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.
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.
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.
This could absolutely be a headline on The Onion.
> But he’s also very interested in “the impact of crystals on the history of art and the history of mind,”
This made my eyes roll a bit.
"Breaking: Animals Have Preferences"
Definitely gives fuel to those in congress looking to defund university budgets
Senator: "And this one! '1.2 million dollars to study if Chimpanzees think crystals are pretty.' That's your tax dollars at work, folks!"
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.
Have Americans tried giving them crystals
Full article share link: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/04/science/chimpanzees-cryst...
Share links need accounts anyway? Is this new?
"You have free access to this story. Continue reading with a Times account"
unsurprising, since they're also into Monoliths
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHWs3c3YNs4
https://archive.ph/EHCxx
archive.ph isn’t working for me, but .is works
https://archive.is/EHCxx
I'd gladly trade you a banana tomorrow for a crystal today.
You're talking ** Karl, PLAY A RECORD
The real question is there a gender bias in chimps when it comes to crystals.
They're also into bananas
so are people! we overthrew multiple countries for banan
"Bananoi", please. They aren't Latin.
What's wrong with bananas?
They're a nightmare for atheists!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfv-Qn1M58I
This is clearly a parody. right? right? please say yes.
The intelligent design controversy during the mid 2000's were a fun time. I still have some Flying Spaghetti Monster merch.
A sizable percentage of the human population is deathly allergic to bananas.
I'm mildly allergic to bananas, but I don't think the number of people allergic to bananas is "sizable."
My son is not, and he will let you know how not allergic he is to Bananas if he sees any that he is not eating.
And this is relevant how?
Me too.
What if you place a whole bunch of similar crystals in a pile, with only 1 or 2 smooth rocks?
I’m willing to bet they will go after the smooth rocks and it’s about rarity, not crystals.
If you read the original paper (https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10....) then they go into more detail on the piles of pebbles and what got taken; the graphs in figure 4 (https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10....) make it very obvious that the chimps loved the 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.)
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.
> I’m willing to bet they will go after the smooth rocks and it’s about rarity, not crystals.
Why? Crystals are pretty, rocks are not. We clearly prefer shiny colorful things to dull beige things, even if shiny things are abundant.