The Gentle Genius of Bonobos: Susan Savage-Rumbaugh
This Ted Talk explains what a Bonobo is and how similar it is to our ancestors. Bonobos are a type of primate that walks “bi-pedaled”. This means that they walk on two feet instead of using all four limbs that we see most primates use. Susan Savage-Rumbaugh shows in a video how she is communicating and teaching bonobos, not to use them for entertainment, but to teach them culture. They watch the human researchers do many different things, and then imitate them very closely. For example, one Bonobo learns how to collect sticks, break them, and use a lighter to start a fire. He then starts roasting marshmallows alongside the researcher, even learning to blow them off when they catch on fire (just like we do). Throughout the video, the intelligence of the bonobo is exemplified on camera. You can see how they have adapted some of their instinctual habits and modified them to match human culture. Panbanisha, one of the main bonobos, learns how to use scissors to groom her child, instead of using her hands like she would in the wild. She also demonstrates a large understanding of human language and communication, by showing the researchers different symbols of where she wants to go and making sounds alongside the drawings. By studying their behavior, the researchers learn how to communicate with bonobos, and contribute to the nurture vs. nature debate.
The Voice of the Natural World: Bernie Krause
In this Ted Talk by Bernie Krause, he engages the audience by playing different sounds that he has recorded in different environments. His main point is that you can tell the diversity of an ecosystem just by listening to the sounds it makes. These sounds are called biophony. You can identify species richness and the effect of human population on the environment by comparing sounds from before an impact to after. One specific example he gave was a study he did in a place called Lincoln Meadow. One of the main destroyers of habitats, is resource extraction. He demonstrates how logging, even sparingly, can drastically reduce the biodiversity in an area. The frequency of sounds of animal life drastically reduces from before to after the logging has occurred. He goes on to play sounds of a habitat wrecked by human noise pollution, which led to a decrease in the Great Basin Spadefoot Toad population. The last example is a recording of a lone beaver, after his family had been killed by a dam demolition. You can audibly hear the beaver crying in his audio. Overall, his study shows how much we can learn about the health of an ecological environment from the sounds it makes.
Why Bees are Disappearing: Marla Spivak
In Marla Spivak’s Ted Talk, she addresses a newly popular topic: the disappearance of bees. In her discussion, she talks about many different types of bees (there are over 9,500 species), and how human activity has been affecting their habitat. One of her main points talks about our history of planting and farming. Before World War 2, farmers didn’t use pesticides, and used natural farming techniques to keep the soil fertile enough for the next season of crops. For example, we used to plant alfalfa to fertilize the soil. This is natural way to filter out environmental toxins (such as Nitrogen) from the soil. After World War 2, humans began planting more and more crops that didn’t contribute to the integrity of the soil. They also began using chemicals to fertilize, and also as pesticides to keep their plants alive. As the chemicals soak into the soil, the plant receives a decent amount of them. As a result, the pollen of these crops is contaminated with chemicals, most of which are neurotoxins, leading to the rapid rate of bee population decline. In addition to less availability of food sources for plants, we are planting more and more crops that need bees to survive. Some people are even shipping bees to pollinate for them or having to hire human help to do it by hand.