Brimmer and May School - Yearbook (Chestnut Hill, MA)

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THE ROLE OF APES IN SCIENCE AN EXCERPT FROM A LONGER PAPER Human beings have always been curious about apes. The long-recognized faet that the ape lS Itthe closest animal to man physically, intellectually, and sociallyii1 has probably inhuenced man to discover more about these primates. Even the Latin poet, Ennius t239-169 B.C.l realized fearfully our close relationship: ttSimia quam similis turpissima bestia nobisb CIA nasty beast is the Slmlan; how dreadfully like is he to manXU2 In recent years, men have been just as fascinated by the similarities between apes and human beings. Scientists have decided to take advantage of such a close relationship by tumlng to thelr evolutionary cousins for research in the fields of space biology and of psychology. Ever since man began preparing for an entry into space, he has used apes as a main source of experimental knowledge. At first, scientists sent fleas and other small organisms into space and returned them for observation; then investigators realized a need for experiments on an animal more like the human being. Dr. James P. Henry, supervisor of the primate division at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico, devised ways of sending monkeys into space. He realized that a pressurized capsule was necessary for successful space flight. At Iirst Dr. Henry sent rhesus mon- keys up in V-2 rockets, but some of the flights failed because of cramped quarters and faulty recoveries. After improvements had been made, however, other flights were successful. Finally, Dr. Henry concluded that provided proper escape-capsules were used and acceleration pressures and temperatures kept within bounds, there was no biological hindrance to manned space hight. Later, in the 19505, apes became important to space research when Captain John Paul Stapp performed about ninety experiments, with human beings and apes, on impact survival. Stapp was concerned with the effects of the quick stop at re-entry after top traveling speed. These Itsled runstl proved that the human body can survive the gravity-impact forces of a space shot. In 1957, the laboratory at Holloman Air Force Base supplied chimpanzees for a hypothetical reLCntry experi- ment. Although some of the chimpanzees were injured internally, scientists could then remedy the situation by improving space suits and capsules and by adding chin rests and contour seats. Another important project at Holloman was the investigation of the effects of atmospheric pressures on the mind and body. Scientists tested the behavior of chimpanzees in conditions of extreme cold, heat, and weightlessness, and in partial vacuums. Aiming to prove that man can stand a leak in a capsule, scientists exposed one chimpanzee to two minutes of total vacuum, and the chimp survived. Finally, in 1961, scientists at Cape Canaveral sent the chimpanzee Ham on a sub-orbital flight. They monitored Hanfs body functions throughout the whole Hight by means of a complex system of Wires, while the chimpanzee traveled on a contour couch and wore a pressure suit-as human astronauts were to do later. Ham and his ape predecessors had helped pave the way for successful manned space flight. In addition to determining the physical abilities of apes, scientists are also trying to discover their exact mentality. A Moscow psychologist has found they can understand some complex forms of communication, such as human facial expressions; yet they cannot understand other complexities.

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1am, ,68 WA...- ....s.., Built from a plain. A lonely plain, An ordinary plain Of grass and weeds. Some stones in dirt Removed by shovels And other machines. Bricks and liquids And wood and steel All put together In the form of buildings. Now a place No longer lonely, No longer empty, But tilled with people. And they are happy. and they are content With what their lives Have come to be. But then one day The town is silent; A stranger walks the streets. The atmosphere Changes: Nothing remains the same. Now there is fear. Fighting and death: Skies are black. Bullets screech- Blood and bodies 1n the roads. A cry is heard. And thene An empty place. A lonely plain. An ordinary plain Of grass and weeds. Mary Olian. '70 God is me But I am not God. We are together And yet apart; We are one But we are two: I am I And you are you. He is in the world. Yet not of it. The world is in Him. But He is above it. He is the mosti Yet cares for the least. Father to man. Creator of beast. Fountain of love. Source of pttin. He made the dote And fashioned Cain. God gate us sorrow. Yet God gave us tears. In God is our hope: In Him is our trust. With Him will we triumph: We know that we must. Jo Amy Rothmun. '69 Papers of propaganda Mingle ttith the lilth. Stenching. slottly encircling Worn cobblestones Of a forgotten limit. A mourning Mud. Curry in; ;m as Lost nienmriCseliwsea As piercing, cries 0t sitting children Slip solemnly ilwhmugh broken doors, Charred and crippled. The taste of death Lingers on cxcry comer Choking the air, Trying to reach sunimrs. A child ulunc Wanders uimlcssly. l'iupcless and forgotten. Tears of tincunsolcd summ, Streaming down his cheeks, Hear :mus dirt and blood Crusted on his face. A frightened dug Whincs. bewildered, At his nmstcr's side. How can this child, So alone, lost. and confused, L'ndcrstund this honor. This Useless destruction Of lites and land and lose? He mindcrs on amidst death. l-iorcxcr lost in a hell of Maxim- Memories of bodies t'ruclly. blown apart, Walls 0! his brothers And painful cries of lost soulsw iiorcxcr inhaling The smell of death. l:hnor Humhaln. '68 K Mg. E.F.H.

