Ape Imagination: Testing Kanzi's Pretend Play Abilities

Picture this: You're at a pretend tea party.

But instead of sitting across from toddlers in tiaras, you're clinking cups with Kanzi—an ape with the incredible ability to communicate with humans.

NPR science correspondent Nate Rott talked to some scientists who did exactly that.

But these scientists weren't just having pretend tea parties with Kanzi for fun.

They were trying to test the limits of his imagination – because humans' ability to imagine, to play out "pretend" scenarios in our heads and guess at the potential consequences of our actions…is key to how we live our lives.

And we might not be the only animals to do it!