How consciousness in animals could be researched
There are reasons to assume that not only humans but also some non-human species of animal have conscious perception. Which species have consciousness and how the subjective experience of various species could differ is being investigated by Professo.....»»
The best cheap laptops for 2024, tested and reviewed
We've researched and reviewed some of the best cheap laptops for students, gaming, and everyday productivity. UPDATE: Jan. 23, 2024, 5:00 a.m. EST We're currently overhauling this guide to the best cheap laptops and will update it with addi.....»»
Google’s latest AI video generator can render cute animals in implausible situations
Lumiere generates five-second videos that "portray realistic, diverse and coherent motion." Enlarge / Still images of AI-generated video examples provided by Google for its Lumiere video synthesis model. (credit: Google).....»»
A virus that infected animals hundreds of millions of years ago has become essential for the development of the embryo
All animals have evolved thanks to the fact that certain viruses infected primitive organisms hundreds of millions of years ago. Viral genetic material was integrated into the genome of the first multi-cellular beings and is still in our DNA today......»»
Sparrows uniquely adapted to Bay Area marshes are losing their uniqueness
The temperate climate of the San Francisco Bay Area has always attracted immigrants—animals and humans—that have had unpredictable impacts on those already living in the area......»»
Live animal transport regulations not "fit for purpose," large international study finds
A "fitness check" of regulations in five countries, meant to protect animals during transportation, has deemed that they all fall short of fully protecting animals during transport. Findings from this interdisciplinary work involving animal welfare s.....»»
Should animals have voting rights?
A new paper in Analysis argues that it may be time to extend voting rights to animals......»»
Open-source camera and software system captures animal-view videos with more than 90% accuracy
A new camera system allows ecologists and filmmakers to produce videos that accurately replicate the colors that different animals see in natural settings, Vera Vasas at the University of Sussex, UK, and colleagues from the Hanley Color Lab at George.....»»
Protein from mosquitoes could help control dengue virus infection
NUS scientists have revealed the structure and function of a pupal cuticle protein found in the exoskeleton—a hard covering that supports and protects the bodies of some types of invertebrate animals, especially arthropods—of Aedes aegypti mosqui.....»»
"Water bear" genomes reveal the secrets of extreme survival
Tardigrades may be nature's ultimate survivors. While these tiny, nearly translucent animals are easily overlooked, they represent a diverse group that has successfully colonized freshwater, marine, and terrestrial environments on every continent, in.....»»
Bloom and bust: New study details exactly how terrible algae is for Florida"s economy
Algal blooms can mean toxic fumes, green muck, nasty stench, and death for seagrass and marine animals. All of it is bad for Florida's economy, and sometimes human health. But just how bad has been murky—until now......»»
Saturday Citations: The cutest conservationists; a weird stellar object; vitamins good for your brain
There are fields of scientific research that involve neither vast cosmic phenomena nor extremely cute animals, but those are topics of high salience in Saturday Citations, and this week is no exception. And we'll probably play the odds and say next w.....»»
Humans can get their pets sick: Reverse zoonoses more common than once thought
For as long as humans have been domesticating animals, there have been zoonoses, also known as infectious diseases that jump from animals to humans. Recent public health stories about COVID-19, avian flu and swine flu have thrust zoonoses back into t.....»»
For this beetle, "date night" comes every other day: The 48-hour cycle of the large black chafer beetle
Life on Earth runs on a 24-hour cycle as the planet turns. Animals and plants have built-in circadian clocks that synchronize metabolism and behavior to this daily cycle. But one beetle is out of sync with the rest of nature......»»
As the climate warms, birds in the East Africa mountains are getting bigger
As global temperatures rise, animals—especially birds—have been decreasing in size......»»
Compelling unemployed people to widen their job search is often counterproductive, researcher finds
Unemployed people often need not only a financial safety net but also a stimulus to look for work. Ph.D. candidate Heike Vethaak researched the effects of incentives used by benefit agencies, such as compelling people to widen their job search. And w.....»»
Theoretical research offers explanation as to why some animals shrink over time
The mystery behind why Alaskan horses, cryptodiran turtles and island lizards shrank over time may have been solved in a new study......»»
Molecular sensor enables water bear hardiness by triggering dormancy, study finds
Tardigrades—hardy, microscopic animals commonly known as "water bears"—use a molecular sensor that detects harmful conditions in their environment, telling them when to go dormant and when to resume normal life. A team led by Derrick R. J. Kollin.....»»
We are losing tetrapod species at a faster rate than we are rediscovering them, researchers say
Lost species are those that have not been observed in the wild for over 10 years, despite searches to find them. Lost tetrapod species (four-limbed vertebrate animals including amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles) are a global phenomenon—there.....»»
Dogs are not always frustrated when they lesser treat for their work, study finds
In animals, and often in humans too, performance is significantly impaired when the value of the reward for work is reduced. Argentinian and Hungarian researchers have studied what happens when family dogs are forced to switch from a cooked liver rew.....»»
Microfossils shed light on the long fossil record of euglenoids
Hiding in the shadows, euglenoids are a fascinating group of single-celled protists that are neither plant nor animal. Plants photosynthesize, and animals eat. Euglenoids do both. Spiraling along the murky bottoms of shallow fresh-water ponds with th.....»»