On today's Planet Money:
Human beings aren't the only creatures who make economic decisions. It turns out that monkeys do it, too. Scientists have observed our primate kin exchanging goods and services and adjusting prices.
Ronald Noe, a professor of primate ethology at the University of Strasbourg, says the vervet monkey of southern and eastern Africa uses grooming as a kind of currency. They determine the value of food providers and divide their attention according to the law of supply and demand.
Bonus: After the jump, God bless the Columbia Gorge.
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Josh Harrison sends this photo and writes:
The Columbia Gorge is a beautiful area with an awe-inspiring river, gnarly windsurfing, easy rolling hills, waterfalls galore, and just to make sure you have fun -- dozens of wineries on both the Washington and Oregon sides of the river. But as you can see in this photo, it looks like the recession has hit hard here, too.
In September, unemployment hit 11.5 percent in Oregon, above the national average of 9.8 percent. In Washington, it hit 9.3 percent. The Pacific led the Bureau of Labor Statistics' nine geographic divisions, with 11.6 percent unemployment.
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