The Human Spark | Alan Alda and Man's Best Friend | PBS

http://www.pbs.org/humanspark Alan Alda visits a dog lab where researchers are investigating communication talents our canine companions have that our much closer relatives the chimpanzees don't. Have we bred a glimmer of the human spark into man's best friend?

In "The Human Spark," Alan Alda visits dozens of scientists on three continents -- and even undergoes an examination of his own brain -- to find the answer to one question: What makes us human? Coming to PBS over three Wednesdays: January 6, 13, and 20, 2010 (check local listings). Learn more at http://www.pbs.org/humanspark

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• Alan Alda
• dogs
• communication
• border collies
• Human Spark

[LeoHareMusic]

4:09 ... I bet the chimpanzee *would* understand, but just not care. With chimps you have other stimuli than merely reward. Chimps are hominids, other kinds of persons, and not merely pets seeking approval.

[DiGiTaLdAzEDM]

I have owned dogs for--excuse me--lived with dogs for almost 30 years. I beleive one reason they relate so well with humans is that both species are very social in nature, and more importantly relate co-operatively as seen with wild canines in hunting as a pack. For humans co-operative behaviour is also a fundamental trait. I also believe that their emotional lives share much in common with our own.

[mindhackz]

I told my friend to go get me a bag of chips at the 7/11, he didn't do it, therefore he is an idiot. Seems legit.

[TheJamesrocket]

@DiGiTaLdAzEDM Don't forget selective breeding: Domestic wolves which were better able to understand the body language and vocalisations of humans would get along better with them, and would be more useful as hunters, trackers, and pets as well (thus, they would be protected and cared for, while wolves which weren't as co-operative would have died off through one means or another).

[pjq49]

@LeoHareMusic NOPE! You give them a treat for getting it right. They care.

[inmens]

The dog is looking at them and thinking: "What the hell are these monkeys saying?"

[Chemicalkinetics]

@LeoHareMusic She did not say the chimpanzee does not understand the object. It is the fact the chimpanzee does not understand you want the object. You can verbally tell a chimpanzee to bring you an object by name and the chimp can do that. However, if you hold up an object and point at it, the chimp has no idea. It has nothing to do with chimp does not care because you will have difficult to explain why a chimp cares about a verbal command but not a visual command.

[totaldynamix]

Chimps do fetch stuff. The trained ones could fetch coconuts if you demand but, unlike dogs, they simply dont care. So i think they are even smarter than dogs.

[jtslady87]

I love listening to this woman talk, she has such a sweet, soothing voice!

Love seeing people and dogs communicate, it's amazing how well they understand us.

[goliathlup1]

Well it might work on dogs because we have been geneticaly selecting them for millenia, and probably picked the one capable to understand somehow verbal commands. Maybe they should try with a wolf or something.

[LizardMoGold]

I like what the woman says at the very end: "this can hopefully teach us about ourselves." The ultimate point is not to test the intelligent of a particular animal or breed or species by how THEY understand US and how much they want to please us. The breakthrough happens when WE can understand THEM. It's not about intelligence; it's about communication.