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Zebra finches amazing at unmasking the bird behind the song

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If songbirds could appear on “The Masked Singer” reality TV competition, zebra finches would likely steal the show. That’s because they can rapidly memorize the signature sounds of at least 50 different members of their flock, according to new research from the University of California, Berkeley.

In findings recently published in the journal Science Advances, these boisterous, red-beaked songbirds, known as zebra finches, have been shown to pick one another out of a crowd (or flock) based on a particular peer’s distinct song or contact call.

Like humans who can instantly tell which friend or relative is calling by the timbre of the person’s voice, zebra finches have a near-human capacity for language mapping. Moreover, they can remember each other’s unique vocalizations for months and perhaps longer, the findings suggest. [Read more…] about Zebra finches amazing at unmasking the bird behind the song

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  • The first human settlers on islands caused extinctions
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    The first human settlers on islands caused extinctionsThough some believe prehistoric humans lived in harmony with nature, a new analysis of fossils shows human arrival in the Bahamas caused some birds to be lost from the islands and other species to be completely wiped out. The researchers examined more than 7,600 fossils over a decade and concluded…
    Tags: birds, news, life

College students are less food insecure than non-students

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College students are significantly less likely to be food insecure than non-students in the same age group, according to a new study from the University of Illinois.

“College hunger” has been widely reported in the media, and several studies found very high food insecurity rates among college students, sometimes up to 50 or 60 percent. That did not make sense to those of us doing research on food insecurity, so I wanted to check those findings,” says Craig Gundersen, agricultural economist at U of I.

Gundersen, who conducts research on food insecurity measures, notes many of those studies used small, non-representative samples with low response rates. [Read more…] about College students are less food insecure than non-students

Weight loss shouldn’t be the goal of PE

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For adults, the goal of exercise is often to shed some pounds, but new research from the University of Georgia suggests the objective should be different for kids.

Physical education should focus on improving students’ physical skills, knowledge of the benefits of exercise and motivation to be active.

The goal should be to build students’ cardiorespiratory endurance, a measure of how well the body handles long periods of exercise – not to help them lose weight, according to the study’s authors. [Read more…] about Weight loss shouldn’t be the goal of PE

Researchers take a stand on algorithm design for job centers: Landing a job isn’t always the right goal

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Imagine that you are a job consultant. You are sitting across from your client, an unemployed individual. After locating them in the system, up pops the following text on the computer screen; “increased risk of long-term unemployment”.

Such assessments are made by an algorithm that, via data on the citizen’s gender, age, residence, education, income, ethnicity, history of illness, and so on, spits out an estimate of how long the person – compared to other people from similar backgrounds – is expected to remain in the system and receive benefits.

But is it reasonable to characterize individual citizens on the basis of what those with similar backgrounds have managed in their job searches? According to a new study from the University of Copenhagen, no. [Read more…] about Researchers take a stand on algorithm design for job centers: Landing a job isn’t always the right goal

Empathy may be in the eye of the beholder

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Empathy is talked about a lot these days. Against the backdrop of a global pandemic and a divisive political climate in the United States, calls for empathy have become louder and more urgent.

We encourage empathy for those inflicted with Covid-19 and those struggling with unemployment. We reminisce about the empathy of public figures who have recently passed away.

Both Democrats and Republicans have highlighted their own presidential candidate’s empathy and accused the other side of lacking it. [Read more…] about Empathy may be in the eye of the beholder

