Can Apes Outthink Humans?

by SodaHead News Posted 2012/06/25 13:00:00

Related Topics: Apes, Monkeys, bonobos, Chimps, Humans, Science

425 votes
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	Yes	206 votes	48%
	No	219 votes	52%

According to The Associated Press, scientists have discovered that the DNA of a bonobo ape is only about 1.3 percent different from humans. And ape behavior continues to astonish scientists as they demonstrate thinking processes and capabilities we never thought possible. For instance, one study showed bonobos will "pack" the tools they need to access food if they're moving to a remote location for the night, and remember to take them with the next day.

Another study showed that if one chimpanzee can see a piece of food and another cannot, the chimp that can see the food is able to recognize this advantage and keep the food hidden -- in other words, chimps are able to put themselves in another's shoes. Another study tried to determine how many pictures baboons could memorize over the course of three years, and by the end of the study, they could remember the pictures better than the scientists testing them.

Emory University primatologist Frans de Waal told AP, "Capacities that we think in humans are very special and complex are probably not so special and not so complex. This research in animals elevates the animals, but it also brings down the humans... If monkeys can do it and maybe dogs and other animals, maybe it's not as complex as you think." Do you think apes have the brainpower to outthink humans?

+30

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irish -liberty or death! 2012/06/25 17:32:11

Yes

+16
at the rate humans are devolving its not surprising.
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Autumn to aguster 2012/06/26 19:45:32

Well I don't think any of these derogatory comments are funny in the least bit. I am most certainly not a hypocrite, you're just one of the first few I came across. Insulting others has never really been humorous in my opinion.

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gvc to aguster 2012/06/26 07:55:53

Hahahahahahahahaha

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Bali 2012/06/26 02:02:09

No

+1
lets see...the current "president" may just hold the key to the answer to this question......

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Dawn Ja... to Bali 2012/06/26 04:45:18

You ought to be banned for racist remarks, as should be some others.

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Bali to Dawn Ja... 2012/06/26 13:45:49

+1
what did i say racist? maybe your mind is in the gutter. you ought to be banned for ignorance.

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Autumn to Bali 2012/06/26 19:47:39

Oh Jesus. Black people were called apes in the segregated days. Therefore some people still consider relating any African American with any type of... primate I guess.. racist.

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Bali to Autumn 2012/06/26 19:51:41

these are not segregated days, sorry. why are they called african americans? are they special? why are whites not called...for example, irish whiteman, or england honeysuckle? what is this african american bs? are we not all americans one in the same? i think it is racist

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Autumn to Bali 2012/06/26 21:15:27

They are called African Americans because there wasn't any better way to apologize for decades and decades of torture through slavery, segregation, and attacks. At the time, it was a nice transition from being called negros and a few other names.
The point of my previous comment was so you understood why people were calling you racist. I don't find it necessary to argue about racism, because that's not at all what this poll is about.

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Bali to Autumn 2012/06/27 20:05:31

how did the irish start to just be called americans and the jews also? they had plenty of not so gentle euphamisms for these two groups.....but i know blacks need to feel special. i could care less if i am called a racist, i call a spade a spade, always have. how is it that you know i am not a black man myself?

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Autumn to Bali 2012/06/29 02:01:12 (edited)

Where I live, when someone is Irish, we make note of that. When someone is Jewish, we make note of that. When someone is black, we make note of that, and no matter what ethnicity they are we respect them. I understand black people are not the only ones who experienced hard times, but this is the way it is. Arguing with me of all people about it is wasting your time. And I never assumed you were any specific race, so can we close this conversation?

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Bali to Autumn 2012/06/29 12:52:19

certainly.

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aguster to Dawn Ja... 2012/06/26 17:27:40

OMG! You compared the president to an ape? You're such a racist!

Need you be reminded that the man is half white and half Kenyan!

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NinjaZinks 2012/06/26 01:58:37

Yes

they are very smart abd in some ways they have a better grasp on things then we do ... not with the space typ stuff but in basic stuff like teaching there young ( know not alot of people have alot of time because of the money needing thing ) but they still do that and they can become supper smart (as smart as we wont them to be that is )

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Bali to NinjaZinks 2012/06/29 12:53:05

supper smart? we dont wont them to be supper smart.

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NinjaZinks to Bali 2012/07/26 02:37:21

yep we dont need that

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denny 2012/06/26 01:47:06

Yes

+1
obama is out thanking the tax payers

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Unintended 2012/06/26 01:29:33

Yes

In some circumstances chimps are much quicker

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realist 2012/06/26 01:18:00

No

+1
Human's fascination to find another creature which can out-think us is the most ridiculous pursuit I have ever tried to comprehend.

Whether its Robots, Animals, or Aliens...can we not just be happy that we are at the top of the food chain and worry about more important things?

