Re: no dolphine language

CALYK@aol.com
Wed, 28 Oct 1998 15:40:20 EST

In a message dated 10/27/98 6:37:33 PM Central Standard Time, bostrom@ndirect.co.uk writes:

<< That dolphins don't have abstract language was recently established in a very elegant experiment. A pool is divided into two halves by a net. Dolphin A is released into one end of the pool where there is a mechanism. After a while, the dolphin figures out how to operate the mechanism which causes dead fish to be released into both ends of the pool. Then A is transferred to the other end of the pool and a dolphin B is released into the end of the pool that has the mechanism. The idea is that if the dolphins had a language, then A would tell B to operate the mechanism. However, it was found that the average time for B to operate the mechanism was the same as for A.
>>

Perhaps dolphin A knew dolphin B would figure it out and let him have the prize of discovery.