Alex died at 31 of natural causes. Dr. Pepperberg bought the bird in 1977. Over the years Dr. Pepperberg taught the bird a vocabulary of a few hundred words. The parrot could distinguish shapes and colors. It seems striking that his final words to her were:

“You be good, see you tomorrow. I love you.”

We don’t know how he could talk, and many will say that he couldn’t. No matter, those three simple phrases combine quite well. And the sequence may not indicate recursive ability, but the words seem reassuring. If you have to live without a soul, it certainly is reasonable to want an Alex nearby.