To understand our fascination with crystals, researchers gave some to chimps

Don’t get me wrong, this is very interesting, but there is something very funny about the idea that “give a chimpanzee stuff and see if they like it” is academic research.

This could absolutely be a headline on The Onion.

Full article share link: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/04/science/chimpanzees-cryst...

unsurprising, since they're also into Monoliths

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHWs3c3YNs4

https://archive.ph/EHCxx

You're talking ** Karl, PLAY A RECORD

“While the attraction is clear, the underlying motivation is not,” he said.

Nobody involved in the study or the article has ever done even a small dose of psilocybin and interacted with crystals.

NYTimes competing with NYTimesPitchBot for funnier headlines, I see. What a bizarre and awesome piece of science. I like crystals for the miracle of uncountable numbers of atoms transferring symmetry from the smallest scale to the visible scale.

I'd gladly trade you a banana tomorrow for a crystal today.

They're also into bananas

here is a random wierd thing about chimps that makes the whole crystal thing worth a go. I give you ,stick in ear

and worse

https://www.livescience.com/animals/land-mammals/chimps-deve...

Damn now I want to buy a large crystal for my desk.

now give them The Orb

What if you place a whole bunch of similar crystals in a pile, with only 1 or 2 smooth rocks?

I’m willing to bet they will go after the smooth rocks and it’s about rarity, not crystals.