Picture this: You are participating in a pretend tea party. But instead of sitting across from a toddler wearing a tiara, you’ll be clinking cups with Kanji, an ape with an uncanny ability to communicate with humans.

NPR science correspondent Nate Lott We spoke to some scientists who have done just that.

But these scientists weren’t just playing tea parties with Kanzi for fun. They were going to test the limits of his imagination. Because human imagination, the ability to play out “make-believe” scenarios in our heads and guess the potential consequences of our actions, is the key to how we live. And we may not be the only animals to do that.

For more on Nate’s report and Kanji’s video, check out the full story on NPR. here. Chris Krupenye’s research found here.

If you liked this episode, you might also like the next episode Bonobos and the evolution of kindnessand the insights that monkeys provide us with Evolution of human speech.

Interested in the science about our brains and their capabilities? Email us your questions shortwave@npr.org.

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This episode was produced by Hannah Chin and Al Nile and edited by showrunner Rebecca Ramirez. Tyler Jones confirmed the facts. Jimmy Keeley was an audio engineer.