Washoe, who first learned a bit of American Sign Language in a research project in Nevada, had been living on Central Washington University's Ellensburg campus since 1980. Her keepers said she had a vocabulary of about 250 words, although critics contended Washoe and some other primates learned to imitate sign language, but did not develop true language skills.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hNtJe1ce99cEqe8NszC1xV6fpQQgD8SKKNP80
― n/a, Thursday, 1 November 2007 17:49 (sixteen years ago) link
Doesn't say in AP for some reason, but she was 42 years old.
According to her biography on the CHCI website, Washoe, who was wild-born in West Africa sometime in 1965, enjoyed flipping through books and magazines, brushing her teeth, and eating oatmeal with onions.
― n/a, Thursday, 1 November 2007 18:28 (sixteen years ago) link
Good quick summary of the debate over the meaning of primate communication in the NYT article: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/01/science/01chimp.html?ex=1351569600&en=2395249fcfe98fa3&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
― n/a, Thursday, 1 November 2007 18:30 (sixteen years ago) link
enjoyed flipping through books and magazines, brushing her teeth, and eating oatmeal with onions.
We had so much in common, except for the onions in the oatmeal.
― Jenny, Thursday, 1 November 2007 18:33 (sixteen years ago) link
Have you tried it? Maybe you would like it.
― n/a, Thursday, 1 November 2007 18:35 (sixteen years ago) link
Man, fuck you guys, for real.
― n/a, Thursday, 1 November 2007 21:10 (sixteen years ago) link
Not Jenny. Everyone else.
maybe more people would have posted here if this was a poll thread
― Mr. Que, Thursday, 1 November 2007 21:13 (sixteen years ago) link
(sorry.)
― Mr. Que, Thursday, 1 November 2007 21:14 (sixteen years ago) link
This story makes me very sad. Washoe was awesome and Noam Chomsky can bite my chorizo.
― Dimension 5ive, Thursday, 1 November 2007 21:19 (sixteen years ago) link
This is not as sad as the parrot who said "I love you, see you tomorrow" to his trainer and died overnight
― El Tomboto, Thursday, 1 November 2007 21:23 (sixteen years ago) link
But it is pretty sad
This is good, right?
Washoe also taught sign language to three younger chimps who remain at the institute, Central Washington spokeswoman Becky Watson said. They are Tatu, 31, Loulis, 29, and Dar, 31.
― Mr. Que, Thursday, 1 November 2007 21:24 (sixteen years ago) link
Washoe is such a wonderful name.
― Abbott, Thursday, 1 November 2007 22:13 (sixteen years ago) link
Imagine Ed Sullivan saying "Washoe."
― n/a, Friday, 2 November 2007 12:02 (sixteen years ago) link