Nim Chimpsy (was "implicational and factive verbs"

Dan Sulani
> wrote:
>
>     BTW, anyone ever heard of (or _remember_ ;-)  ) the original
> "Nim"?  A chimpanzee called "Nim Chimpsky" who was one of
> the original volunteers (er, I mean "subjects"  ;-)  ) in the research on
> teaching apes to use (human) language. I don't  know whether
> the researcher who gave the chimp the name was pro-generative
> grammar with a sense of humor or anti-generative grammar with
> a grudge. (I seem to recall, though, that it was the former.)
>
 ::big grin:: I do. Interesting case: the researcher didn't relate to Nim on a
an emotional level & poor Nim - havin' the emotional level & needs of a 3 year
old child - was totally bored & burned out by the repetitiveness of all the
experiments. The much vaunted "Scientific Method" was too alienatin to Nim.
 In contrast is the research done by Patterson with Koko the Gorilla: much was
accomplished (& evidently still is) 'cuz Patterson related on an emotional
level with Koko.

 Science does not need to be so "cold & distant" especially when dealin with
interspecies communication(s).

    czHANg



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