Friday, January 2, 2009

Smooth animal

Here's "Snowball the Dancing Cockatoo," who the New York Times among others has made famous:

The Times' "Year in Ideas 2008" explains the scientific importance of Snowball (under the "Avian Dancing" heading at that link).

Yes, he insists on the Backstreet Boys. Yes, it's too bad he doesn't have better musical taste.

But here's a walrus who's at least as impressive. And this one dances to good music. (It's a YouTube clip that can't be embedded here.)

Yet another reminder not to put much stock in pseudo-scientific pontificating about how "humans are the only animal that _________."

Am I saying other animals are even remotely our equals? Of course not. I'm just saying: it's surprisingly hard to know for sure what is and isn't going on in animal minds.


Ann Althouse said...


Loved how Snowball even took a bow.