PubHawk
Anim Cogn January 2010 PMID 19533184

Pigeons can discriminate "good" and "bad" paintings by children.

Shigeru Watanabe

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Mentions

39
Peak: 15 in Oct 2022
across 5 sources since Apr 2019

Extended reach

3,588,168
potential audience

Total likes

108,892

Video views

2,937,605

Mentions per month

Apr 2019 – Mar 2025

Where it's discussed

  • X / Twitter33 posts
  • YouTube2 videos
  • News2 articles
  • Bluesky1 posts
  • Blogs1 articles

AI synopsis

What people are saying

The group shows moderate interest by referencing scientific peer-reviewed studies and making playful remarks about pigeons judging children's artwork, with parts of the discussion emphasizing the curiosity around animal learning and perception. The tone varies from scholarly acknowledgment to humor, illustrating a nuanced engagement with the research's implications for understanding visual discrimination and cognition.

AgreementModerate agreement

Most posts acknowledge the research as valid or intriguing, though some are playful or sarcastic about its implications.

InterestModerate interest

Discussions show curiosity about how animals perceive art and human concepts of beauty, indicating moderate interest.

EngagementModerate engagement

Posts engage by questioning methods, referencing scientific studies, and sharing related observations about pigeons and art perception.

ImpactModerate impact

Some comments highlight the broader significance of understanding animal cognition and its potential influence on art evaluation, but mostly the discussion remains within academic curiosity.

Abstract in brief

  • Pigeons can be trained to distinguish between "good" and "bad" children's paintings based on human judgments, demonstrating their ability to learn complex visual concepts.
  • The pigeons primarily rely on color and pattern cues to make their discriminations, as performance declined when images were in grayscale or distorted, indicating these features are important for their recognition.
  • Additionally, pigeons can differentiate between types of paintings like watercolor versus pastel, and they do so by recognizing overall features rather than focusing on specific parts of the images, showing their capacity for generalization.
Read the full abstract

Top posts

Most liked on X and Bluesky
Ethan Mollick
@emollick · X

Pigeons know that your kid’s artwork sucks

Oct 16, 2022 · 124 likes · 17 shares · 296,997 followers View post →
Álvaro
@lzlvz_ · X

Las palomas discriminan entre dibujos bien hechos y mal hechos de niños. Aquí las amigas prefieren los primeros. "Pigeons can Discriminate “Good” and “Bad” Paintings by Children": https://t.co/H8vry0OCHH https://t.co/7Aj4vPpBUZ

Apr 12, 2019 · 29 likes · 8 shares · 57 followers View post →
Martina Pezzullo
@MartinaPez81 · X

https://t.co/BW1s7HXL8u A bunch of trained neurons can learn the concept of beauty as defined by humans. Fascinating! Thanks for the clue Prof @gVallortigara

Jan 16, 2022 · 21 likes · 4 shares · 104 followers View post →
HagazagaH
@HagazagaH · X

Good (pigeon) art is more realistic https://t.co/3emTBJ5mXA https://t.co/5fN0zeS3Rl

May 16, 2024 · 6 likes · 1 share · 3,004 followers View post →
Sadie Dingfelder
@SadieDing · X

A while ago, @EstherHyphen wished scientists would investigate whether pigeons could discriminate between good and bad art. Her prayers were answered in 2010: https://t.co/SsOOOfytiH

Sep 14, 2021 · 3 likes · 1 share · 2,690 followers View post →
The Metaxy
@LifeInTheMetaxy · X

If "we" create "values," any individual can--so why *not* study whether "Pigeons can discriminate 'good' and 'bad' paintings by children" (provided, of course, you put good and bad within quotation marks to make clear your academic orthodoxy)?

Mar 27, 2025 · 2 likes · 473 followers View post →

All mentions

The Metaxy
@LifeInTheMetaxy · X

If "we" create "values," any individual can--so why *not* study whether "Pigeons can discriminate 'good' and 'bad' paintings by children" (provided, of course, you put good and bad within quotation marks to make clear your academic orthodoxy)?

