Humans are learning that animals are smarter than we thought they were. This is leading to greater sensitivity and respect towards animals but it is an incredibly slow process. There are some remarkable stories of animal intelligence. However, does this translate to self-awareness or self-consciousness? …
Is Planet of the Apes going to become a reality?. Scientists have created early embryos that are part human and part macaque monkey. They did this in order to better understand how human cells and animal cells communicate with each other. The long-term goal is …
A study discovered that bickering macaques made the effort to extend their social network by making more relationships to aid survival under the dire circumstances of an ecological disaster as occurred when a hurricane devastated the primates’ Caribbean island home. The vegetation was striped from …
A recent study found that when humans transferred from being hunter-gatherers to farming their pet dogs’ diet changed from meat to plant-based foods. When grey wolves first became domesticated and became domestic dogs they would have been eating meat almost exclusively but with the advent …
Puget Sound, Seattle, Washington, USA: Researchers have discovered that a formerly unknown chemical, 6PPD, in vehicle tires (tyres) which preserves them from ground level ozone, ends up killing salmon in streams. Bits if tire are thrown off tires due to wear and tear. Rain water …
One horsepower is the force needed to move 33,000 pounds a foot in a minute. The Scottish inventor, mechanical engineer, and chemist, who decided this was James Watt. He wanted to make the power of steam engines more understandable. He lived (1736-1819) in a time …
Yes, horses are one of a rare group of species who appear to have self-awareness and are able to recognise themselves in a mirror. The testing process is called mirror self-recognition (MSR). The degree of recognition appears to be variable and is not a black-and-white …
We know that octopuses are highly intelligent creatures and to that knowledge we can add a new discovery, namely that the eight tentacles of an octopus respond independently of the octopus’s brain and eyes to recoil from light as it signifies potential danger. In a …
Cuttlefish have to ability to exercise self-control which is used to attain a better reward than if they have sought immediate gratification. There is a test which finds out if kids are going to live fruitful lives and perhaps be leaders. They are presented with …
