failing to do so (say, contestants who, faced with an immobile glass and a “no hands” rule, contort themselves futilely). In this study, four rooks (a type of bird) faced an Aesopian task: confronted with a vial partly filled with water and holding a floating worm, could they extract this bounty? Easy. After considering the problem, they collected and dropped into the tube just enough stones to bring the worm within snatching distance. Look for this challenge to be included in the next season of “Fear Factor.” There is no need to be either frightened or overly excited by these findings. The animals won’t be taking over anytime soon, and there is very little chance you can train your parrot to help your child get into the right kindergarten (even animal cognition has its limits). And there is still one notable area of behavior in which animals have shown no sign of matching us: they appear to be not at all interested in running experiments testing our cognition. Smart animals. A version of this appears in print on August 21, 2011, on page SR12 of the New York edition with the headline: Think Animals? Maybe Not. You’re Smarter Than © 2015 The New York Times Company Monkeys Can Perform Mental Addition
failing to do so (say, contestants who, faced with an immobile glass and a “no hands” rule, contort themselves futilely). In this study, four rooks (a type of bird) faced an Aesopian task: confronted with a vial partly filled with water and holding a floating worm, could they extract this bounty? Easy. After considering the problem, they collected and dropped into the tube just enough stones to bring the worm within snatching distance. Look for this challenge to be included in the next season of “Fear Factor.” There is no need to be either frightened or overly excited by these findings. The animals won’t be taking over anytime soon, and there is very little chance you can train your parrot to help your child get into the right kindergarten (even animal cognition has its limits). And there is still one notable area of behavior in which animals have shown no sign of matching us: they appear to be not at all interested in running experiments testing our cognition. Smart animals. A version of this appears in print on August 21, 2011, on page SR12 of the New York edition with the headline: Think You’re Smarter Than Animals? Maybe Not. © 2015 The New York Times Company Monkeys Can Perform Mental Addition