Mar 27, 2025 · 2 likes · 473 followers View post →
Scruffy Pigeon
@scruffypigeon.bsky.social · Bluesky

They can also tell your child their painting was bad: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19533184/

Dec 14, 2024 · 2 likes View post →
HagazagaH
@HagazagaH · X

Good (pigeon) art is more realistic https://t.co/3emTBJ5mXA https://t.co/5fN0zeS3Rl

May 16, 2024 · 6 likes · 1 share · 3,004 followers View post →
El Voto Vigilante
@elvotovigilante · X

@Nature Science: Pigeons can discriminate "good" and "bad" paintings by children https://t.co/A0urPwzmyV

Nov 21, 2023 · 28 followers View post →
Christopher Thompson
@CThompson907 · X

@carynannharlos Pigeons can discriminate "good" and "bad" paintings by children.(Animal Cognition) ~ peer reviewed Are full or empty beer bottles sturdier and does their fracture-threshold suffice to break the human skull?(Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine) ~ peer reviewed

Jun 23, 2023 · 1 like · 38 followers View post →
Madam Mitochondria
@Madam_Mito · X

@KristerKauppi @ValEr65611963 @KiesowPaul @RapaNews @hyperboreality https://t.co/RjivbSWX7S

Feb 19, 2023 · 10,789 followers View post →
Manuel Scheftner
@ManuelScheftner · X

RT @emollick: Pigeons know that your kid’s artwork sucks

Oct 17, 2022 · 17 shares · 23 followers View post →
Jati
@jaticarta · X

RT @emollick: Pigeons know that your kid’s artwork sucks

Oct 17, 2022 · 17 shares · 769 followers View post →
Alex Wilson
@awlego · X

RT @emollick: Pigeons know that your kid’s artwork sucks

Oct 17, 2022 · 17 shares · 132 followers View post →
Daniel Eth (yes, Eth is my actual last name)
@daniel_271828 · X

RT @emollick: Pigeons know that your kid’s artwork sucks

Oct 16, 2022 · 17 shares · 10,204 followers View post →
Ethan Mollick
@emollick · X

RT @emollick: Pigeons know that your kid’s artwork sucks

Oct 16, 2022 · 17 shares · 296,997 followers View post →
Nowayhossaih
@nowayhossaih · X

RT @emollick: Pigeons know that your kid’s artwork sucks

Oct 16, 2022 · 17 shares · 38 followers View post →
Sébastien Picault
@S__Picault · X

RT @emollick: Pigeons know that your kid’s artwork sucks

Oct 16, 2022 · 17 shares · 320 followers View post →
Fifty-fifty
@the50person · X

RT @emollick: Pigeons know that your kid’s artwork sucks

Oct 16, 2022 · 17 shares · 203 followers View post →
Actis Energy
@ActisEnergy · X

RT @emollick: Pigeons know that your kid’s artwork sucks

Oct 16, 2022 · 17 shares · 71 followers View post →
marudesu
@ImeMiJeM · X

RT @emollick: Pigeons know that your kid’s artwork sucks

Oct 16, 2022 · 17 shares · 82 followers View post →
Osea Giuntella
@Osea82 · X

RT @emollick: Pigeons know that your kid’s artwork sucks

Oct 16, 2022 · 17 shares · 2,798 followers View post →
Piotr Tryjanowski
@GreatGreyTryjan · X

RT @emollick: Pigeons know that your kid’s artwork sucks

Oct 16, 2022 · 17 shares · 1,111 followers View post →
Jerseyan
@JerseyanUSA · X

RT @emollick: Pigeons know that your kid’s artwork sucks

Oct 16, 2022 · 17 shares · 1,652 followers View post →
MathsWithMsB
@MathsWithMsB · X

