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Stellan Special user Sweden 580 Posts |
That is right. This is sort of amazing how we get a glimpse into the mind of the chimp. But the question is: Did he enjoy it?
"There is no reality, only perception."
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Ray Pierce Inner circle Los Angeles, CA 2607 Posts |
Generaly they enjoy attention and interaction so yes, this fit the bill.
Ray Pierce
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Whit Haydn V.I.P. 5449 Posts |
I think his hugs meant, he liked it.
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Brad Burt Inner circle 2675 Posts |
The chimp as with others of his kin is not self-reflective. They are purely instinctive. That's not to say they are not intelligent. They are. The way the animal acted in regards the 'magic' could also be explained as anxiety or fear reaction. Something happens that they are not familiar with or expecting. Humans are generally regarded by the animal as friendly and the supplier of comfort, food, etc. The animal is made anxious and uncertain by the 'surprise' caused by the trick. Animals do NOT like uncertain situations. Thus the chimp goes to the closest trusted Alpha and does what animals do to reestablish comfort: They cling, attach, etc.
Wanting to anthropomorphize what we see.....we conclude that 'hey he liked it! See the hug?' The biggest mistake an animal behaviorist can make is to conflate the reactions of animals with those of humans. An animal behavior will generally have one and one genesis. A human in the same situation could have dozens if not hundreds of reactions and conclusions. Animals can learn to 'ape' behavior with the effect of making one think that the animal is doing or reacting for the same reason that the human observer might. I have also fooled my dog over and over with a simple vanish of a milk bone or kibble. The ape was fooled. At it's most basic what does this tell up about magic that might be helpful? In the macro I don't think it's helpful at all unless one can get steady work for dogs or chimps. That aside the observation that some animals can be fooled visually by a sleight just shows that 'something' similar is going on in the visual cortex with both dogs, chimps and humans. The next step of course would be to see is 'time misdirection' would work? For instance: You do a vanish of something the animal REALLY wants. Just as you finish the execution someone makes a loud noise distracting the animal. Does the animal come back after being 'misdirected' in this manner? Are they looking for the remembered item of lust or are they merely returning to the starting gate of interaction? I admit it's fascinating to a degree, but I doubt it's usefulness magically. All best,
Brad Burt
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Whit Haydn V.I.P. 5449 Posts |
Why do you say chimps are purely instinctive? What does "instinctive" mean? How do you know that chimps are not self-reflective? What is the evidence?
From the post above: "One bonobo, Kanzi, responded appropriately to about three-fourths of more than seven hundred novel requests presented to him verbally under controlled test conditions to preclude cuing. His performance was generally comparable with that of a two-year-old girl whose mental age was two and a half years. Neither Kanzi nor the girl had the benefit of people modeling the requests, nor had they been trained to do what was requested of them. The conclusion is, then, that they comprehended the syntax of the novel requests conveyed by normal human speech." Why do you find a such a distinction between the learning and communicative abilities, and the self-awareness of a two year old child and a chimp? Chimps can solve problems. Plan for the future. Remember promises. |
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Whit Haydn V.I.P. 5449 Posts |
Character driven magic, by the way, doesn't add to the magic. It only adds to the interest in the magic. Character, story, color, light and all the other things we add are just ways to get people to pay attention. The magic is the same. The problem is, that it is hard to hold people's attention through more than one effect. Character, story, color, meaning and so on are like using food for the the magic object. The magic is its own message. The other things are communnicating a lot of other peripheral stuff.
Character magic isn't wasted on a chimp. It is not necessary. He is not as jaded as our audiences. |
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Stellan Special user Sweden 580 Posts |
It seems that the chimp can have a conception of magic or impossible. (Based on the reaction to glass thru table he (or she) seems to be something more than startled. Besides, if an animal look for a solution, it must be able to experience magic. (You could question this, but in essence I think this is true) If so, do you think that the chimp can connect the magic with the person? Can he distinguish this person from other people based on the magic happening around that person? Or will this person only be just another person like anybody else interacting with him? What I wonder is if he possibly can have a conception of a magician?
"There is no reality, only perception."
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Stellan Special user Sweden 580 Posts |
I think that character driven magic prepares the mind to receive the magic effect in a stronger way. It maybe not add to magic per se, but it adds to the impact of the magic in the spectators mind.
If the spectator is experiencing that the magician is an unbelievable, fascinating, unpredictable character (that he likes) the magic will expand his mind more than if not. It grows to something more than an magic effect, it becomes a magic situation involving interaction and a relationship with the character, thereby creating a drama and a stronger experience. It is thing as the same "Booh!" can have very different impact in different situations.
"There is no reality, only perception."
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Stellan Special user Sweden 580 Posts |
It is the same thing as the same "Booh!" can have very different impact in different situations.
In my mind character driven magic is something more than executing the magic effect as it puts the emphasis on the character as well, but it is also something more to it than just keeping the attention of people. It is also about cultivating the terrain where the magic is going to land.
"There is no reality, only perception."
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