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Grandbr... to realist 2012/06/26 14:45:50

Wouldn't you say that developing a deeper understanding of the planet we live on is important? I mean this is it - we're one of a finite group of species living on a rock that floats around in the endless vacuum of space. If we don't bother to understand it and just brazenly and ignorantly f*** it up, there's nowhere else for us to go...

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realist to Grandbr... 2012/06/26 22:50:21

So we are relying on the brainpower of chimps to save us from a doom brought on by our own inability to effectively manage our own environment? Sounds like we are praying for a miracle there lol. Humanity needs to stop wasting money in fields of science which provide no discernible benefit to our future existence, and start putting that money in helping nations that are under immense hardship both environmentally and economically. There needs to be policies developed that control population growth rates in the 3rd world, new forms of energy that can reduce our impact on the earth and the sky, cures developed to fight fatal illnesses like cancer, I could go on and on. I would hate to think we put our heads in the sand and go "Sorry starving children, we just need to check if this chimp over here can build a big ass rocket some day, maybe next year we will build that farm for you." I do hear what you are saying, I just think allot of Science has become a resource sink which is justified purely by claims that "But what if..." and "We might..."

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Grandbr... to realist 2012/06/27 03:25:30

Oh dear god. "Relying on the brainpower of chimps"? Seriously? Tell you what. I'm not even going to bother reading the rest of your reply until you bother to go back and actually make an effort to honestly comprehend and represent mine.

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umapathy Krishnamurthy 2012/06/26 01:07:03

No

Never any animals can outthink humans

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AprilSkelton 2012/06/26 00:54:12

Yes

+2
In looking at the American government and the liberals currently in this country, I would say - absolutely everytime!!!!!

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Kozmo 2012/06/26 00:48:08 (edited)

Yes

+2
Check out the bonobo Kanzi.

Also, Bonzo was a better actor than Ronald Reagan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?...

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alun.pa... to Kozmo 2012/06/28 00:47:48

+1
I've no doubt Bonzo was the better actor, compared with his human counterpart. I found a DVD in the dollar store with two Ronald Reagan movies on it for one dollar the pair, but I couldn't stand to watch them all the way through, they were that bad. You have to admit it's not that the chimp was such a great actor, but that Reagan was so bad. Just think, if he'd been a better actor, history would have been seriously affected, as he'd probably never have become the president of the union and then the president of the country! Whatever you think of him as a president, as an actor he was much worse!

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John Hall 2012/06/26 00:41:31

Yes

I was wondering if some would poke jokes at bush or conservatives let's just throw in liberals and Obama .

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SilverWings 2012/06/26 00:30:15

Yes

But only if your talking about Concervatives.

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exhon2009 to SilverW... 2012/06/26 01:05:45

+2
If apes took a second grade spelling course I'll be they could spell con(s)ervatives better than a liberal like you.

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SilverW... to exhon2009 2012/06/26 16:53:26

Look to your own spelling mistakes con-Servative.

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RJS 2012/06/26 00:27:46

Yes

+1
I know a few humans who couldn't outthink an ape. :)

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Che Guevara - Hero 2012/06/26 00:27:22

Yes

+4
They can outthink this ape. lol

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Jim to Che Gue... 2012/06/26 02:32:14

+2
Definitely out think you.

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Che Gue... to Jim 2012/06/26 06:29:18

Did your parents have any children that lived ?

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LisaCurrie 2012/06/26 00:22:04

Yes

+3
I have known many humans who would make the apes look like rocket scientists. HAHA! so honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if apes end up being more intelligent than humans. Think about it...Apes have found a way to speak in a way to communicate with us using OUR sign language concepts, but have WE been able to come close to using their language? the answer is no, we can not figure it out. We have been able to communicate with other species because those species have been able to learn a way to communicate with us using OUR methods. but have we been able to use their's? again...no. so yes. I think animals may be smarter than us in a lot of ways, but I also think we may be more creative, which gives us the illusion that we are smarter.

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NinjaZinks to LisaCurrie 2012/06/26 02:04:34

+1
how meny have tryed to communicate with them in there language...... people like to give up to easy and try an easyer path ... i bet if a person and an ape lived with eachother and there only thing to do is that i think it would happen but it would take longer then teaching the ape

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LisaCurrie to NinjaZinks 2012/06/26 02:39:22 (edited)

+1
I would think with the amount of time scientists spend trying to "figure these creatures out" they would have attempted to use their language. again it just demonstrates the general stupidity of the human race. lol

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NinjaZinks to LisaCurrie 2012/06/26 03:24:25

+1
yeah i would like to live with one to see if i could get it i think it would be fun

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gvc to LisaCurrie 2012/06/26 07:58:49

And exactly what would you talk to an Ape about? Seen any good bananas lately?
We don't need to talk to animals Dr Doolittle.

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LisaCurrie to gvc 2012/06/26 21:54:09

again a perfect example of how people with closed minds always seem to have open mouths.

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gvc to LisaCurrie 2012/06/26 22:22:16

You mean like yourself?

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