Irene Pepperberg: Alex & Me - The Moth

Summary

Summary of "Irene Pepperberg: Alex & Me"

Published on The Moth Podcast, May 24, 2010

In the compelling episode titled "Irene Pepperberg: Alex & Me," Irene Pepperberg shares her extraordinary journey of researching and developing communication with a gray parrot named Alex. This story delves into the challenges, breakthroughs, and profound emotional connections that defined her groundbreaking work in animal cognition.

1. A Paradigm Shift: From Chemistry to Avian Communication

Irene Pepperberg begins by recounting her pivotal decision to transition from a theoretical chemistry career at Harvard to studying animal communication. Inspired by NOVA programs and existing studies on primates and dolphins, she envisioned pioneering research with parrots.

"I had an epiphany. I'm going to change my whole field and do this work and I'm going to do it with a parrot." (02:19)

Despite skepticism from grant reviewers who doubted the feasibility of working with a parrot due to their smaller brain size compared to primates and dolphins, Pepperberg was undeterred. She emphasized her unconventional approach, choosing not to adhere to the rigid scientific methods of the time.

2. Building a Breakthrough: Training Alex

Securing a one-year grant, Pepperberg introduced Alex, a gray parrot, as her subject. Over the first decade, Alex demonstrated remarkable cognitive abilities, learning to label numerous objects, colors, shapes, and materials. He exhibited an understanding of concepts like "bigger and smaller" and "same and different," enabling him to identify and describe over 150 items.

"Alex could label about 150 different things. He learned concepts of bigger and smaller... same and different." (04:10)

Her work gained recognition when she presented at the International Primatological Congress. Initially met with skepticism, her confidence was rewarded when a senior primatologist acknowledged Alex's complex behavior.

"I say, no. And I smile, I say, no, sir, you know, that's right, sir. He did." (06:25)

3. Navigating Obstacles: Funding and Recognition

Despite Alex's impressive achievements, Pepperberg faced persistent challenges in securing sustained funding. After her initial grant, subsequent renewals were uncertain, forcing her to juggle research with fundraising efforts.

"We are doing a lot of publicity... a roller coaster of a life." (07:50)

Her dedication was tested further when the National Science Foundation withdrew additional funding, leaving her in financial limbo. To keep the lab operational, she resorted to unconventional methods, including attending bird clubs to raise necessary funds.

4. Media Spotlight and Technological Innovations

As Alex's cognitive abilities continued to impress, Pepperberg's work attracted media attention, leading to appearances on platforms like Scientific American Frontiers and the Discovery Channel. She also secured a position at MIT's Media Lab, where she explored innovative communication systems to enhance interactions between humans and animals.

"We're trying to figure out what's going on. And my colleagues at Harvard have this great idea that Alex has been so interactive and fun. Maybe we should start looking at how he sees the world." (09:15)

One notable moment was during a BBC radio interview, where Alex interacted dynamically, showcasing his ability to understand and manipulate language beyond simple responses.

"I'm sorry, come here, Orange." (11:52)

5. Tragedy and Emotional Turmoil: Alex's Passing

The narrative takes a poignant turn when Alex unexpectedly dies at the age of 30, leaving Pepperberg in profound shock and emotional distress. The loss was not just professional but deeply personal, as Alex had become her scientific partner and emotional anchor.

"It's just nothing's coming through. And finally, I get this big box of letters... and that's when all these barriers that I had put up... came through." (15:30)

The outpouring of global condolences, including articles in prestigious publications like The New York Times and The Economist, contrasted sharply with her personal grief. A particularly moving moment was receiving sympathy notes from children who had learned about Alex, underscoring the broader impact of her work.

"I realized I had lost the most important being in my life." (17:30)

6. Reflections and Legacy

Pepperberg concludes her story by reflecting on the intertwining of scientific pursuit and emotional bonds. Alex's legacy transcends his cognitive achievements; he symbolizes the profound connections possible between humans and animals.

Her narrative offers insights into the resilience required in scientific research, the importance of advocacy and public support, and the unanticipated emotional dimensions of pioneering work.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

"I had an epiphany. I'm going to change my whole field and do this work and I'm going to do it with a parrot." (02:19)
"Alex could label about 150 different things. He learned concepts of bigger and smaller... same and different." (04:10)
"I say, no. And I smile, I say, no, sir, you know, that's right, sir. He did." (06:25)
"We're trying to figure out what's going on. And my colleagues at Harvard have this great idea that Alex has been so interactive and fun. Maybe we should start looking at how he sees the world." (09:15)
"I'm sorry, come here, Orange." (11:52)
"I realized I had lost the most important being in my life." (17:30)

Conclusion

"Irene Pepperberg: Alex & Me" is a touching and informative account of dedication, innovation, and the deep bonds formed in the pursuit of understanding animal intelligence. Pepperberg's story not only highlights the cognitive capabilities of parrots but also underscores the human elements of passion, struggle, and loss inherent in groundbreaking research.

