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Re: Alex died
Posted by Tempest on 9/13/07

On 9/13/07, Matt B wrote:
> On 9/13/07, RickAnal wrote:
>> On 9/11/07, Marilyn wrote:
>>> I heard today that Alex, the African Gray from the
>>> University of Arizona (I think that's right) passed away.
>>> I feel like I lost a friend. His human co-workers found
>>> him dead in his cage on Thursday but didn't let word out
>>> until today so they would have time to grieve. Over 30
>>> years, Alex taught his researchers (and friends) much of
>>> what's known about avian brain and thought potential. I
>>> haven't written on a parrot chat board for years even
>>> though I have two Amazon parrots I love dearly. I will
>>> miss knowing Alex is around and wanted to share that with
>>> people who might miss him too.
>>
>> Dr. Pepperberg did some awesome work, but it was at Alex's
>> expense. Alex was never a colleague but an involuntary
>> laboratory subject who was relentless tested and probe for
>> over 30 years. Pepperberg's academic training was not from
>> the humanistic sciences but from chemistry. She apparently
>> lacked the empathy to grasp the injustice of her exploiting
>> Alex to advance her own career. Alex both visibly and
>> verbally demonstrated not boredom but severe stress responses
>> to his 8-12 hour per day relentless training and testing by
>> Dr. P and her helpers. I hoped and prayed that one day she
>> would allow Alex to experience a few years of a normal life
>> with a human or parrot companion but his life was cut short
> by
>> around 50&37;. Alex, I believe, died because he just
> couldn't
>> take his servitude any longer. I suspect some sort of
> aneurism
>> in his brain/stroke. The Humane Society should review Dr.
>> Pepperberg's laboratory practices along with other scientists
>> who study highly intelligent non-humans. Certainly Alex, the
>> Einstein of the bird world should have had rights that a
>> minimum apply to the lowest paid and least educated menial
>> workers in the US--such as limits on how many hours a day he
>> can be worked with, mand@ory breaks, vacation time, etc.
>> Let's hope Griffin and Wort, who have less than a fifth of
>> Alex's IQ, are treated with greater compassion and humanity.
>
> ---------------------
>
> """"""his 8-12 hour per day relentless training and testing by
>> Dr. P and her helpers."""""""
>
> three 20 minute sessions per day---5 days a week
>
>
> """"""such as limits on how many hours a day he
>> can be worked with, mand@ory breaks, vacation time, etc."""""
>
> SO, and just how did you come to this conclusion? Got an in
> somewhere?? Be careful how you answer. I doubt that you really
> want to be also embarrassed after making such an anal/ass out
> of yourself.

Too late. He already did. What an azz.

Posts on this thread, including this one

• Alex died, 9/11/07, by Marilyn.
• Re: Alex died, 9/11/07, by Mickie.
• Re: Alex died, 9/13/07, by RickAnal.
• Re: Alex died, 9/13/07, by Matt B.
• Re: Alex died, 9/13/07, by Tempest.
• Re: Alex died, 9/14/07, by karen.
• Re: Alex died, 9/14/07, by AJS.
• Re: Alex died, 9/14/07, by To Rick.
• Re: Alex died, 9/15/07, by ljhassell.