How Monkeys Spend Money

The Don · 12th December 2005, 04:56 AM

A fascinating little piece in today's TimesT2 section. It's not yet available online

Appraently researchers at Yale have been taught capuchin monkeys how to use money. Frim the article

"We hired undergraduates to come in every day and drop silver pieces of metal around the capuchin's living area. Every so often, a capuchin would randomly pick up a coin and hand it back to the undergraduate. When that happened, the undergraduate would have to say, extremely loudly "why thank you and hand the monkey a piece of cucumber or a grape"

After a few months, the capuchins were hoarding the coins and in some cases, attempting to pass off pieces of cucumber as coins.

Given time, I'm sure our simian friends will establish some kind of futures market in grapes and cucumber and start derivitives trading.

a_unique_person · 12th December 2005, 05:06 AM

Bananaron.

David Swidler · 12th December 2005, 05:09 AM

I thought monkeys only dealt in Shakespeare.

Paul C. Anagnostopoulos · 12th December 2005, 09:50 AM

Damn counterfeiters!

~~ Paul

Soapy Sam · 13th December 2005, 01:05 AM

How do they know the monkeys were trying to pass debased cucumber? Maybe they just can't tell the difference between cucumber and coins.
Maybe they have concluded that humans have a thing about disc shaped objects. Hey- it was worth a try, what did they have to lose?

Donks · 13th December 2005, 01:14 AM

Originally Posted by Soapy Sam

How do they know the monkeys were trying to pass debased cucumber? Maybe they just can't tell the difference between cucumber and coins.
Maybe they have concluded that humans have a thing about disc shaped objects. Hey- it was worth a try, what did they have to lose?

Perhaps they are Libertarians, in favor of the Cucumber Standard.

Loon · 13th December 2005, 05:28 PM

I read somewhere (I have no idea where, so it's entirely anecdotal, but entertaining nonetheless), that one of the researchers saw one monkey give another monkey a coin to have sex.

Monkey prostitution!

Dogdoctor · 13th December 2005, 05:49 PM

Originally Posted by Loon

I read somewhere (I have no idea where, so it's entirely anecdotal, but entertaining nonetheless), that one of the researchers saw one monkey give another monkey a coin to have sex.

Monkey prostitution!

It was chimpanzees

chance · 13th December 2005, 06:18 PM

Thus the common expression:

Ring ring …….ring ring ……“hello, is this the smith residence?”

“why yes it is”

“congratulations sir you have just won the state lottery”

“wooo hooo”, Woooo heeeee” “oooh, oooh, oooh, eeh eeh eeh aahhr, aahhr, aahhr”, eeeeeee, eeeeee, eeeeee”!

Goshawk · 13th December 2005, 06:37 PM

No need for the Times, the original paper is here.
http://www.som.yale.edu/Faculty/keit...rsionDraft.pdf

Only a Yale economist could manage to make "playing games with monkeys" into a tedious 25-page dissertation.

Jeff Corey · 13th December 2005, 07:17 PM

Actually, the original 1930's work is described here.
http://www.naturalhistorymag.com/edi...7_12_pick.html

Soapy Sam · 14th December 2005, 06:02 AM

1930s?

So if those monkeys banked the cucumber at an average 7% compound interest, they might now be among the wealthiest and most powerful families in the USA?

Sorry- why has it gone quiet in here? Did I say something ?

12th December 2005, 04:56 AM	#1
The Don Philosopher Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Cymru Posts: 8,235	How Monkeys Spend Money A fascinating little piece in today's TimesT2 section. It's not yet available online Appraently researchers at Yale have been taught capuchin monkeys how to use money. Frim the article "We hired undergraduates to come in every day and drop silver pieces of metal around the capuchin's living area. Every so often, a capuchin would randomly pick up a coin and hand it back to the undergraduate. When that happened, the undergraduate would have to say, extremely loudly "why thank you and hand the monkey a piece of cucumber or a grape" After a few months, the capuchins were hoarding the coins and in some cases, attempting to pass off pieces of cucumber as coins. Given time, I'm sure our simian friends will establish some kind of futures market in grapes and cucumber and start derivitives trading.