Transcript

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Dan Kennedy (1:30)

Welcome to the Moth Podcast. I'm Dan Kennedy and the Moth features true stories told live without notes. All stories from the podcast are taken from our ongoing storytelling series in New York, Los Angeles and from our tour shows across the country.

Jay Allison (1:45)

Visit themoth.org hi, this is Jay Allison up on Cape Cod in Massachusetts. Right now we're producing our second batch of stories for the Moth Radio Hour. To hear the Moth Radio Hour on the air, contact your local public radio station and find out when they'll be airing it. We hope you like it. Thanks.

Dan Kennedy (2:05)

The story you're about to hear by Irene Pepperberg was recorded live in Boston when the moth was on the road. In 2009, we found Irene through our annual partnership that we do with the World Science Festival.

Irene Pepperberg (2:19)

Okay, so it's 1970s and I'm getting my doctorate in theoretical chemistry from Harvard and I'm watching NOVA programs on this groundbreaking work on training animals to communicate with humans, work on signing chimps in dolphin studies. And I decide that's it. I've had this epiphany. I'm going to change my whole field and do this work and I'm going to do it with a parrot. Parrots talk. They live for a long time. I thought this was the most incredible idea in the world that I'd be part of this revolution. I finish the degree, I study up everything I can in the field, I write my grant proposal, I submit it, thinking yes and no. The reviewers come back asking me what I'm smoking. The last time parrots and humans were connected, unlike apes, where we're connected pretty closely genetically, 280 million years ago. All right, you know, big, big difference. Parrots, unlike dolphins, they have this little tiny brain the size of a shelled walnut. You know, dolphins have this big brain. It makes sense to work with them. Not with a parrot. Plus, I'm working with an animal that's a pet, you know, I mean, how am I going to keep my scientific objectivity there? And plus, I'm not going to use the standard scientific techniques of the day, which means starve your animal to 80% of its normal body weight, stick it in a Skinner box and go from there. No, no, I'm going to just talk to the bird. Yeah, right. Even my then husband, who was a neurophysiologist, says, no, no, Irene, until you can stick an electrode in its head and get a P300, it's not science. And I look at him blankly because like you, I'm saying P300. What are you talking about? Okay, so I, but I'm really determined. I go out and I buy a parrot. It's a gray parrot. That's the name of the species and the color. He's a gray, different shades of gray, bright red tail. He's about this big, weighs about a pound. I name him Alex for avian learning experiment. And so I start training him by modeling system. He's learning a couple labels and I put in the grant proposal. And this time I'm really lucky. I have somebody on the panel who studies bird song who recognizes the striking parallels between the development of vocal communication in birds and humans. So I get a grant for a year. Now, most grants are for three or four years because if you get it for a year, as soon as you get the grant, you have to resubmit it and you know, you have to get some data in between there. But I figured, no, we are on our way. This is going to work. Well, it wasn't quite that simple. Alex and my life were more like the perils of Pauline than anything else. Because anytime anything great happened, there was always something that then happened to bring us back down. And it was quite a roller coaster of a life. But at the beginning we started this work and In Alex's first 10 years he learned about 50 labels for objects. He learned to label seven colors. He learned to label five shapes, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 cornered. He labeled different materials. He understood concepts. So I could show him the object. And I'd say, alex, you know, what's this? And he'd say, block. And I said, good birdie. And what color? Blue. Good boy. And what shape? Four corner. And what matter? Wood. And he combined these labels so he could identify 150 different things. This is a parrot brain size of shelled walnut. Could label about 150 different things. He learned concepts of bigger and smaller. So I could show him two things and say, what's color bigger? What color is smaller? And he'd tell me he learned. And this was really extraordinary concept of same and different. So I could show him two things and not just tell me that they were same or different, but he could tell me what about them was same or different. So I'd say, what's same? And he'd tell me, color, shape, matter, or none, if nothing were same or different. And this was pretty exciting work. And again, Alex is about 10 years old. And I'm invited to the International Primatological Congress. This is a big deal, international congress. I'm speaking in front of a thousand people and I'm the only person there who is not a primatologist. I am the one person who has been invited to talk on comparative behavior. And I'm talking about a bird. Again, brain size of shelled walnut to all these people are working with apes and orangutans and whatever. So I get up and I give my talk. At the end of my talk, one of the silver, we call them the silverback males. One of the. One of the senior, you know, senior primatologists gets up and I'm going, okay, here it