WALTHAM, MA (SEPTEMBER 10, 2007)-Alex, the world renowned African Grey
parrot made famous by the ground-breaking cognition and communication
research conducted by Irene Pepperberg, Ph.D., died at the age of 31 on
September 6, 2007. Dr. Pepperberg's pioneering research resulted in Alex
learning elements of English speech to identify 50 different objects, 7
colors, 5 shapes, quantities up to and including 6 and a zero-like
concept.
He used phrases such as "I want X" and "Wanna go Y", where X and Y were
appropriate object and location labels. He acquired concepts of
categories,
bigger and smaller, same-different, and absence. Alex combined his labels
to
identify, request, refuse, and categorize more than 100 different items
demonstrating a level and scope of cognitive abilities never expected in
an
avian species. Pepperberg says that Alex showed the emotional equivalent
of
a 2 year-old child and intellectual equivalent of a 5 year-old. Her
research
with Alex shattered the generally held notion that parrots are only
capable
of mindless vocal mimicry.
In 1973, Dr. Pepperberg was working on her doctoral thesis in theoretical
chemistry at Harvard University when she watched Nova programs on signing
chimps, dolphin communication and, most notably, on why birds sing. She
realized that the fields of avian cognition and communication were not
only
of personal interest to her but relatively uncharted territory. When she
finished her thesis, she left the field of chemistry to pursue a new
direction-to explore the depths of the avian mind. She decided to conduct
her research with an African Grey parrot. In order to assure she was
working
with a bird representative of its species, she asked the shop owner to
randomly choose any African Grey from his collection. It was Alex. And so
the 1-year old Alex, his name an acronym for the research project, Avian
Learning EXperiment, became an integral part of Pepperberg's life and the
pioneering studies she was about to embark upon.
Over the course of 30 years of research, Dr. Pepperberg and Alex
revolutionized the notions of how birds think and communicate. What Alex
taught Dr. Pepperberg about cognition and communication has been applied
to
therapies to help children with learning disabilities. Alex's learning
process is based on the rival-model technique in which two humans
demonstrate to the bird what is to be learned. Alex and Dr. Pepperberg
have
been affiliated with Purdue University, Northwestern University, the
University of Arizona, the MIT Media Lab, the Radcliffe Institute, and
most
recently, Harvard University and Brandeis University.
Alex has been featured worldwide on numerous science programs including
the
BBC, NHK, Discovery and PBS. He is well known for his interactions with
Alan
Alda in an episode of Scientific American Frontiers on PBS and from an
episode of the famed PBS Nature series called "Look Who's Talking."
Re****ts
on Alex's accomplishments have appeared in the popular press and
international news from USA Today to the Wall Street Journal and the New
York Times. The Science Times section of the New York Times featured Alex
in
a front-page story in 1999. That same year, Dr. Pepperberg published The
Alex Studies, a comprehensive review of her decades of learning about
learning from Alex. Many other television appearances and newspaper
articles
followed.
Alex was found to be in good health at his most recent annual physical
about
two weeks ago. According to the vet who conducted the necropsy, there was
no
obvious cause of death. Dr. Pepperberg will continue her innovative
research
program at Harvard and Brandeis University with Griffin and Arthur, two
other young African Grey parrots who have been a part of the ongoing
research program.
Alex has left a significant legacy-not only have he and Dr. Pepperberg and
their landmark experiments in modern comparative psychology changed our
views of the capabilities of avian minds, but they have forever changed
our
perception of the term "bird brains."
For press contacts:
The Alex Foundation and Dr. Pepperberg can be reached by e-mail at the
alex@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
or by phone at 781-736-2195.
If you choose to help sup****t this research, please consider making a
donation in Alex's memory to The Alex Foundation, c/o Dr. Irene
Pepperberg,
Department of Psychology/MS-062, 415 South Street, Brandeis University,
Waltham, MA 02454.
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