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Experiment Suggests Monkeys Can Do Basic Math87

sciencehabit (1205606) writes "It looks like a standardized test question: Is the sum of two numbers on the left or the single number on the right larger? Rhesus macaques that have been trained to associate numerical values with symbols can get the answer right, even if they haven't passed a math class. The finding doesn't just reveal a hidden talent of the animals—it also helps show how the mammalian brain encodes the values of numbers. Previous research has shown that chimpanzees can add single-digit numbers. But scientists haven’t explained exactly how, in the human or the monkey brain, numbers are being represented or this addition is being carried out. Now, a new study (abstract) helps begin to answer those questions."
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Experiment Suggests Monkeys Can Do Basic Math

• Even monkeys know about more and less. (Score:3)

<mike.mell@gmail.com> on Monday April 21, 2014 @04:58PM (#46809425)
That's actually good to know. Question - given a full bowl of food and a half-full bowl of the same food, will your average house pet pick one preferentially over the other? What about if it's trained to expect the other bowl to be removed immediately after it chooses one?

It would be nice to see what animals are capable of this kind of differentiation - although the ability of Rhesus macaques to use symbolic representations to differentiate between 'more' and 'less' appears to be significant on several levels (at least, to me).

• Re: (Score:2)

The field of behavioural psychology is filled to the brim with experiments of this nature.

If you are truly interested you should do some reading.
• Re: (Score:2)

Hmm... quantitative comparisons (this type of problem) were eliminated from the SAT some years ago because they were too hard or too abstract or maybe because they required abstract reasoning which was not taught directly in schools or something.

Anyhow, now we've demonstrated that a trained monkey can do these kinds of questions. Anyone else wonder what that says about our expectations regarding abstract reasoning for even high school kids?

• So this is how it starts... (Score:2, Insightful)

by Anonymous Coward

...of the Rise of the Planet of the Apes.

• Dangerous experiments... (Score:2, Funny)

We can't have scientists doing experiments like these! Think of all the minimum wage jobs workers!
• Wrong focus (Score:1)

Fine, but doing the Macarena well is much more profitable for a monkey.

• One of the monkey failed that test (Score:2)

Scientist: If I give you three bananas, then another two bananas, how many bananas do you have?
Dr. Zira: I don't like bananas!

• Obviously (Score:2)

Of course Rhesus monkeys can do math, how could we have Rhesus positive and Rhesus negative blood types if they couldn't?
• Who didn't know this? (Score:2)

My accounting department and midmanagement is full of 'em.

• Re: (Score:2)

You should be ashamed of yourself, calling accountants and (likely) MBAs monkeys...

Do you have any idea how much it depresses monkeys to be compared to such creatures?

• Re: (Score:2)

Do you have any idea how much it depresses monkeys to be compared to such creatures?

I know, right? They get so depressed it's all they can do to fling poo!

Who wants a half-hearted poo-flinging monkey?

• They can do more than Math... (Score:2)

I've seen research experiments where they did more than simple math but could play simple games against human opponents and win more often than not (of course they could practice and the humans didn't get any). I've also seen them do simple sign language (arguably mimicking but they could clearly sign things they wanted). They also create and use tools.

So we are surprised they can seemingly do simple math? Really?

Now I don't figure they will be taking college algebra anytime soon, but I really am not all

• Arithmetic != Math (Score:1)

Let me know when one of them provides a novel proof that the square root of two is irrational.

• Re: (Score:2)

Arithmetic != Math

No, but Aritthmatic \in Maths.

When one makes claims about whether one can do maths or not, one is not referring to being able to do everything in the entirety of mathematics. One is making claims about a rather small subset. Arithmetic is a small subset of maths. If monkeys can do basic arithmetic, then it's fair to say they can do basic maths.

novel proof that the square root of two is irrational.

That's something almost no one in the entire world can do. So, if that's your definition of "d

• Wow that's amazing (Score:2)

First I hear they can write Shakespeare and now math? They're more teachable than the average high school student
• But they don't do logarithms. (Score:2)

One prevailing theory on number representation—dubbed logarithmic encoding—had proposed that the brain always underestimates the value of larger numbers in a systematic and unchangeable way

But, it turned out, they did not underestimate any number systematically. They did it only when it was the smaller argument to the add() function. So, the take away is, meh, they can add single digit numbers, but can't do logarithms. Right?

• Re: (Score:2)

The conclusion is that whoever wrote that has little to no idea what a logarithm is.

• Re: (Score:2)

That's what we smartass reviewers call a conclusion unsupported by the evidence.

• Re: (Score:2)

So, the take away is, meh, they can add single digit numbers, but can't do logarithms.

In fairness to the monkeys, I'm not sure I could anymore either. ;-)

• Sure (Score:2)

Even I can do basic math, and I'm a fairly stupid monkey.

• It does not look like it at all. (Score:2)

"It looks like a standardized test question: Is the sum of two numbers on the left or the single number on the right larger?

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