Zooming 2021

January 4 with Rose, Diana, Elizabeth, and Margo
After watching the Masterclass lessons on Chimpanzee Behavior, Chimpanzee Development and Animal Intelligence in December, the big question was: Where is Waldo?. To find out the answer, please ask. The lessons in January on Chimps and Humans, and Humans and the Environment were inspiring.  The questions I added connected us to current event.

  1. Using Tools – Animals (like Waldo) have minds. What about robots?
  2. Science opens mind to out of box thinking. Do schools do this?
  3. Small groups re-unite, kiss, hug, beg, aggression limited to looking large to be the dominant male.  How does this connect to politics?
  4. Emotions same as humans: happiness, fear, frustration, anger. We discussed learning empathy to learn why some students were mean in the classroom.
  5. Innovated with medicine – stool samples show ate leaves to take out eggs of parasite. The local people used the same plants. Can we discover COVID solutions the same way?
  6. The sounds the chimps used could tell who was calling and what communicating. Elizabeth shared observation of parrot and development of language.  Rose is observing sound of squirrels and looking up their vocalization so she talk to them. We discussed language development in children.  Is it the words teachers say, or the way they say it that is most important? Rose observed this in the classroom. How can we improved communication?

Jane’s Lessons ended by saying: I went to the conference as a scientist, I left as an activist.

  1. We then talked about the economic development, materialism, impact on future generations.
  2. Need for a different mindset and best solution to by working with the young.
  3. Elizabeth shared her geologist husband said man is not the only thing responsible.
  4. Rose addressed population growth and said she was scared when young, then went on a plane and saw all the land that was available 50 years ago.
  5. We questioned is space was the answer and why so much time and money is going into this research.
  6. We discussed developers and the Katy Prairie impact.
  7. Connecting to growing food, Rose shared the avocados she was sprouting, inspired by her daughter who grows them in CA and and our AAUW Garden Divas.
  8. Elizabeth shared about her adopted kittens and how them came into her life when she needed them.  Animals help with mental health.   And I know that Mia Bella help my husband and I with mental health.  As well as chatting with friends.  Hope to see you in February 1st at our next Zoom Goodall Chat.