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  • Why social media has changed the world – and how to fix it
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    Why social media has changed the world – and how to fix itAre you on social media a lot? When is the last time you checked Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram? Last night? Before breakfast? Five minutes ago? If so, you are not alone – which is the point, of course. Humans are highly social creatures. Our brains have become wired to process…
    Tags: people, news, life
  • Why some friends make you feel more supported than others
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    Why some friends make you feel more supported than othersIt's good to have friends and family to back you up when you need it – but it's even better if your supporters are close with each other too, a new set of studies suggests. Researchers found that people perceived they had more support from a group of friends or…
    Tags: people, participants, life
  • The gravity of play: Quantifying what we enjoy about games
    41
    The gravity of play: Quantifying what we enjoy about gamesGames and the very act of playing have been around since before the cradle of human civilization. However, games have constantly evolved over time, with various rulesets and modes of play falling in and out of favor throughout history. In turn, this implies that people at different times enjoyed different…
    Tags: people, news, life
  • Mapping the 1.6 billion people who live near forests
    39
    Mapping the 1.6 billion people who live near forestsGlobal maps of places where people and forests coexist show that an estimated 1.6 billion people live within 5 kilometers of a forest. The assessment, based on data from 2000 and 2012 and published September 18 in the journal One Earth, showed that of these 1.6 billion “forest-proximate people”, 64.5 percent…
    Tags: people, life
  • The first human settlers on islands caused extinctions
    38
    The first human settlers on islands caused extinctionsThough some believe prehistoric humans lived in harmony with nature, a new analysis of fossils shows human arrival in the Bahamas caused some birds to be lost from the islands and other species to be completely wiped out. The researchers examined more than 7,600 fossils over a decade and concluded…
    Tags: people, news, life

Ancient Maya built sophisticated water filters

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Ancient Maya in the once-bustling city of Tikal built sophisticated water filters using natural materials they imported from miles away, according to the University of Cincinnati.

UC researchers discovered evidence of a filter system at the Corriental reservoir, an important source of drinking water for the ancient Maya in what is now northern Guatemala.

A multidisciplinary team of UC anthropologists, geographers and biologists identified crystalline quartz and zeolite imported miles from the city. The quartz found in the coarse sand along with zeolite, a crystalline compound consisting of silicon and aluminum, create a natural molecular sieve. Both minerals are used in modern water filtration. [Read more…] about Ancient Maya built sophisticated water filters

Which is more creative, the arts or the sciences?

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International expert in creativity and innovation, UniSA’s Professor David Cropley, is calling for Australian schools and universities to increase their emphasis on teaching creativity, as new research shows it is a core competency across all disciplines and critical for ensuring future job success.

Conducted in partnership with visiting PhD researcher Kim van Broekhoven from Maastricht University in the Netherlands, the research explores the nature of creativity in determining if specific differences exist between creativity in the sciences and creativity in the arts.

The researchers found that creativity in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) is very similar to creativity in the arts, indicating that a holistic approach to teaching creativity in schools and universities, would benefit all. [Read more…] about Which is more creative, the arts or the sciences?

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  • Experiences of loneliness may differ by age
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    Experiences of loneliness may differ by ageLoneliness in adult life is experienced differently depending on age, according to a study published in the open access journal BMC Public Health.   The research concludes that there can be no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to reducing loneliness, as factors associated with it, such as contact with friends and family, perceived…
    Tags: life
  • Fine-tuning stem cell metabolism prevents hair loss
    30
    Fine-tuning stem cell metabolism prevents hair lossA team of researchers from Cologne and Helsinki has discovered a mechanism that prevents hair loss: hair follicle stem cells, essential for hair to regrow, can prolong their life by switching their metabolic state in response to low oxygen concentration in the tissue. The team was led by Associate Professor…
    Tags: stem, life

Almost half of world heritage sites could lose glaciers by 2100

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Glaciers are set to disappear completely from almost half of World Heritage sites if business-as-usual emissions continue, according to the first-ever global study of World Heritage glaciers.

The sites are home to some of the world’s most iconic glaciers, such as the Grosser Aletschgletscher in the Swiss Alps, Khumbu Glacier in the Himalayas and Greenland’s Jakobshavn Isbrae.

The study in the AGU journal Earth’s Future and co-authored by scientists from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) combines data from a global glacier inventory, a review of existing literature and sophisticated computer modeling to analyze the current state of World Heritage glaciers, their recent evolution, and their projected mass change over the 21st century. [Read more…] about Almost half of world heritage sites could lose glaciers by 2100

Why social media has changed the world – and how to fix it

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Are you on social media a lot? When is the last time you checked Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram? Last night? Before breakfast? Five minutes ago?

