Chimpanzees Innovative Essay

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Recommended: The nature and nurture of intelligence

Many people believe that humans are the smartest animals on this planet, far surpassing all other species in our intelligence. While this may be true, humans have rising competition for the title of smartest species. Chimpanzees, as scientists are beginning to realize, have many of the same neural pathways that humans use to channel their intelligence to create new things (Barras, n. pag). This allows them to innovate with the same proficiency as humans are able to. Thomas Alva Edison, famous inventor of the 1900s, would be a fantastic name for a pet chimpanzee in that they are both innovative. Chimpanzees are one of the most innovative species on Earth. They are one of the few species that are able to use tools. Not only that, but they can also be seen specializing tools to fit their needs in a specific situation. One such example of this tool …show more content…

While he didn’t use rocks to crack open walnuts like chimpanzees did, he did make numerous advances in human technology. In the course of his lifetime, Edison patented over 1,300 new inventions, some of which would change the course of human history (“Thomas Alva Edison.” Notable, 1). One of Edison’s most iconic inventions, the phonograph, is also one of his most innovative, as it took many years and all of his masterful genius to generate. The phonograph was Edison’s attempt at transmitting sound over a longer distance. Other telecommunications devices of his time were not capable of achieving the distance that the phonograph was able to. Using a sheet a wax paper containing hundreds of indentations of varying sizes, Edison ran a needle over them. Upon striking the paper after running over an indentation, the needle would emit a sound. Edison was then able to devise a system which allowed people to send messages over the phonograph, later revolutionizing the way people communicated in the whole country (“Thomas Alva Edison.” Science,

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