| Show harvard birds bird S smart naturally pigeons can play piano tell time push buttons button S CAD CAMBRIDGE MASS smart birds bird these harvard educated pigeons they are able to play a tune on a piano play table tennis tell time press push buttons and understand changing colors like traffic lights the piano players can rattle ott off such simple tunes as over the fence Is out boys and take me out to the ball game and all the brains are not in the heads of 0 the fancy homing varieties the common park pigeon is just as smart B P F skinner professor of psychology at harvard has drawn these conclusions after a series of experiments the tests are designed to determine whether a child can be trained more effectively by encouraging good behavior or punishing bad actions how do you do it with pigeons the professor explains that pigeons are ideal subjects because they have a 8 reaction time comparable to humans they are paid oft off with food it if their responses to various tests bring the desired results the modified table tennis without nets is played on a table two feet square one pigeon using its it beak tries to bat the ball past its it opponent ralli rallies 1 s rome sometimes times run to three or four shots though most are aces each successful shot br brings ings a reward of food |
