Stuff You Should Know SYSK Live: Koko, the Gorilla Who Talked
Jul 8, 2021
This live discussion captures the incredible story of Koko, a gorilla who mastered sign language and challenged views on animal intelligence. Delightful anecdotes showcase her playful interactions with a kitten and celebrity visitors like Robin Williams. The conversation navigates the emotional depths of Koko's life, including her heartbreaking loss of a furry friend. It also dives into the divisive debates of ape language research, exploring the blurred lines of human-animal communication and the profound impact Koko had on our understanding of the animal world.
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Project Koko Begins
- Francine Patterson, a Stanford grad student, began teaching sign language to Koko.
- This marked the beginning of a 40+ year mother-daughter-like relationship.
Why Sign Language?
- Teaching Koko sign language aimed to compare gorilla language acquisition with human children.
- This was done to understand human language development and evolution.
Koko's Sense of Humor
- Koko demonstrated humor by repeatedly signing "red" when shown a white towel.
- She revealed a red piece of lint, proving her joke and surprising researchers.