[dba-Tech] Are Chimps More Intelligent than Humans?

To my eye this presents not evidence of greater intelligence, but a very
narrow specific skill at which chimps apparently are superior to humans.
This, of course, would not be a novelty in the animal world as there are
many specific animal skills at which we are inferior - we can't see as far
as eagles, we can't smell as keenly as wolves, can't feel heat like a
rattlesnake.  But I suppose it depends on how you define intelligence.

R


-----Original Message-----
From: dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Arthur Fuller
Sent: Thursday, March 06, 2014 12:08 PM
To: Discussion of Hardware and Software issues
Subject: [dba-Tech] Are Chimps More Intelligent than Humans?

I know this is a tad OT, but tomorrow is Friday so maybe you'll forgive me.
At Kyoto University there's a Primate Research facility whose star student
is a chimp called Ayu (perhaps Ayun?), who can perform feats of cognition
that are impossible for humans -- not just you or me, but *any* human.

There are some preliminary training steps: first teach the chimp to
recognize the numbers 0-9 and also the alphabet, using little 3D shapes of
same. Then mix several of each category up and have the chimp sort them into
two piles. Finally, teach the chimp to sort the numbers from 0 to 9.
Once the chimp can do that (and all of them at Kyoto can), then we move on
to more challenging turf.

A touch screen displays the numbers 0-9 in random locations and in a larger
font than normal, say 48. The chimp unerringly touches them in order in less
than half a second. This is repeatable and Ayu never errs or even hesitates.
Maybe a few humans in the world could do that. Maybe.

Now for the impossible part: the numbers are again displayed in random
locations and then immediately hidden with shaded boxes, and the chimp
touches the numbers in order. Hidden how immediately? 600 milliseconds! And
the chimp's execution time remains at less than half a second! No human can
even see the numbers in that brief a display.

I got all this from a program on TV Ontario, which is the local equivalent
of Discovery Channel, but I just Googled "Kyoto University Chimpanzee" and
arrived immediately at the web site, where there's wealth of material and
videos about the chimp research going on there.

For those interested, see http://langint.pri.kyoto-u.ac.jp/ai/.

--
Arthur
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