Comments on: Monkeys do mental math http://boingboing.net/2007/12/19/monkeys-do-mental-ma.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Wed, 22 May 2013 10:55:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: shokk http://boingboing.net/2007/12/19/monkeys-do-mental-ma.html#comment-95039 shokk Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-95039 Fantastic. Let's put them to work building bridges. We'll even let you be the first to ride over it. Fantastic. Let’s put them to work building bridges. We’ll even let you be the first to ride over it.

]]> By: Eric Norman http://boingboing.net/2007/12/19/monkeys-do-mental-ma.html#comment-94853 Eric Norman Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-94853 Big deal. Dogs can do calculus! Lookie here <a href="http://www.maa.org/mathland/mathtrek_06_09_03.html">http://www.maa.org/mathland/mathtrek_06_09_03.html</a>. Big deal. Dogs can do calculus! Lookie here

http://www.maa.org/mathland/mathtrek_06_09_03.html.

]]> By: trikitixa http://boingboing.net/2007/12/19/monkeys-do-mental-ma.html#comment-94641 trikitixa Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-94641 Was this scene in Planet of the Apes or am I dreaming? Was this scene in Planet of the Apes or am I dreaming?

]]> By: Pyros http://boingboing.net/2007/12/19/monkeys-do-mental-ma.html#comment-95224 Pyros Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-95224 Very interesting. Reminds me of a book I read entitled From One to Zero by Jorges Ifrah (I think it was). In it he described that many animals have a number sense including birds. But he also stated that it usually doesn't exist beyond three items. In fact, humans don't have an inante number sense much beyond 3 items either (according to the book) which is why innumerate cultures use a word like "many" to describe quantities greater than 3 or 4. Counting is one of the first things that humans learn to do after they walk. For this reason our actual number sense is obscured. Very interesting. Reminds me of a book I read entitled From One to Zero by Jorges Ifrah (I think it was). In it he described that many animals have a number sense including birds. But he also stated that it usually doesn’t exist beyond three items. In fact, humans don’t have an inante number sense much beyond 3 items either (according to the book) which is why innumerate cultures use a word like “many” to describe quantities greater than 3 or 4. Counting is one of the first things that humans learn to do after they walk. For this reason our actual number sense is obscured.

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