Apes Get iPads at National Zoo

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Good luck trying to get the attention of the orangutans at the Smithsonian National Zoo the next time you are there... they have iPads now.

So far, the apes are using 10 different apps, including cognitive games, drawing programs and ones that feature virtual musical instruments. According to their keepers, some of the orangutans are already showing their preferences — 36-year-old Bonnie likes to hit the drums, 16-year-old Kyle likes to play the piano, and 25-year-old Iris likes watching animated fish swim in a virtual koi pond on the screen.
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while awesome, don't orangutans have quite the temper? battery dies and you get a 600$ paper weight..
 
Apps for Apes? I think I'd rather burn $100 bills than give it to a crackpot organization like this.
 
Someone needs to take those iPads and beat whoever thought this was a brilliant idea over the head with it repeatedly until they lose consciousness.
 
They have litigation immunity, therefore no copyright or patent infringement, nor tax collection possible.
 
Like iPads in school.

Apes - Teenagers pretty much the same thing except the apes are cleaner and have better manners.
 
I'm glad my tax dollars (? - Smithsonian, so maybe donations?) are going to a worth-while cause why my kids education suffers. Thank you, IRS.
 
Surprised at the automatic assumption this is federally funded. Right or wrong, jumping to conclusions without tangible data isn't a trait I'd propagate.

But, creating an automated interface for non-humans which actually draws interest? Your Damn Fucking right this is an important field of study. Let's see how far the educative/communicative process' may go. Furthermore, will be great to reverse engineer mental processes, which most likey overlap our own.

Of course, such studies are not within the grasp of most. The apprehension is predictable...
 
With the way things are going, every place on Earth will have an ipad sitting in it. Schools have them and now zoos... Seriously? :rolleyes:
 
Teach him how to download stuff. He cannot be done for copyright infringement, because it only applies to humans. (Plus, he is already in Jail anyway.)
 
awsiemieniec said:
So it's more important to educate our apes than it is to educate our children?
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Yes. But I like how you phrased that argument into the context which works for you. I could just as likely have stated its more important to fund family values than cancer research ?

I have no grounds to assume where the funding would have otherwise been spent, but hey...

And yes, it's called research, where do you think all the scientific data we have gathers comes from. For the most part, the research will benefit humanity in the long run, than spent on kids. But you can pretend the money you gave the IRS went to something you approve off, and money I gave went to science, and it all evens out.
 
I'd give each of them their own Facebook page and see how long it takes for them to start uploading duckface pics and posting status updates about throwing poo. I'd friend them.
 
:D Yeah, arguing on the internet is as pointless as ... I better not finish that statement.

It's interesting to see that apes can "swipe" just like the rest of us. I just think it's a poor use of funding given to the Smithsonian. I get frustrated when I hear about how X, Y, or Z happens because there isn't enough money in the budget, but then research dollars go into projects like this. Advance space exploration, under water discoveries, clean water and energy technology for 3rd World, propulsion technology, space communications so it doesn't take 15 minutes to talk to a rover... etc. Fund apes getting iPads? I just don't see it.

/soapbox
 
I am fairly certain one of the signs of the apocalypse was when primates other than humans got iPads.
 
jpm100 said:
Yep, this isn't a comment on Apes. Its a comment on the people who use iPads.
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Early reports indicate that some iPad-using apes know how apostrophes work, much to the dismay of some non-iPad-using humans.
 
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