12th December 2005, 05:06 AM	#2
a_unique_person Director of Hatcheries and Conditioning Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Mt Disappointment Posts: 33,326	Bananaron.
	__________________ *Continually pushing the boundaries of mediocrity.* Everything is possible, but not everything is probable. For if a man pretend to me that God hath spoken to him supernaturally, and immediately, and I make doubt of it, I cannot easily perceive what argument he can produce to oblige me to believe it. Hobbes

12th December 2005, 09:50 AM	#4
Paul C. Anagnostopoulos Nap, interrupted. Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: a little toolshed Posts: 18,592	Damn counterfeiters! ~~ Paul
	__________________ Millions long for immortality who do not know what to do with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon. ---Susan Ertz RIP Mr. Skinny

13th December 2005, 01:05 AM	#5
Soapy Sam NLH Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 25,885	How do they know the monkeys were trying to pass debased cucumber? Maybe they just can't tell the difference between cucumber and coins. Maybe they have concluded that humans have a thing about disc shaped objects. Hey- it was worth a try, what did they have to lose?
Soapy Sam NLH Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 25,885

13th December 2005, 01:14 AM	#6
Donks vBulletin God Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 3,321	Originally Posted by Soapy Sam How do they know the monkeys were trying to pass debased cucumber? Maybe they just can't tell the difference between cucumber and coins. Maybe they have concluded that humans have a thing about disc shaped objects. Hey- it was worth a try, what did they have to lose? Perhaps they are Libertarians, in favor of the Cucumber Standard.
Donks vBulletin God Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 3,321

12th December 2005, 05:09 AM	#3
David Swidler Carrot Mohel Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Right here, obviously. Posts: 8,302	I thought monkeys only dealt in Shakespeare.

13th December 2005, 05:28 PM	#7
Loon Med Student Roberts Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: in ur base, killin' ur d00dz Posts: 2,105	I read somewhere (I have no idea where, so it's entirely anecdotal, but entertaining nonetheless), that one of the researchers saw one monkey give another monkey a coin to have sex. Monkey prostitution!
	__________________ Happiness is the worst teacher. Flush Bunk Forum WoW

13th December 2005, 05:49 PM	#8
Dogdoctor Canis Doctorius Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Pacific Ocean Posts: 14,281	Originally Posted by Loon I read somewhere (I have no idea where, so it's entirely anecdotal, but entertaining nonetheless), that one of the researchers saw one monkey give another monkey a coin to have sex. Monkey prostitution! It was chimpanzees
	__________________

13th December 2005, 06:18 PM	#9
chance Critical Thinker Join Date: Aug 2001 Posts: 431	Thus the common expression: Ring ring …….ring ring ……“hello, is this the smith residence?” “why yes it is” “congratulations sir you have just won the state lottery” “wooo hooo”, Woooo heeeee” “oooh, oooh, oooh, eeh eeh eeh aahhr, aahhr, aahhr”, eeeeeee, eeeeee, eeeeee”!
chance Critical Thinker Join Date: Aug 2001 Posts: 431

13th December 2005, 06:37 PM	#10
Goshawk Graduate Poster Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Decatur, Illinois, USA Posts: 1,453	No need for the Times, the original paper is here. http://www.som.yale.edu/Faculty/keit...rsionDraft.pdf Only a Yale economist could manage to make "playing games with monkeys" into a tedious 25-page dissertation.

13th December 2005, 07:17 PM	#11
Jeff Corey New York Skeptic Join Date: Aug 2001 Posts: 13,794	Actually, the original 1930's work is described here. http://www.naturalhistorymag.com/edi...7_12_pick.html

14th December 2005, 06:02 AM	#12
Soapy Sam NLH Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 25,885	1930s? So if those monkeys banked the cucumber at an average 7% compound interest, they might now be among the wealthiest and most powerful families in the USA? Sorry- why has it gone quiet in here? Did I say something ?
Soapy Sam NLH Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 25,885