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Tagged: animals

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Cognitive Science
8:00 pm
Thu April 25, 2013

Inside The Brains Of Animals

Credit Flickr Photo/Tom Holbrook
A chimp expresses sadness.
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Some animals display very human behaviors: chimps grieve, rats love to be tickled, and moths remember living as caterpillars.

Science journalist Virginia Morell explores the complex minds of animals in her new book, "Animal Wise." From field sites to laboratories, Morell shows how animal cognition research has evolved, and how animals possess traits many feel are unique to humans.

She spoke at the Elliott Bay Book Company on April 8, 2013.

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Impact Of War
12:51 pm
Mon March 11, 2013

Four-Legged Warriors Show Signs Of PTSD

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Credit Ryan Loyd / KSTX
Bernie Green is a supervisor with the Department of Defense's Military Working Dog Breeding Program. Experts say dogs can suffer from PTSD-like conditions that can affect their military capabilities later on.
Credit Ryan Loyd / KSTX
Tech. Sgt. Joe Null kneels with Layka, a combat dog who lost her legs overseas. She was given an award for animals that serve heroically in combat.
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Originally published on Mon March 11, 2013 5:04 pm

For years, PTSD — or post-traumatic stress disorder — has been an issue for military members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

But humans aren't the only ones with problems. Military dogs returning from war zones are also showing signs of PTSD. And there's evidence that these canines need some extra tender loving care after their tours of duty.

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Science
12:27 am
Fri February 22, 2013

Honey, It's Electric: Bees Sense Charge On Flowers

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Credit Adam Cole / NPR
Credit Kevin Collins
Ultraviolet (false color). Bees and other pollinators can see the ultraviolet end of the spectrum. They are guided by patterns on flowers that are invisible to humans.
Credit Adam Cole / NPR
Fragrance plume (artist's depiction). Bees follow specific odors to locate flowers and, once they arrive, use scent maps to move toward the center of the flower. Fragrance that clings to a bee provides information for other bees back at the hive.
Credit Adam Cole / NPR
Electric field (artist's depiction). Flowers have a weak negative electric charge relative to the air around them. Different flowers have different electric fields, often with charge concentrated at the tips of the petals.
Credit Kevin Collins
Visible spectrum. Certain bright colors and petal shapes attract certain pollinators.
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Originally published on Fri February 22, 2013 4:47 am

Flowers are nature's ad men. They'll do anything to attract the attention of the pollinators that help them reproduce. That means spending precious energy on bright pigments, enticing fragrances and dazzling patterns.

Now, scientists have found another element that contributes to flowers' brand: their distinct electric field.

Anne Leonard, who studies bees at the University of Nevada, says our understanding of pollinator-flower communication has been expanding for decades.

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Pets
12:32 pm
Wed January 30, 2013

Dog-Sharing Co-Op Offers Free Dog Sitting

PAWS dog available for adoption
Credit PAWS
Tallulah Bell is a 10-month old terrier/basset hound mix available for adoption at PAWS.
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People in the Northwest are among the most likely in the nation to have pets. That's according to a new survey by the American Veterinary Medical Foundation. Washington, Oregon and Idaho rank in the top 10 for pet-owning households — with Oregon at No. 4, Washington at No. 6 and Idaho at No. 9. Maybe you’re one of the Northwest’s many pet people. If you are, you know that owning a dog can be e lot of work. But what if you had help? Free help. Sound too good to be true? According to Eric Husk it isn’t. He is the founder of City Dog Share, which he describes as a dog-sitting co-op. Ross Reynolds gets the details.

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