RT @emollick: Pigeons know that your kid’s artwork sucks

Oct 16, 2022 · 17 shares · 342 followers View post →
Ethan Mollick
@emollick · X

Pigeons know that your kid’s artwork sucks

Oct 16, 2022 · 124 likes · 17 shares · 296,997 followers View post →
GeoScience.net
@GeoSciences · X

"Pigeons can discriminate ""good"" and ""bad"" paintings by children" https://t.co/hihtQmwaKV

May 5, 2022 · 401 followers View post →
Domenico Bellomo
@BellomoDomenico · X

RT @MartinaPez81: https://t.co/BW1s7HXL8u A bunch of trained neurons can learn the concept of beauty as defined by humans. Fascinating! Tha…

Jan 16, 2022 · 4 shares · 419 followers View post →
Neil Kazimierz Sheridan 尼尔
@KoalasWelcome · X

RT @MartinaPez81: https://t.co/BW1s7HXL8u A bunch of trained neurons can learn the concept of beauty as defined by humans. Fascinating! Tha…

Jan 16, 2022 · 4 shares · 2,318 followers View post →
Mark E. Hauber
@cowbirdlab · X

RT @MartinaPez81: https://t.co/BW1s7HXL8u A bunch of trained neurons can learn the concept of beauty as defined by humans. Fascinating! Tha…

Jan 16, 2022 · 4 shares · 3,834 followers View post →
Giorgio Vallortigara
@gVallortigara · X

RT @MartinaPez81: https://t.co/BW1s7HXL8u A bunch of trained neurons can learn the concept of beauty as defined by humans. Fascinating! Tha…

Jan 16, 2022 · 4 shares · 10,258 followers View post →
Martina Pezzullo
@MartinaPez81 · X

https://t.co/BW1s7HXL8u A bunch of trained neurons can learn the concept of beauty as defined by humans. Fascinating! Thanks for the clue Prof @gVallortigara

Jan 16, 2022 · 21 likes · 4 shares · 104 followers View post →
Rob from Maryland
@Mammuthus_ · X

RT @SadieDing: A while ago, @EstherHyphen wished scientists would investigate whether pigeons could discriminate between good and bad art.…

Sep 14, 2021 · 1 share · 238 followers View post →
Sadie Dingfelder
@SadieDing · X

A while ago, @EstherHyphen wished scientists would investigate whether pigeons could discriminate between good and bad art. Her prayers were answered in 2010: https://t.co/SsOOOfytiH

Sep 14, 2021 · 3 likes · 1 share · 2,690 followers View post →
Death ☠️
@Death_is_final · X

Pigeons can discriminate “good” and “bad” paintings by children https://t.co/Rxyj6aiTJR

Aug 21, 2020 · 1 like · 760 followers View post →
Una triste grapadora
@Grapad0ra · X

RT @alvloz: Las palomas discriminan entre dibujos bien hechos y mal hechos de niños. Aquí las amigas prefieren los primeros. "Pigeons can…

Apr 14, 2019 · 8 shares · 85 followers View post →
нурия
@__airun · X

RT @alvloz: Las palomas discriminan entre dibujos bien hechos y mal hechos de niños. Aquí las amigas prefieren los primeros. "Pigeons can…

Apr 14, 2019 · 8 shares · 225 followers View post →
cristRinaranjus.bsky.social
@Cristrinaranjus · X

RT @alvloz: Las palomas discriminan entre dibujos bien hechos y mal hechos de niños. Aquí las amigas prefieren los primeros. "Pigeons can…

Apr 13, 2019 · 8 shares · 2,454 followers View post →
Álvaro
@lzlvz_ · X

Las palomas discriminan entre dibujos bien hechos y mal hechos de niños. Aquí las amigas prefieren los primeros. "Pigeons can Discriminate “Good” and “Bad” Paintings by Children": https://t.co/H8vry0OCHH https://t.co/7Aj4vPpBUZ

Apr 12, 2019 · 29 likes · 8 shares · 57 followers View post →
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