There is a wonderful story in the Times today about Alex the parrot, the bird whom scientists have used for the past 30 years in judging animals' cognitive abilities. Alex had a vocabulary of more than 100 words and could recognize colors, shapes, and my personal favorite, he could even tell what materials certain objects were made of simply by picking them up! Sadly, Alex died this week. However, his life is a fascinating story, and one that can lighten up an otherwise heavy day.

Way to go, Alex!