If so, you are not alone – which is the point, of course. Humans are highly social creatures. Our brains have become wired to process social information, and we usually feel better when we are connected. Social media taps into this tendency.

“Human brains have essentially evolved because of sociality more than any other thing,” says Sinan Aral, an MIT professor and expert in information technology and marketing. [Read more…] about Why social media has changed the world – and how to fix it

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  • Empathy may be in the eye of the beholder
    43
    Empathy may be in the eye of the beholderEmpathy is talked about a lot these days. Against the backdrop of a global pandemic and a divisive political climate in the United States, calls for empathy have become louder and more urgent. We encourage empathy for those inflicted with Covid-19 and those struggling with unemployment. We reminisce about the…
    Tags: people, news, life
  • The gravity of play: Quantifying what we enjoy about games
    33
    The gravity of play: Quantifying what we enjoy about gamesGames and the very act of playing have been around since before the cradle of human civilization. However, games have constantly evolved over time, with various rulesets and modes of play falling in and out of favor throughout history. In turn, this implies that people at different times enjoyed different…
    Tags: people, news, life
  • The first human settlers on islands caused extinctions
    31
    The first human settlers on islands caused extinctionsThough some believe prehistoric humans lived in harmony with nature, a new analysis of fossils shows human arrival in the Bahamas caused some birds to be lost from the islands and other species to be completely wiped out. The researchers examined more than 7,600 fossils over a decade and concluded…
    Tags: people, news, life
  • Mapping the 1.6 billion people who live near forests
    30
    Mapping the 1.6 billion people who live near forestsGlobal maps of places where people and forests coexist show that an estimated 1.6 billion people live within 5 kilometers of a forest. The assessment, based on data from 2000 and 2012 and published September 18 in the journal One Earth, showed that of these 1.6 billion “forest-proximate people”, 64.5 percent…
    Tags: people, life
  • Female candidates ‘more likely to discuss the economy than males’
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    Female candidates ‘more likely to discuss the economy than males’In a new study published in Politics & Policy, Deserai Crow, PhD, associate professor at the University of Colorado Denver in the School of Public Affairs, found significant differences in rhetoric between both party affiliation and gender. Narratives from both Republican and Democratic candidates in 48 US House campaigns from the…
    Tags: media, social, news

Experiences of loneliness may differ by age

by Leave a Comment

Loneliness in adult life is experienced differently depending on age, according to a study published in the open access journal BMC Public Health.  

The research concludes that there can be no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to reducing loneliness, as factors associated with it, such as contact with friends and family, perceived health or employment, may differ across the phases of the adult life span.

Thanée Franssen, the corresponding author said: “The majority of studies focusing on loneliness have thus far been performed among specific age groups, such as the elderly or teenagers, or individuals with specific health conditions. To our knowledge, none of these studied the factors associated with loneliness among adults and how these change as people age.” [Read more…] about Experiences of loneliness may differ by age

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  • Which is more creative, the arts or the sciences?
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    Which is more creative, the arts or the sciences?International expert in creativity and innovation, UniSA's Professor David Cropley, is calling for Australian schools and universities to increase their emphasis on teaching creativity, as new research shows it is a core competency across all disciplines and critical for ensuring future job success. Conducted in partnership with visiting PhD researcher…
    Tags: life
  • Why some friends make you feel more supported than others
    31
    Why some friends make you feel more supported than othersIt's good to have friends and family to back you up when you need it – but it's even better if your supporters are close with each other too, a new set of studies suggests. Researchers found that people perceived they had more support from a group of friends or…
    Tags: features, life
  • To protect nature's benefits, focus on people
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    To protect nature's benefits, focus on peopleTo calculate the true value of a forest, we need to know how people benefit from it, according to new research published in Nature Sustainability. A healthy forest holds a treasure trove of benefits for people – it can filter water for downstream communities, supply timber for building, and provide a…
    Tags: features, life