A Show About Animals

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Many of us dream about talking to other animals - but what if we already can? A deep dive into Koko the Gorilla, one of the most hotly contested stories in American science - and what it all says about us humans. From VICE World News.

VICE


    • Jan 12, 2022 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 29m AVG DURATION
    • 10 EPISODES
    • 1 SEASONS


    Latest episodes from A Show About Animals

    BONUS: A Trip to the Zoo

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 12, 2022 30:58


    We hit the road to meet Ndume, the last living gorilla who had been part of The Gorilla Foundation. But we're in for a wild surprise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    8. I Just Knew I Was a Chimp

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 22, 2021 29:36


    So... can we talk to animals? We look back at what we can learn from the ape language research experiments, and what it says about humans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    7. "Man Is Stupid"

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 15, 2021 25:24


    Koko addresses the world at the Paris Climate Conference - and she is not impressed with humankind. And when she passes away a few years later, her legacy is uncertain, and often hotly contested. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    6. Nipplegate

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 8, 2021 32:41


    Penny Patterson focuses on Koko's future, including trying to find her a mate. But former foundation staffers say behind the earnest headlines and cheery videos coming out of The Gorilla Foundation, Koko's world is way more complicated. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    5. "A Witch Hunt"

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 1, 2021 31:00


    The claws come out at a major science conference in New York, throwing into question the field of animal language research and the future of Project Koko. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    4. Nim Chimpsky from the Bronx

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 24, 2021 32:39


    Nim the chimp moves uptown into a picturesque mansion in the Bronx. But the experiment only gets harder to manage. And Dr. Herb Terrace reveals a shocking conclusion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    3. Uptown Chimp

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 17, 2021 31:55


    A rival ape language experiment takes shape. Herbert Terrace, a psychology professor at Columbia University, moves a chimp into a brownstone, names him Nim Chimpsky, and hires an entire team to teach him sign language. Can a chimp create a sentence? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    2. A Gorilla Who Lied

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 10, 2021 34:22


    Koko is learning signs at lightning speed, and Penny's getting all kinds of attention for her work. But defining language isn't exactly straightforward. And now, the San Francisco Zoo wants Koko back. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    1. A Talking Gorilla

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 3, 2021 39:19


    It's the early 1970s, and grad student Penny Patterson sets out to investigate a big question: is language a uniquely human skill? So she begins an ambitious experiment -- with the help of a young gorilla named Koko. Pretty soon, Penny says Koko is learning sign language. But some doubt Penny's version of events. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    Project Koko

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 20, 2021 3:32


    In 1972 a Stanford graduate student named Penny Patterson meets a young gorilla named Koko at the San Francisco Zoo, sets out to teach her sign language, and proceeds to turn the world on its head. This is the first season of our new podcast A Show About Animals. Drops November 3rd, 2021.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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