From: David Weber 
Subject: [Illusions] Sound Familiar?
Date: 2 Feb 1999 01:36:00 -0500
To: illusions@bticc.net

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Lesser Primate Committee Thinking Experiment

 Start with a cage containing five apes.  In the cage, hang a banana on a
 string and put stairs under it.  Before long, an ape will go to the
 stairs and start to climb towards the banana.  As soon as he touches the
 stairs, spray all of the apes with cold water.
 After a while, another ape makes an attempt with the same result-all the
 apes are sprayed with cold water.
 Turn off the cold water.
 If, later, another ape tries to climb the stairs, the other apes will
 try to prevent it even though no water sprays them.
 Now, remove one ape from the cage and replace it with a new one.
 The new ape sees the banana and wants to climb the stairs.
 To his horror, all of the other apes attack him.
 After another attempt and attack, he knows that if he tries to climb the
 stairs, he will be assaulted.
 Next, remove another of the original five apes and replace it with a new
 one.
 The newcomer goes to the stairs and is attacked.
 The previous newcomer takes part in the punishment with enthusiasm.
 Again, replace a third original ape with a new one.  The new one makes
 it to the stairs and is attacked as well.
 Two of the four apes that beat him have no idea why they were not
 permitted to climb the stairs, or why they are participating in the
 beating of the newest ape.
 After replacing the fourth and fifth original apes, all the apes which
 have been sprayed with cold water have been replaced.
 Nevertheless, no ape ever again approaches the stairs.  Why not?
 "Because that's the way it's always been around here."
 Sound familiar?


 "To follow Knowledge like a sinking Star,Beyond the utmost bound of human
thought.........
 To Strive,To Seek,To Find and not to Yield."    Tennysons' Ulysses

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-=> Posted by:  David Weber  <=-

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