Post a Comment On: Internal Monologue

[Image]"Your time has come," says Oscar the Cat.

This is from a "perspective" in the New England Journal of Medicine (which is, like, a totally prestigious journal). Here's the postscript to "A Day in the Life of Oscar the Cat":
Since he was adopted by staff members as a kitten, Oscar the Cat has had an uncanny ability to predict when residents are about to die. Thus far, he has presided over the deaths of more than 25 residents on the third floor of Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Providence, Rhode Island. His mere presence at the bedside is viewed by physicians and nursing home staff as an almost absolute indicator of impending death, allowing staff members to adequately notify families. Oscar has also provided companionship to those who would otherwise have died alone. For his work, he is highly regarded by the physicians and staff at Steere House and by the families of the residents whom he serves.
(HT: t4toby at Donkey Punch, who was kind enough to point out that I used the term "progosphere" before he did, though I hasten to add that others used it before me.)

I wonder how Oscar the Cat figures this out. Maybe they could train other cats to get the same ability. Or even train people. Or build a Roomba-like robot that can do the same thing. It would be very useful.