Why is it interesting whether or not a chimp can start a fire, likes cooked food better?

Why is it interesting that humans can start fires, cook food, do maths and use tools?
That does not mean that they are intelligent.

They copy, whatever they see, we’ve known that.
They are even more amazing:
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/343702

This is a fascinating study, actually and one of the most interesting things I’ve seen on the various science blogs. What it shows is that chimps are capable of delayed gratification of their food—even so far as carrying it in their mouth so they could put it in the “stove” (which was really a box with a false bottom). That’s interesting in of itself, but if you extrapolate it shows that early hominids may have been capable of cooking far earlier than has been previously shown.

Cooking takes several things: 1) Knowledge that cooking food improves it. 2) Planning—you need to harvest the food and store it until you are ready to cook it. 3) Some social organization.

Because deep down we need to know that we are not the only intelligent (read special) species in existence.

My theory (or I read it somewhere) is that the early humans were forging soon after a forest fire and that is how they discovered that cooked food improves it.

@rojo I mean it is not news is what I meant considering it was news in 2011? (the link in OP)

I understand but considering what passes for news these days, even four year old information on the subject is better than the alternative.

@rojo I understand. I asked a question about it a few weeks ago about a man punching out a bear. The reporter just said it happened, without showing any evidence.