MI-11: Viki blows soap bubbles

Here we see Viki entertaining herself by blowing soap bubbles. She shows the same delight most children feel when these colorful and ephemeral orbs float through the air.

But Viki is not very good at making bubbles. Notice that she only produces a few small ones through all of her efforts. If you watch the clip closely you will see why: Viki uses a “cheek puff” to build up the pressure needed to create bubbles. People use a very different mechanism: you fill your lungs with air and then slowly release a steady stream of air. The wand will probably run out of soap before you run out of air, but several larger bubbles can be produced in this way, or even one very large bubble.

Chimpanzees do not appear to have much voluntary control over their respiratory system, which makes it difficult for them to produce sounds at will. Perhaps part of the reason for this is their poor control over their own breathing?

Copyright ©1952 by Keith Hayes, used with permission. All rights reserved.