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The argument that apes have never asked a question “is a classic example of overstatement,” said Heidi Lyn, a professor at the University of South Alabama’s Comparative Cognition and Communication Lab at the Department of Psychology and Marine Science.
“There is plenty of evidence of apes asking questions, although the structure may not look exactly like humans asking questions,” Lyn explained.
https://www.snopes.com/articles/467842/apes-questions-communicate/
Also
apes have never asked one question
WE ARE APES. We ask questions all the time.
I’m pretty confident most scientists studying animals have stated that apes have never asked a question. It’s pretty clear on record that only two ever have, both African Grey parrots.
And yet the scientists that did those studies stated that the animals never asked a question. Those are all other researchers claiming after the fact that questions were asked.
Canadians don’t ask questions either. They just make statements, and then add “eh” to the end of the sentence.
Canadians and apes have a lot in common, is what this article is telling me.
Thats not how eh is used
You’ve met Canadians, eh?
Oh ya, everyday lol
I mean, it sort of is, but only for the specific question of asking for agreement with the preceding statement.
“This weather, eh?”
“The Leafs actually have a chance this year, eh?”But not like “What’s your favourite colour, eh?” (Unless, maybe, it’s in the context where it’s obvious, like someone decked out head-to-toe in pink.)
A Canadian friend told Americans do the same thing, we just put our word at the beginning.
“Hey, get off my car!” “Get off my car, eh!”
Not sure if he was being serious though.
Nah, it’s more like the yeah at the end of a sentence, yeah? We don’t use it as much because fuck you if you disagree with me. But yeah, we also will just add a question mark with no word.
Is this true? I was listening to a lecture of I think it was a linguist on apes using sign language, saying that the evidence for them actually understanding language is… not great. Like it appear they just sign until their carers gets the right/expected answer. That they may want to say ‘apple’, but not finding the word, they can’t describe the shape, color, just random words util they hit the correct one, or something like that.
Afaik yes, although I remember reading that (I think) Koko sort of asked something (I think it was “what color” or something like that). But at the same time I remember reading about similar criticism you mentioned, that Koko’s signs were often quite random and the caretakers often tried to make fun of the situation that “she’s just joking”.
I should find that article …
Edit: I don’t know if it was exactly this artice but it was similar
https://bigthink.com/life/ape-sign-language/
Edit 2: or this
Yes, that is the one! Koko and “just joking” I recognize from that lecture.
Onion News Network - Scientists Successfully Teach Gorilla It Will Die Someday
Good. They will never question how we treat them. Then they can’t rise up and kill us all.
Never once? Not even “what’s for dinner”?
To be, or not to be?
