Deep thoughts from a squirrel monkey

[jtbell]

I was updating one of our bulletin boards (the kind that you attach paper things to with thumbtacks, not the online kind) and found a New York Times article that I stuck up there a year and a half ago. It had to do with studies of consciousness in animals, and was illustrated with some pictures of experimental animals with humorous cartoon-style "thought balloons." Here's my favorite:

When is one nice, chewy date better than four nice, chewy dates? When you're an experimental subject being tested for temporal awareness. You see, I HAVE LEARNED, FROM PAST EXPERIENCE, that the more dates I eat now, the less water will be available later, in the future. It makes ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE, but when you live in a lab, you get used to that.

 

[SticksandStones]

I don't get it. Can someone explain to in a "I have very little biology/psychology knowledge" kind of way?

 

[mgb_phys]

That the lab rat fully understands the psychology experiements that it is in and just regards them as part of the price to pay for living in a lab. ie The test subject is smarter than the person doing the experiment.

There's a similair joke in HitchHikers when it's explained to the human that lab mice were running the Earth and people were just part of their experiment.

 

[jtbell]

The part that resonated with me was the last sentence.

 

[Proton Soup]

the lab can't be any worse than a cubicle

 

[mgb_phys]

the lab can't be any worse than a cubicle

It's better - I just have to press this little button with my nose and food comes out.
And there are no TPS reports, email or PowerPoint!

 

[noumed]

TPS reports

We need to talk. I heard you were having problems with your TPS reports.