阅读理解。Theideaforascienceexperimentcancomefromanunusualplace.AfterwatchingaYouTubevideoofadancingbirdnamedSnowballascientistinCaliforniadecidedtostudytheabilityofanimalstokeepthebeat.B
阅读理解。
Theideaforascienceexperimentcancomefromanunusualplace.AfterwatchingaYouTubevideoofadancingbirdnamedSnowballascientistinCaliforniadecidedtostudytheabilityofanimalstokeepthebeat.
Birdlovershavelongclaimedthattheirpetshaverhythmandtherearemanyvideosofdancingbirds
online.Untilnowscientistshavesuspectedthathumansaretheonlyanimalsthatcanaccuratelykeep
rhythmwithmusic.
ThankstoSnowballthatscientificopinionischanging.Snowballisacockatooakindofparrotand
hisfavoritesongis"Everybody"bytheBackstreetBoys.Whenhehearsthesonghemoveshisfeetand
rockshisbodywiththetempoorpaceofthemusicasthoughheistheonlybirdmemberoftheboy
band.
AniruddhPatelisaneuroscientistorascientistwhostudieshowthebrainandthenervoussystem
contributetolearningseeingandothermentalabilities.HeworksattheNeurosciencesInstituteinSan
Diego.AfterseeingSnowball'sdanceonlinePatelvisitedthecockatooatthebirdrescuefacilityhe's
calledhomefortwoyears.Thescientistplayed"Everybody"forSnowballandalsoplayedversionsofthesongthatwerespeduporsloweddown.SometimesSnowballdancedtoofastortooslowly.OftenwhentherewasachangeintempoSnowballadjustedhisdancingtomatchtherhythm.Inotherexperiments
scientistshaveobservedthesameabilitiesinpreschoolchildren.
Patelisn'ttheonlyscientistwhohasstudiedSnowball'smoves.AdenaSchachnerwhostudies
psychologyatHarvardUniversityalsowantedtoknowmoreaboutthedancingbird.Schachner'steam
playeddifferentmusicalpiecesforSnowballandaparrotnamedAlexaswellaseighthumanvolunteers.
Thescientistsobservedthatthebirdsandthehumanskepttimetothemusicwithaboutthesameaccuracy.
SchachnerandherteamwatchedthousandsofYouTubevideosofdifferentanimalsmovingtomusic.
Notalltheanimalscoulddancehowever.Fromwatchingthevideosthescientistsobservedthatonly
animalsthatimitatesoundsincluding14parrotspeciesandAsianelephantsaccuratelymovedintimeto
music.
