Don’t get me wrong, this is very interesting, but there is something very funny about the idea that “give a chimpanzee stuff and see if they like it” is academic research.
Sure seems stupid on first glance but most science seems pointless. It’s only when several loosely interconnected ideas that prove something MIGHT be commercially viable do we find out that it was the first curious question that … again seems stupid… was the seed of inivation
The study was in Spain- do European countries have the same sort of backlash to this stuff? Is there a province in Spain that has the equivalent to 'the senator from Indiana' that is the stereotypical anti-NSF figure in US politics? Genuinely curious about this.
You have a question, a hypothesis and designed an experiment to test it.
The study had a harder question: "What properties of crystalline stones attracted them?". The abstract has this answer: "We found that transparency and geometric shape were the two attractors guiding chimpanzees."
Maybe this is scientific proof for the diamond industry.
Well.. Some rocks are definitely shiney. It would be interesting to see if monkeys have any affinity for well polished rocks with pretty colors. Humans do like them, maybe not as much as crystals but they're nice nonetheless.
This could absolutely be a headline on The Onion.
This made my eyes roll a bit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHWs3c3YNs4
"You have free access to this story. Continue reading with a Times account"
https://archive.is/EHCxx
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfv-Qn1M58I
I’m willing to bet they will go after the smooth rocks and it’s about rarity, not crystals.
(an "euhedral" crystal is one with lots of obvious facets, an "anhedral" one is one that's been rounded down into a more pebble shape.)
The study had a harder question: "What properties of crystalline stones attracted them?". The abstract has this answer: "We found that transparency and geometric shape were the two attractors guiding chimpanzees."
Maybe this is scientific proof for the diamond industry.
Why? Crystals are pretty, rocks are not. We clearly prefer shiny colorful things to dull beige things, even if shiny things are abundant.