Clever Hans
🎓 Academic research
Prussian education ministry inquiry · psychologist Pfungst · Germany, Berlin · 1904–1907
The ‘arithmetic’ horse was actually reading questioners’ unconscious body cues; it answered wrong when the questioner didn’t know the answer.
VerdictThe ‘observer-cue effect’ became a staple of experimental design.
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The gorilla Koko
🎓 Academic research
Stanford → Gorilla Foundation, Penny Patterson · USA, California · 1972–2018
Reportedly knew 1,000+ signs and understood 2,000 English words.
VerdictLinguists are sceptical of its ‘grammar’.
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The African grey Alex
🎓 Academic research
Harvard / Brandeis, Irene Pepperberg · USA · 1977–2007
Could identify 50 objects, colours, shapes and quantities and grasp ‘same/different’ and ‘zero’.
VerdictA milestone in animal cognition.
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The parrot N’kisi ‘telepathy’ test
🎓 Academic research
Sheldrake & Morgana (Journal of Scientific Exploration 2003) · USA, New York · 2003
In another room the parrot said words related to the picture its owner was viewing, above chance.
VerdictNot independently replicated; scoring criteria questioned.
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The ‘dog that knows when the owner is coming home’, Jaytee
🎓 Academic research
Sheldrake & Smart (1998/2000) · Wiseman re-test (1998) · UK, Manchester · 1994–2000
The dog went to the window when the owner randomly decided to head home; Wiseman found it null by his criteria, Sheldrake re-analysed Wiseman’s data and found it positive.
VerdictSame data, two conclusions.
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