Telepathic Parrot : Mind Reading Animals | Talking Animals

Summary

The transcript profiles In Kisi, an extraordinary African grey parrot with an astonishing vocabulary (about 1,077 words) and apparent ability to use language meaningfully. Amy taught In Kisi to enable genuine interspecies communication, and when Jane meets him he recognizes and speaks to her. Researchers ran controlled experiments: Amy viewed 71 sealed photographs in a room 55 feet away while In Kisi, alone, described what she was seeing. He correctly identified 23 images—well above chance. Investigators attribute the success to a close social bond and suggest the results resemble telepathy, or "distant feeling," between human and bird.

Takeaways

• 😀 In Kisi is a remarkably intelligent parrot with a vocabulary of over 1,000 words.
• 😀 In Kisi has the ability to form meaningful sentences and use language in a communicative way.
• 😀 The parrot's owner, Amy, initially taught him language as a way to engage in dialogue with a being from another species.
• 😀 In Kisi has learned new words almost every day, showing rapid linguistic development.
• 😀 During a meeting, In Kisi demonstrated an ability to recognize and respond to Jane, his owner's friend, by calling her a 'chimp'—a word he'd never said before.
• 😀 African Grey parrots, like In Kisi, are known for their intelligence and exceptional ability to reproduce speech.
• 😀 In Kisi is not only able to reflect on his past experiences but also talk about future events.
• 😀 The parrot shows an awareness of his surroundings, even expressing concerns for his owner, Amy.
• 😀 A series of controlled experiments confirmed that In Kisi could seemingly pick up images from Amy's mind, suggesting a form of telepathic communication.
• 😀 In Kisi's success rate in identifying images was statistically significant, supporting the idea of communication at a distance through telepathy.

Q & A

What makes In Kisi the parrot remarkable?

In Kisi is remarkable because of his ability to use language meaningfully, with a vocabulary exceeding 1,000 words. He can form sentences, express thoughts, and even reflect on his past and future experiences, which is highly unusual for a parrot.

How did the owner first realize In Kisi was special?

The owner quickly realized In Kisi was special when he started learning a new word almost every other day. His rapid acquisition of vocabulary and ability to use it in context stood out, prompting the owner to investigate his communicative potential.

What was the goal of teaching In Kisi language?

The goal of teaching In Kisi language was to facilitate communication between species and understand what a parrot might have to say. The owner was more interested in allowing In Kisi the creative freedom to express himself rather than just training him to mimic words.

What unique interaction occurred between In Kisi and Jane?

When Jane met In Kisi, he greeted her by saying, 'That's Jane,' and followed it by saying, 'Got a chimp now.' This was surprising because he had never said the word 'chimp' before, indicating that In Kisi was not only aware of Jane but also able to make connections based on previous interactions or media.

How does In Kisi demonstrate emotional intelligence?

In Kisi shows emotional intelligence by expressing concern for his owner, reflecting on past experiences, and even talking about the future. For example, he recalls his first ride in a car and later asks for the car again when he sees someone who has taken him on a ride.

What was the controlled experiment designed to test?

The controlled experiment was designed to test if In Kisi could pick up his owner's thoughts telepathically. The experiment involved In Kisi and his owner being in separate rooms while the owner looked at images. In Kisi's ability to describe the images being viewed was analyzed.

How was the experiment conducted to test telepathic communication?

In the experiment, Amy (the owner) would walk to another room, 55 feet away, and look at a series of sealed envelopes containing photographs. After studying each image, she would attempt to mentally send the image to In Kisi, who was observed to describe the image details without direct visual access.

What were the results of the telepathy experiment?

The results of the experiment showed that In Kisi was able to correctly identify images 23 times out of 71, which was statistically significant and far above random chance. This suggested that In Kisi might indeed be able to pick up on his owner's thoughts or mental states.

What is the importance of the bond between In Kisi and his owner in their communication?

The bond between In Kisi and his owner is crucial for effective communication. The owner believes that unless there is a strong social connection, the parrot might not engage or respond. The closeness and trust between them are what spark the parrot's participation in the communication process.

What does the term 'telepathy' mean in the context of this experiment?

In the context of this experiment, 'telepathy' refers to the ability to communicate thoughts and feelings at a distance, without physical interaction. The experiment aimed to explore whether In Kisi could receive mental images or impressions from his owner, effectively communicating without direct sensory input.