comes. You know, I'm just going to get totally creamed. And he, you know, he said, well, you know, very interesting little study you did there. But you mean to tell me that your bird did something much more complicated than premax apes? And I want to say yeah, and backwards and in heels, you know, to be honest, but I say, no. And I smile, I say, no, sir, you know, that's right, sir. He did. And I'm thinking, okay. And he says, oh. And he sits down and I'm going, oh, I've done it. I've made it, you know, yay. Except, you know, I should have been, you know, drinking gallons of champagne at that point. But a couple of weeks earlier, I'd gotten this letter from National Science foundation saying, you Know what? It was a nice proposal, but we ran out of money, so no more funding. So I'm sitting there going, okay, how are we going to keep the lab going at this point? So here's Alex doing this great stuff, and we're having some troubles with the funding. And this was this, again, this was the story of our lives. So we fast forward a little bit, and it was still very hard for me to get some recognition from colleagues. Even with these successes, there was always the question of scientific objectivity. And I dealt with it by treating Alex like a colleague, the way I would treat my students. You work with them, you teach them as much as you can, you respect them, but you draw a line between the way you interact with them and the way you interact with your own children or the way you interact with your significant others to keep that scientific objectivity. And it didn't always stick. I mean, when my marriage fell apart and I was getting a divorce, and it comes down to dividing the property, and my husband says, well, you take the bird and I'll take the dog. And part of me is going, hey, cool. You know, no fights with him about the bird. But the other part of me is going, alex isn't a pet like our dog. You know, he's my scientific center. You know, how could you say this? But, you know, we're doing okay. And again, by this time, we're doing a lot of publicity. We're doing Scientific American Frontiers and discovery channel and 48 hours. And Alex is about 15, and we get an invitation to do radio from the BBC. And by this time, Alex's personality is really coming to a four, because he's learned not just to answer questions, but to label and to interact and ask me questions. And so now I've got this radio, and I'm thinking, radio. You know, I could ask him anything. And I could say, yes, good boy. Because, you know, they can't see what's going on. So I think, all right, how am I going to do this? Okay. So I start the program and I say, okay, I'm holding an orange square piece of wood, and I'm going to ask Alex some questions. So you hear my heels click, click, click as I go into the room, and I go, alex, going to ask you some questions. Going to do some work. And they go, alex, what color? Little birdie voice. No, you tell me what shape. Okay, Alex, it's four corner. Now, can you tell me what color? Tell me what matter? Okay, Alex, it's wood. Can you tell me what color? No. How Many Alex, there's one toy here. And you know, part of me again is going, oh, this is so cool. He's not just acting like a little robot. I mean, he's interacting with me, he's talking with me. The other part of me is going, but they really want to hear him answer some questions. So I'm going, alex, come on, what color? And he goes, no, tell me what shape. And I go, okay, Alex, time out. You're misbehaving. And you hear my heels as I start to walk out the door, giving him a time out. And then comes a little birdie voice. I'm sorry, come here, Orange. So obviously I treated every Alec's like a colleague, but he didn't necessarily treat me like a colleague. And again, we had some ups, we had some downs. I was at Arizona at that point. We left Arizona for a number of reasons. We got a gig at the Media Lab at mit. Those of you who you're local, you know what that is big time. I'm hired for a temporary position that could be extended to do use the bird as a model for intelligent learning systems. But once I'm there and I start looking at all the gizmos and whatever they have, I start developing for the sponsors animal human communication systems to enrich the birds lives all these animals. Interpet Explorer web browsers for parrots, things like that. And those of you who know the media Lab know that the sponsors come who have given us all this money to do these things, come twice a year to see what we've done with their money. Well, word had gotten out that there was a live bird and they wanted to see Alex. And they come through in waves, five to seven minutes. And I was setting up the inter pet thing and no, no, no, no. We want to see Alex do his phonemes. I'm going, oh, whatever you guys want, you know, I'll do it. Phonemes. What we were doing was showing him refrigerator letters, the things you show your kids to have him sound out the letters in the hope that somewhere down the road we could put the letters together and he could maybe sound out a label to see if he understood what these sounds meant. Okay, so, but he's at this very early stage and the task at this point, we put all the letters on a tray, they're different colors and you know, we ask Alex what color is, you know, s. And he goes, blue. Good birdie. Want a nut? Okay, Alex, you can't have a nut. We've only got these people for five minutes. You know, let's do another thing. Okay, you know what sound is green?