So, I've been saying for quite a while that monkeys are smarter than humans in some cases. Consider it; monkeys do not participate in self-destructive behavior and mostly spend their time eating bananas and playing with kittens. It's really quite logical. They even pretend to give a damn when we try to teach them a language reserved for handicapped people.
Well, researchers finally decided to test my hypothesis, and guess what? I was right. Take that surprised look off your face immediately.
Anyway, a story in The New York Times reported that researcher Tetsuro Matsuzawa of Kyoto University studied college-aged adults and 5-year-old chimps to compare their short-term memories.
In one test, humans and chimps were both asked to participate in a simple memory game. Both groups were equally accurate; the chimps were faster.
The researchers were baffled, noting that even with three months of training for the college students, the chimps were clearly more adept.
Further tests, which included one particularly smart chimp's mother, seemed to suggest the primates' stellar memories deteriorate with age. Which should be no surprise to any kid who knows he's smarter than his parents.
It occurs to me that perhaps young chimps would be better at other things college students tend to do as well. I will soon be sending a detailed proposal to Matsuzawa suggesting a plan to test this. But first, he will need to purchase a tap and a keg.