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Nim Chimpsky, named after the great linguist Noam Chomsky, was the first chimpanzee to learn American sign language. Nim became famous, and was the subject of numerous books and television specials. But when the researchers had no more use for him, they opted to sell him to a hepatitis research lab, where he would have been the subject of painful experiments and eventually killed.

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Aren't we a horrible species? Post your monkey stories today!
 

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Posted by human_2.0 (Member # 6006) on :
 
Who are the monkies in that story? Nim or the scientists?
 

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Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
 
Now, now. There's no need to be mean to the monkeys.
 

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Posted by Bob the Lawyer (Member # 3278) on :
 
They sold a chimp to a research lab? Huh. That's kind of odd. Chimps are hardly the primate of choice for medical research, they're much too large.
 

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Posted by BlueJacsFan (Member # 6590) on :
 
I read about Nim for a linguistics class, but I didn't know where he went when they were through with him. That's a fine thanks to the poor chimp.
 

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Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
 
Don't take the info on the site too seriously. It has a problem with some fact checking.

Washoe was the first chimp to be formally taught American Sign Language, back in 1966.

The news about Nim Chimpsky is a little off, too. The researcher thought Nim had been placed in a zoo or habitat, and was horrified to learn that the chimp had been sold for use in hepatitis research by the University of Oklahoma. As a result of a campaign led by Cleveland Amory, Nim did get to go live out his remaining years in a primate colony.
 

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Posted by beverly (Member # 6246) on :
 
Hooray for facts!
 

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Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
 
Oops!

Forgot! Here's an obituary/biography of Nim Chimpsky.
 

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Posted by Telperion the Silver (Member # 6074) on :
 
Damn dirty apes....


 

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Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
 
Telperion,

By a strange coincidence, "dirty" is Washoe's favorite all around cuss word. On behalf of Washoe, let me say:

"Dirty Telperion!"
 

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Posted by Bob_Scopatz (Member # 1227) on :
 
I "inherited" part of Nim's lab space while doing my doctoral work at Columbia University. It was in the basement of Schermerhorn Hall and I got the part with the two-way mirror and the large room behind it. I ran rats in a radial arm maze.

The researcher who ran the Nim project was a former student of B.F. Skinner and he became a believer in animal cognition as a result of working with Nim, or so the story goes.

Also while a grad student I got to play host/chauffer to some of the big names in cognitive science. One of whom (Carl Pribram) reportedly had his finger bitten off by Washoe when he approached her baby without her permission.

Sometimes it was easier to believe in animal cognition than in human cognition.



Nim, I didn't know you, but thanks for the lab space!
 

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Posted by Jalapenoman (Member # 6575) on :
 
If anyone ever has a chance to get to the International Space Hall of Fame in Alamogordo, New Mexico, you need to check out the display on the chimp astronauts. They were raised and trained at Holloman Air Force Base just outside of the town.

For those wondering why the ISHF is in a little town like Alamogordo, you need to look at the history of the area. White Sands Missile Range is a short distance away, as is McGregor Range. Trinity Site, the place where the first atomic bomb was detonated, is a short drive from town (the sand on the desert melted together). The rocket sleds that tested the effects of high speeds and multiple g-forces were built in the area. The chimps for the space program were trained in the area.

If anyone has the misfortune to have to visit El Paso, an 80 mile trip north to Alamogordo and this museum is an educational and fun experience.
 

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Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :
 
From the obituary:

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There may have been more, but we are aware of 3 full siblings: Ally, Onan, and Tania.

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Posted by Bob_Scopatz (Member # 1227) on :
 
pooka

Although I think Onan's hands are in the wrong spot.
 

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Posted by human_2.0 (Member # 6006) on :
 
I'm certainly human (2.0 version in fact). But I am not sure about my siblings. I think they were adopted apes. Maybe I should post stories about them.
 

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Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
 

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I "inherited" part of Nim's lab space while doing my doctoral work at Columbia University. It was in the basement of Schermerhorn Hall and I got the part with the two-way mirror and the large room behind it. I ran rats in a radial arm maze.

The researcher who ran the Nim project was a former student of B.F. Skinner and he became a believer in animal cognition as a result of working with Nim, or so the story goes.

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Bob,

that's my recollection as well. The Nim project claimed to have debunked actual use of language by Nim - and, by extension, other chimps. As behaviorists, this was contrary to what they expected the results to be. (As it turns out, though, the jury is still hotly debating what "language" is and how much apes use)

I remember reading a news account when it Nim's fate (temporary) as a hepatitis research subject became public. The reaction from - I think it was Terrace - was along the lines of:

"I said he didn't have language. I never said he wasn't intelligent."

A final note - I hope they cleaned the space really well prior to your moving in. Chimps are notoriously resistant to toilet training!
 

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