Sign Language Among Great Apes?

Question

Studies have been conducted teach sign language to various species of apes. In some cases, apes without sign language capabilities were introduced to the group. In these cases, the apes were able to learn some words in sign language, but not reproduce everything that had been taught to the others by a human. Do you think teaching apes sign language is science?

Answer 1

Science can be involved.  You have to be careful that you are not assuming the apes understand something and are not simply copying gestures as has been argued.  For me the evidence points to the apes being able to learn some language.  It is important to use double blind studies to inject more science into it otherwise any conclusions are pretty subjective IMO.

Answer 2

the teaching itself may not be science, but understanding THAT they learn, HOW they learn and WHAT they understand is science.  science is about repeatable experiments and as many different apes/chimps have been taught ASL it has been repeated.

Answer 3

Yes,  I believe we could learn a lot about from other species if they were able to communicate.  According to the dictionary:

science is the "systematic knowledge of the physical or material world gained through observation and experimentation".