Ideas worth spreading

The gentle genius of bonobos

2,984,564 views | Susan Savage-Rumbaugh • TED2004

Savage-Rumbaugh's work with bonobo apes, which can understand spoken language and learn tasks by watching, forces the audience to rethink how much of what a species can do is determined by biology -- and how much by cultural exposure.

Savage-Rumbaugh's work with bonobo apes, which can understand spoken language and learn tasks by watching, forces the audience to rethink how much of what a species can do is determined by biology -- and how much by cultural exposure.

This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

About the speaker

Susan Savage-Rumbaugh

Susan Savage-Rumbaugh

Primate authority

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Susan Savage-Rumbaugh has made startling breakthroughs in her lifelong work with chimpanzees and bonobos, showing the animals to be adept in picking up language and other "intelligent" behaviors.

This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.