Do birds have language? It depends on how you define it
Scientists find some parallels with human speech in cheeps and trills of birdsong. Enlarge / Zebra finches sitting together on a tree branch and sunning. (credit: sagarmanis | Getty Images) In our quest to find what makes huma.....»»
On NYC beaches, angry birds are fighting drones on patrol for sharks and swimmers
A fleet of drones patrolling New York City's beaches for signs of sharks and struggling swimmers is drawing backlash from an aggressive group of seaside residents: local shorebirds......»»
In Cuba, a haven for the world"s tiniest bird
The wings of the world's tiniest birds are a near-invisible blur as they whizz around tourists visiting a private Cuban garden that has become a haven for the declining species......»»
The best Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 pre-order deals today
You can already pre-order the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6, but where you should do so depends on your carrier......»»
How artificial intelligence can help prevent illegal wildlife trade
Imagine you are a law enforcement official at a wildlife market and suspect some of the birds on sale are from endangered or illegally traded populations. This is a situation that demands decisive identification and action, but in cases where "look-a.....»»
AI Chatbots Seem as Ethical as a New York Times Advice Columnist
Large language models lack emotion and self-consciousness, but they appear to generate reasonable answers to moral quandaries.....»»
Could AIs become conscious? Right now, we have no way to tell.
Scientists struggle to define consciousness, AI or otherwise. Enlarge (credit: BlackJack3D/Getty Images) Advances in artificial intelligence are making it increasingly difficult to distinguish between uniquely human beha.....»»
When it comes to sustainability reporting, it depends on how serious companies are about making change
Companies are facing pressure to become more open about how they do business. With income inequality, governance failures and the mismanagement of natural resource capital threatening both society and the environment, there are growing calls for more.....»»
Whether children lie depends on the social environment, says study
Everyone lies—some more, some less. Children are no different. An international team of economists has now investigated the influence of the parental home and upbringing on a child's propensity to lie......»»
Starlings" migratory behavior found to be inherited, not learned
Young, naïve starlings are looking for their wintering grounds independently of experienced conspecifics. Starlings are highly social birds throughout the year, but this does not mean that they copy the migration route from each other......»»
Five common English words we don"t know the origins of—including "boy" and "dog"
The naming process, the act of naming the items of the world, is as old as the first words spoken by our ancestors. We can reconstruct the stages of this process through etymology, which studies the historical development of the lexicon of a language.....»»
Words such as racist slurs can literally hurt—here"s the science
Rishi Sunak, the British prime minister, recently spoke of feeling hurt and angry at racist comments made about him during the UK election campaign. Anyone who's experienced racist or other discriminatory language is likely to know what this is like......»»
High-altitude cave used by Tibetan Buddhists yields a Denisovan fossil
Cave deposits yield bones of sheep, yaks, carnivores, and birds that were butchered. Enlarge / The Baishiya Karst Cave, where the recently analyzed samples were obtained. (credit: Dongju Zhang’s group (Lanzhou University)).....»»
Flash deal: save $460 on a Babbel lifetime subscription
The cost of a lifetime Babbel language learning subscription has plummeted to $139.97, offering a massive $460 discount off the regular price for the 4th of July holiday.Save $460 on Babbel during 4th of July sale.The steeper price cut on a lifetime.....»»
Some birds win and some lose with sea level rise, expert says
Global sea level rise is accelerating every year due to climate change, and it could threaten the very existence of some coastal bird species......»»
The Hunt for the Most Efficient Heat Pump in the World
A new generation of engineers has realized they can push heat pumps to the limit, but just how much heat you can extract depends on your setup......»»
Saturday Citations: The sound of music, sneaky birds, better training for LLMs. Plus: Diversity improves research
In the small fishing village where I grew up, we didn't have much. But we helped our neighbors, raised our children to respect the sea, and embraced an inclusive scientific methodology with a cross section of sex, race and gender among study particip.....»»
ChatGPT says to pair your Sonos Ace headphones with the room decor
Maybe don't use a large-language model just yet to choose which color Sonos Ace you should buy. Stick to the human experts, for now......»»
As No Mow May ends, here"s why we should keep patches of lawn permanently wild
Over the last century, nearly all of the UK's wildflower meadows have been destroyed by expanding farms, towns and cities. This loss of habitat has driven nature's decline, according to research led by birds and nature conservation charity the RSPB......»»
Alpacas in Idaho test positive for H5N1 bird flu in another world first
The alpacas were known to be in close contact with infected birds. Enlarge / Suri alpacas on a farm in Pennsylvania. (credit: Getty | Susan L. Angstadt) Four backyard alpacas in southern Idaho have tested positive for hi.....»»
US has worst bird flu outbreak in two years at Iowa egg farm
Deadly bird flu was detected in an egg-laying chicken flock in Iowa, affecting 4.2 million birds in the biggest U.S. outbreak since 2022......»»