We now know how cats purr—why they purr is still up for debate
Studies of excised cat larynxes reveal role of connective tissues embedded in vocal folds. Enlarge / "They excised what, now?" Puck is nonetheless intrigued by new findings about the mechanisms behind a cat's purr. (credit: Jenni.....»»
Tekken 8’s “colorblind” mode is causing migraines, vertigo, and debate
Advocates say the intention is good, but the application is dangerous. Enlarge / It looks wild and different, like something nobody has tried before. And many accessibility experts say there's a reason Tekken 8's style isn't comm.....»»
Won"t my cat get bored if I keep it inside? Here"s how to ensure it"s happy
The Australian and American Veterinary Medical Associations recommend keeping cats indoors because they, and wildlife, will be safer......»»
"What"s on today"s menu?": Why it"s important to study the trophic behavior of local predators
Trophic ecology is the study of the food chain. On Tenerife in the Canary Islands, feral cats feast chiefly on rabbits, mice, rats, and native birds and reptiles. But new research shows that since 1986, the island's wild cats have experienced a signi.....»»
Chilean researchers call for transformative change to tackle climate action
Addressing climate change has become a central issue in Chile's public policy. As part of that debate, Dr. Maisa Rojas, researcher in Atmospheric Physics, who currently serves as Chilean Minister for Environment and Marco Billi of the Center for Clim.....»»
Researchers fear the British spoken "r" is ready to roll away from the last bastion of rhoticity
How do you pronounce your "r"s towards the ends of words like Shearer, purr, nerd and pore? And what about those in car, bird and her?.....»»
Saturday Citations: Dogs (woolly) and cats (athletic). Plus: Amino acid precursors on Enceladus, beer goggles on Earth
This week, scientists reported on drinking beer, Saturnian expulsions, an ancient North American dog breed, and cats playing dogs' favorite game, fetch......»»
AMD vs. Intel: the rivalry has never been more fierce
The AMD versus Intel debate is ever-raging, and in 2023, it's just as competitive. With Raptor Lake and Ryzen 7000 now available, which are the best CPUs?.....»»
Yes, some cats like to play fetch. It’s science!
Cats play fetch longer, with more retrievals, when they initiate the game. A cat owner throws a tinfoil ball a few feet in front of their expectant cat twice. The cat chases after the tinfoil ball and retrieves it back to the owner b.....»»
Cats playing fetch: Research investigates how the game unfolds
Cats tend to dictate games of fetch with their owners and most cats who play fetch learned to do so without explicit training, according to a survey of 924 cat owners published in Scientific Reports. The findings also highlight the variety of objects.....»»
Indigenous peoples" dissenting views on Arctic drilling fuels debate
Members of Congress agree that the administration needs to consider the concerns of indigenous communities when taking actions on oil and gas leasing in the Arctic. There is just disagreement on whose concerns should be prioritized......»»
The longstanding mystery of Mars" moons—and the mission that could solve it
The two small moons of Mars, Phobos (about 22km in diameter) and Deimos (about 13km in diameter), have been puzzling scientists for decades, with their origin remaining a matter of debate. Some have proposed that they may be made up of residual debri.....»»
COP28 fossil fuel debate sizzles as world marks record hot year
With 2023 confirmed to be the hottest year on record by Europe's climate monitor, the temperature was also rising Wednesday on negotiators thrashing out the thorny issue of fossil fuels at COP28 in Dubai......»»
MicroRNA holds clues to why some mammals are cancer-prone
Researchers at the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) have identified an important pathway that reveals why some mammals, like humans, dogs, and cats, regularly develop mammary cancer while others, such as horses, pigs, and cows, rarely do......»»
Can science find a better way to trim a cat"s nails?
University of California, Davis, researchers are working with the Sacramento SPCA to alleviate a near-universal source of stress for cats and those who care for them: nail trimming......»»
Are dogs or cats more skilled in relying on human pointing gestures?
Dog and cat owners are familiar with the age-old debate: which of the two species is smarter? However, answering this question is impossible, especially due to the difficulty of a sound comparison......»»
UAE to pump CO2 into rock as carbon capture debate rages
High in remote mountains in the oil-rich United Arab Emirates, a new plant will soon take atmospheric CO2 and pump it into rock—part of controversial attempts to target planet-heating emissions without abandoning fossil fuels......»»
Owner personality and mental well-being associated with human–pet attachment
University of Helsinki researchers have collected data about the personality traits of thousands of dogs, cats and their owners to explore owner–pet attachment. The data encompass about 2,500 pet owners and 3,300 pets. The work is published in the.....»»
Unifor vs. UAW: Which union won when it comes to the new contracts?
The 2023 Detroit 3 negotiations have inspired plenty of debate, so it’s time to address the elephant in the room: Did U.S. or Canadian autoworkers get the better deal?.....»»
Researcher: Big cats eat more monkeys in a damaged tropical forest, which threatens survival of primate populations
Monkeys are not usually a popular menu item for big cats. Primates are, after all, hard to catch: living in the canopies of large trees and rarely coming down to the ground. Jaguar and puma have varied diets and will normally hunt the species that ar.....»»
Protecting native fauna from housecats
Fans of the musical "Cats" will know that the naming of cats is a difficult matter, and that cats have three different names. The same is true of cats in New Zealand—there are three types: companion or pet cats that live with people and rely on the.....»»