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Men by nature learn to speak but apes cannot, although their tongues, jaws. and vocal Chords are similar to manis. A chimpanzee named Viki, however, was taught to mouth the wurd mama and could possibly have learned speech; unfortunately her simple brain would not have permitted her In understand these words. Other scientists have been able to prove that the mentality of apes is really quite high. Hurry Harlow of the University of Wisconsin has been working on a new method of testing the learning power of apes. The psychologist confronts different apes with a series of objects, under one of which food is concealed. Harlow has proved that apes cannot only manipulate objects but ulw differentiate between sizes, shapes, and colors in a variety of situations. For example. when eun- fronted with a tray full of various items, apes have been able to choose by size. shape. and eulor the object concealing the food. Another zoologist and primate psychologist, Desmond Morris, has conducted a series of experi- ments dealing with ape art in relation to human art. When handed paper, brush, and paints. the chimpanzee Congo clutched the brush at first and scribbled with various colors. Then, as she became more ittalentedh, she held the brush between her thumb and forefinger and drew a circle with marks inside it. Before actually drawing faces, a human child reaches the same stage. Thus the chimpanzee did not paint at random; it chose the colors and forms it wished to represent. Child psychologists have also employed apes in their studies. Because they require less time in mature than men, many different apes may be raised for experimentation in short periods. A5 Ilung as apes remain infants, they relate closely to their mothers. All ape mothers. especially gurtllas. caress and protect their children, just as human beings do. By placing an infant in a cage with a stuffed animal, scientists have performed experiments to determine the degree of an iniant ape s dependence on its mother. They frightened the ape by beating on a drum; immediately it clung tu its itcloth motherii, just as a human child clings to a teddy bear or a dull when lllh-CCUIC ur frightened. . ,, . A young British zoologist, who has actually lived among the great apes in Tanganyika, has observed many habits of ape children which anticipate those of human beings: She has diacuvcrcd that young chimpanzees play games similar to those of human children. lhe chimpanzees Use branches forjungle gyms, play tug-of-war with sticks. and play follow the leatier. . . . I Such examples show that the great apes reveal many aspects oi man .5. physical and . k-l- ld. development. In fact, todayis scientists have proved wrong Alexander PUPc Semicfmf 3! H proper study of mankind is man. 3 Astronauts have worked out ind ! dltt'cPll'CSfii ifmu glpttu. Hight by first experimenting with apes, and psychologists are'soivtng sunlc-Ui mans siklfil Pf: 1:3: by subjecting apes to abnormal situations. -.Just as the prCllmmilr.V dl'imlmiS 1 'dn 4f : :1 'bt i: the art lover discern the genesis of a finished oil. 4 so can the great apes 15 Uh '1 End! W 4 M the human race. Margcn Heins, '68 l. The New York Times. September 18. 1966. p. D35. 3. Belle J. Benchley. .in Friends the Apes. p. 188. 3. Sarel Eimerl and Irven Devore. The Primates. p. 15!. 4. Eimerl and Devore. p. 152.