New Zealand kea can use touchscreens but can't distinguish between real and virtual worlds Study fin
Study finds the intelligent endangered alpine parrots can be trained to use electronic devices with their tongues
Donna Lu
@donnadlu
Tue 28 Sep 2021 23.25 EDT
The kea, an endangered New Zealand parrot, is clever enough to use touchscreens but doesn’t appear to be able to tell the difference between the real and virtual worlds, according to a new study.
Researchers taught six kea at the Willowbank Wildlife Reserve in Christchurch to operate touchscreens. The birds were presented with a series of tasks that were either entirely physical, entirely on-screen or a mixture of both.
Amalia Bastos, a PhD candidate at the University of Auckland and the study’s first author, said while kea have been trained to use electronic devices in the past, the research showed virtual tests could be used to accurately study the bird’s natural behaviour in the real world.
Bastos hopes the research could improve the success of breed-and-release conservation programs for the endangered parrot. “They’re really hard to keep in captivity because they’re so intelligent, so they need to constantly be mentally enriched so that they stay mentally healthy,” she said.
More:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/sep/29/new-zealand-kea-can-use-touchscreens-but-cant-distinguish-between-real-and-virtual-worlds
= new reply since forum marked as read
In the days before telephones and home computers you had to go to work, push actual papers around, and talk to people.
At the end of the week they gave you cash or a check that you took to the bank.
