Re: Parrot worked to death?

"M.J." <M.J.@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message 
news:X_DGi.68$6p6.34@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> "Joanne" <Joanne@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message 
> news:13em0scnemhmb94@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>> "M.J." <M.J.@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message 
>> news:2aCGi.3046$Sd4.308@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>> If  Dr.Irene Pepperberg is not mad she ought to stop,
>>> and seriously re-think what she's doing. to these birds,
>>> before another suffers a pre-mature death.
>>>
>>> There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that such
>>> a rigorous curriculum that she's subjecting the birds to,
>>> must over time be extremely traumatic to the birds and
>>> in particular their brains.
>>>
>>> There is no point in letting another parrot perish
>>> for the sake of teaching it to count to seven, or eight,
>>> or some other similar achievement.
>>>
>>> Alex, and Dr.Pepperberg's research has shown a lot,
>>> there is no point in streching it too far.  Besides she may
>>> get better results following a more leisurely path.  Had
>>> Alex lived another 10 or 20 years, he might have
>>> progressed farther.
>>>
>>> M.J.
>>
>> What are you basing this tirade upon?  The birds are not doing
push-ups. 
>> They are thinking.
>
>
> And thinking means the same thing for a human
> brain and a parrot brain, right?  Gosh, you lack
> imagination, Joanne.
>
>> Since when is thinking hazardous to health?
>
> Yours/humans, or a parrot's?
>
> Have in mind the bird was subjected to rigourous 8-12 hour
> training days.  Supposedly no vacations, few if any days off.
> Just constant training by a whole staff of graduate students etc.
>
> All in hope of testing the limits of avian intelligence!
> Well, until an unexplained and pre-mature death at 31.
>
>
>> I recall Alex being quite in control of ending sessions.
>
> Dr. Peperrberg was recently taking the bird to a more
> complex and mentally demanding level of training, i.e. teaching
> the bird 'compound words.'


I strongly suspect that recent efforts to take the birds
thinking to a human like level of abstraction ('compound words')
may have dealt Alex a final blow.  Complex abstract thinking
is the stuff of most advanced creatures- primates/humans.

Dr.Pepperberg just started to introduce Alex's brain fully to
this new world of more complex human like thinking.

M.J.


>>He had the final word about his limits.
>
> Exactly!!!
>
>
>> Likely, he enjoyed the attention and stimulation.
>
> Please.
>
> The bird was subject to continuous and prolonged
> mental exercise, which, no doubt, traumatized its brain.
> Alex'es mental prowess may seem natural to a human
> TV viewer, but for the parrot it took years of unusually
> elevated brain metabolism to accomplish- read unusually
> hard mental labour (!) that most likely caused, or contributed
> to the birds demise.
>
> These magnificent creatures evolved to burn thousands
> upon thousands of calories with the movement of their
> wings ...not continuous neverending straining of their brains!
>
>
>> I recall that his "family" was small and he "tested" lab newcomers to
see 
>> how much they understood.  His worldwide recognition wasn't because he 
>> did bus tours. His videos were circulated.  His life was probably as 
>> ordinary as any of our birds upon which we lavish time, energy and 
>> attention.
>
> Alex'es life was not ordinary!
> Please understand this fact?
>
> M.J.
>
>
>> Sincerely,
>> Joanne
>>
>
>