For a long time, imagination was considered a human endeavor. When we’re children, we invent invisible friends and turn ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Kanzi was a famous bonobo who could understand spoken English and taught scientists a lot about primate behavior. He participated ...

The study focused on Kanzi, a language-trained bonobo who died in March 2025 at the age of 44. Ape Initiative.

Our ability to imagine is part of what makes us who we are—not just as individuals, but also as humans. It turns out, though, that we may not be the only species capable of playing pretend. In a ...

An ape was able to identify the location of imaginary objects in pretend scenarios, researchers find Whether it’s playing at being doctors or hosting a toy’s tea party, children are adept at engaging ...

Remember childhood tea parties? The cups are empty, the teapot is dry, yet the air is thick with the drama of imagined pouring, sipping, and spilling. The mental gymnastics required to participate in ...

This week in science news: Nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas, may break down more rapidly in the atmosphere than previously thought due to climate change. A new, experimental pill dramatically ...

A bonobo named Kanzi surprised scientists by successfully playing along in pretend tea party experiments, tracking imaginary juice and grapes as if they were real. He consistently pointed to the ...

Braun stars in a new campaign for Bonobos, wearing the brand's chinos — which he says he's a huge fan of Hedy Phillips is the Senior Style News Editor at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since ...

Have you ever pretended that the floor is lava, or that a hairbrush is a microphone? Maybe you've poured tea for a teddy bear that wasn't really there, or turned a cardboard box into a spaceship.

In a major contribution to our understanding of the evolution of human cognition, a bonobo (a.k.a. pygmy chimpanzee) has demonstrated the ability to create mental images of pretend scenarios. This ...