Did the bonobo play pretend or did the scientists play pretend with an imaginary bonobo?
this post was submitted on 06 Feb 2026
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Dang, we really need to control for these confounding variables
It's the same problem with double blind tests. Writing protocol when blindfolded is hard
Not to mention, wearing both blindfolds at once is very uncomfortable on top of my glasses
Maybe test if they can play pin the tail on the donkey?
But how do you test it when you are blindfolded as well? Or is the donkey blindfolded? I don't understand
in an omni-blind trial. Everyone is blindfolded including the donkey. Donkey is wearing protective synthetic skin except at the right spot. It'll let you know.
I've long contended that primates are, in principle, too stupid to be real.
Since I saw that primates have a sense of humor, things like this don’t surprise me as much, because it’s not like they’re similar to us, it’s that we are very similar to them. It’s natural to share many traits.
The researchers, desperate for a cleric to support their party, then attempted to teach Kanzi how to play DnD.
Kanzi, being a bonobo, then humped the imaginary object and asked for more snacks.
Should have given him a bard instead
Don't dogs and cats do it?
Cats pretend aggression when playing with each other
When have you seen your dog or cat pretend to interact with an invisible object, like a toddler having an imaginary cup of tea?
My cat did pretend once to eat some crisps I'd given her. She was sat on a chair looking at me pleadingly, so I put a couple in front of her and after a sniff she "accidentally" knocked them on to the floor whilst pretending to eat them.
Interesting to see but I'm pretty sure the music in that video died hundreds of years ago and only now walks the earth to torture the living
Hah in that case here's the original source's channel @diycatgeek (Youtube Link). I assume they don't use the same generic music in their own videos.
They pretend they have toys when they have nothing at all, sometimes. And I'd argue that even playing with toys the way they do is major make-believe. Which is also something they already do in the wild - practice hunting on dead animals or inanimate objects.
I used to own a boarding kennel. We had several clients over the years who would condition place their plush toys face first in their food dish as if the toy was eating. I have have long supposedthat those dogs were pretending their toy was eating.
I’ve known multiple dogs that put items in a spot, then brushed their noses over them, as if burying them with invisible dirt.
However, I figure that’s an instinctual behavior, similar to digging/burying food. Not evidence of imagination. Just evidence of dogs interacting with invisible objects.
I wonder if the "language training" has anything to do with it.