to develop brain hardware and skills.
The Crimean attorney general Natalia Poklonskaya has been getting rather popular these days...
It would appear then that these monkeys are smarter than the average republican!
I bet those bastards have known all along exactly how many typewriters they need to write Hamlet.
Show your dog three biscuits. Give him two. See if he goes and lays down or if he calculates the number of biscuits in your hand to be larger than zero.
My God, it's Full of Source!
OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
Monkeys were smarter than coders. Now this proves it.
So the Republicans who want to cut taxes but keep all the military spending don't have this problem?
...can do basic maths. I asked her what was three minus three, and she said nothing.
(Thank you, I'm here 'til Thursday)
You guys need to remove this post before you give some religious person a heart attack.
WTF is with all the political bashing on this site lately? Never knew math was so political...
The crazies left the Yahoo message boards - guess they ended up here.
The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
LOL. under dem presidents, deficits always drop, since Johnson. OTOH, every GOP (republicans and neo-cons alike) president starting with nixon, has caused massive deficits that increase every year.
Apparently, you neo-cons/tea* are not capable of math or facts.
I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
We really do not have that option.
The problem in America is that we USED to have 3rd parties that at least put pressures on the pubs/dems to keep them moderates.
However, when Poppa Bush lost due to Perot, the GOP announced that they would no longer allow 3rd parties to debate, and they would no longer use the league of women voters. Sadly, the fucking dems went along with the fascists.
So, now America has either idiots with the dems, or fascists with the gop.
I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
Get your filthy hands off my tax returns, you damn dirty ape!
I know many who can even code
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Well done, you took the bait.
I used to be in math-heavy secondary school, with non-trivial math curriculum. On one of our religion lessons, priest when presented with the question "Do dogs have souls" answered clear "No". By my friend was pressing - "But when you look into dog's eyes, you can see a thinking, sensitive being there, doesn't that suggest it has something like a soul", priest desperately looking for "shut up" answer, replied "No - see, if you give the dog your math exercises, it will not manage it, so it doesn't have a mind and soul". To that, reply was short "Neither will you..."
So, according to my religion teacher, we can rename the headline to "Experiment suggests monkeys might have souls" ;)
You guys should really learn how to vote for 'none Of The Above'
The vast majority does vote for "None of the above". It hasn't helped.
If you are not allowed to question your government then the government has answered your question.
What breeds of dog can differentiate? Can any integrate?