It is easy, and always has been, to look down from the height of our accomplishments and feel that the rest of creation, non-human life, is far below us. It is easy to be anthropocentric, to feel that we are a “pinnacle” of evolution. That’s where labs like the Pepperberg Lab, and other organizations that study animals and their cognition, come into play. Sure, we built this city and that city—but the pigeons winging through the streets have capabilities, whole senses and potential comprehensions, that we still struggle to understand. And when it comes to our own abilities, we’re constantly finding that we’re not so alone after all.
Read more →Dear friends and supporters of The Alex Foundation, Several weeks ago, we wrote to you about the Sterner Matching Challenge, in which the generous Mr. Sterner agreed to match up to $10,000 in donations made by July 5th. The Challenge has drawn to a close, with a
Read more →Most of the people working in the Pepperberg Lab are, like me, students. It’s an awesome opportunity for all of us: we get research and lab management experience, and, of course, animal care experience from taking care of Griffin and Wart all day. Dr. Pepperberg and the
Read more →Mornings in the lab are quiet. Griffin and Arthur eat their breakfasts—Griffin on the top of his cage, Arthur inside, fastidiously choosing the tastiest parts of fruits and vegetables and tossing the rest to the floor. We’ll start doing experimental sessions sometime soon, asking the parrots questions
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