Letters from Grenada

There are so few reasons to love Tuesdays.  That’s one of myriad reasons I’m so thankful for The New York Times Science Section.  Yesterday, they ran a piece that starts:

Some animals are surprisingly sensitive to the plight of others.  Chimpanzees, who cannot swim, have drowned in zoo moats trying to save others.  Given the chance to get food by pulling a chain that would also deliver an electric shock to a companion, rhesus monkeys will starve themselves for several days.  (Geeks like me may read the whole article at http://nytimes.com/2007/03/20/science/20moral.html.)

Doesn’t that just bring a tear to your eye?

I post about this for several reasons.

I ranted yesterday and I’m feeling sheepish about that, so I want something nice and warm and fuzzy for counterbalance.  (Note to self:  limit caffeine consumption!)

I am intrigued by this evidence of altruism in primates.  It makes me smile.  It also makes me wonder if conscious thought rendered us selfish.  I suppose it would have to.  Right?  The very same rugged individualism that sets us apart also makes us a bunch of jerks . . . or something like that.  At the very least, it supports or even confirms my suspicions regarding notions of so-called progress.

I figure I might as well out myself as a reader of The New York Times.  (Sorry, Dad!)

And, last but certainly not least . . . I just plain adore monkeys!  It’s like that BNL tune, If I Had a Million Dollars.  The chorus goes: 

If I had a million dollars, I’d build a tree fort in our yard

If I had a million dollars, you could help it wouldn’t be that hard

If I had a million dollars, maybe we could put like a little tiny fridge in there somewhere

To me, that’s just the sweetest thing.

The monkey reference is this:

If I had a million dollars . . . well, I’d buy you a monkey – haven’t you always wanted a monkey?

See me?  I have always wanted a monkey.  I can’t explain why.  Doesn’t EVERYONE want a monkey?    

Posted on March 21st, 2007 under Grenada •  Print This Post •  Email This Post • RSS 2.0 feed • Leave a response, or trackback