Free Republic explained at last?

[Fumesucker]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h3qodE8DPv1Oe-FxDamZaUjmveqg?docId=81a6e4c0da134e52beba3ea7510bf51e

WASHINGTON (AP) — Dan the baboon sits in front of a computer screen. The letters BRRU pop up. With a quick and almost dismissive tap, the monkey signals it's not a word. Correct. Next comes, ITCS. Again, not a word. Finally KITE comes up.

He pauses and hits a green oval to show it's a word. In the space of just a few seconds, Dan has demonstrated a mastery of what some experts say is a form of pre-reading and walks away rewarded with a treat of dried wheat.

Dan is part of new research that shows baboons are able to pick up the first step in reading — identifying recurring patterns and determining which four-letter combinations are words and which are just gobbledygook.

The study shows that reading's early steps are far more instinctive than scientists first thought and it also indicates that non-human primates may be smarter than we give them credit for.

<snip>

Read the rest of the article at the link..

[intaglio]

1. ROFL! n/t

[KG]

4. not a word.

[Thor_MN]

9. Well done.

Here's your wheat treat

[KG]

14. Well done.

[JohnnyRingo]

2. spricktz blorp godsen

Brkit trom Gingrich.

[pinboy3niner]

5. That sounds exactly like RimJob speaking...

&feature=player_embedded

[FSogol]

11. "I think we're all indebted to gabby johnson for clearly stating what needed to be said.

I'm particularly glad that these lovely children were here today to hear that ..."

[PCIntern]

3. Mega-DUzy! n/t

[jimlup]

6. As an advocate for Baboon's: I for one am deeply offended

[Fumesucker]

7. I meant to put it in the OP but I forgot..

The difference between Freepers and baboons?

Baboons can spell!

[Swagman]

8. do you have to insult baboons??

[malaise]

10. Definitely the DUzy of the week

[gratuitous]

12. So, does Dan the baboon recognize "screwn" as a word?

If not, he's actually a step or two above the intelligence of our average friend over at Free Republic.

[Morning Dew]

15. "screwn" has made the leap into my everyday vocabulary.

It's just too good not to use.

[DCKit]

13. Does Dan the Baboon, by any chance, live in the basement? nt

[DisgustipatedinCA]

16. Skip the dried wheat and feed 'em Cheet-os in a basement...more conducive to their learning style

.

[chknltl]

17. this is no missing link

The test subject did not select misspelled words. Freepers otoh... My pet theory that freepers are from a different planet still stands.

[pinboy3niner]

18. Apparently, it's not planet Kolob