Doesn't this make you want to read more?
What he witnessed was probably the first observed exchange of money for sex in the history of monkeykind. (Further proof that the monkeys truly understood money: the monkey who was paid for sex immediately traded the token in for a grape.)
The excerpt, from a column by Stephen J. Dubner and Steven Levitt, is the first of the new Freakonomics columns that will run in the NYTimes magazine. Dubner and Levitt are the authors of the bestselling Freakonomics which uses economic analysis to explore a whole range of questions, from: how do parents choose baby names, to, does abortion lead to less crime?
This week's column explores a Yale collaboration between a economist and a psychologist to teach capuchin monkeys about money. The results, thus far, are that they develop and learn to value money like humans. Evolution, anyone?
What he witnessed was probably the first observed exchange of money for sex in the history of monkeykind. (Further proof that the monkeys truly understood money: the monkey who was paid for sex immediately traded the token in for a grape.)
The excerpt, from a column by Stephen J. Dubner and Steven Levitt, is the first of the new Freakonomics columns that will run in the NYTimes magazine. Dubner and Levitt are the authors of the bestselling Freakonomics which uses economic analysis to explore a whole range of questions, from: how do parents choose baby names, to, does abortion lead to less crime?
This week's column explores a Yale collaboration between a economist and a psychologist to teach capuchin monkeys about money. The results, thus far, are that they develop and learn to value money like humans. Evolution, anyone?
posted by The Oracles @ 7:42 PM
2 Comments:
At 12:42 AM,
Anonymous said…
What it really shows is that there has been very little evolution. Levitt and Dubner have shown what I've really expected all along- people really are just like monkeys. Sure, they have a little bit more hair, but they're driven by the same things we are: hunger and horniness.
(this message is really just proof to show that I do in fact read this)
At 1:24 AM,
The Oracles said…
I meant more that this shows how humans have similar minds to monkeys, hence, we evolved from them.
And thanks for reading CB ;-)
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