Psychic Parrot

[Synthesis]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3430481.stm

 

Any thoughts?

 

Apologies if this has been brought up already.

[Sayonara]

Yes, it has come up:

 

http://www.scienceforums.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2730&highlight=nkisi

 

Don't see any evidence for it being psychic.

[Synthesis]

True enough, but still interesting if you consider how we're on the way to better understanding the animal cognitive process.

[rockstarjaiden]

haha did ya'll find that on rense.com? they got a bunch of stuff on that african grey bird. those birds are beautiful but i have yet to meet a NICE bird

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

No, they found it on BBC.

I know some nice ones, they just don't shut up.

[gail]

I have had a parrot for 20 years... he is well-known for predicting local earthquakes and weather-related disasters (he clings to the top of his cage and screams non-stop, and you can pretty much count on an earthquake or bad storm that day). I also have a bit of fun with his antics, and have made a BLOG for him. I DO believe in his abilities, but I also don't mind having a chuckle about the vagaries of trying to understand his more mundane "predictions."

I enjoy this site.... thanks for letting me register.

Thanks!

Gail Gatewood

Ohio, USA

 

http://psychicparrot.squarespace.com/journal/

[swansont]

I have had a parrot for 20 years... he is well-known for predicting local earthquakes and weather-related disasters (he clings to the top of his cage and screams non-stop, and you can pretty much count on an earthquake or bad storm that day).

 

What is "pretty much?" One would need to quantify this. The devil (and the science) is in the details. One reason that anecdotes are discounted in science is that "remembering the hits and forgetting the misses" is a common phenomenon.

[Fuzzwood]

And besides, most animals seem to get agitated when that kind of stuff is going to happen.

[bascule]

Birds possess a structure similar to the mammalian neocortex which can evolve to abstractly process symbolic information.

 

I think this is a case of convergent evolution (that's what the article is asserting anyway)

 

To a certain degree, birds are conscious in a similar fashion to mammals

 

I don't know what to make of tales of animals sensing imminent danger and fleeing, while us stupid humans stay behind until the danger is visible. I believe I read an article at some point that these claims were all anecdotal and not really scientifically substantiated. If any biologists/ethologists have researched this alleged aspect of animal behavior I'd certainly like to read their papers.