Ornithopters; they are out there!

 

Here we have visual proof that Ornithopters exist!  

It is surely armed with a camera. We are being watched!

Let's Look at Dog Eye Movements

Some researchers from the Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine at the University of Helsinki conducted a study on the effect of oxytocin in domestic dogs.  Oxytocin is a neuropeptide that effects social behavior and emotional reactions in mammals.  It is commonly called the "affection hormone".

To see what adding more oxytocin might do, the researchers taught a bunch of dogs to rest their chins on a little bar (like at the eye doctor) so their eye movements and pupil dilation could be measured while they looked at pictures of unfamiliar human faces- some angry, some happy.  One group of dogs were given a placebo of nasal saline, the other group was given nasal oxytocin.

Dogs that snorted saline reacted more strongly to the angry faces.  Dogs that snorted oxytocin reacted more strongly to the happy faces.

The researchers concluded that oxytocin, when snorted "changes the allocation of attention and emotional arousal in domestic dogs".

What does this mean?  Well, similar studies were done with humans and monkeys but the results were not the same as with dogs.  The oxytocin caused the dogs to focus on the happy faces while the other species only reacted less strongly to both the happy and angry faces when under the influence of oxytocin.  Researchers think this selective response in dogs will maybe "facilitate communication between humans and dogs" (and monkeys and dogs, presumably).

It's clear to see, that there's still some kinks to be ironed out.  For one thing, in general, monkeys and people don't consider looking into someone's eyes as threatening as dogs do.  Does this skew the results?  It is difficult to imagine that it wouldn't.  Maybe the researchers will look into it.

Read the study here.

Monster Update

It's been a few months now since Clover and Lily joined the family here at Bad Dog Ranch.  The Handsome One has dubbed them Monsters.

I often refer to them as The Tall One and The White One. 

 

 

 They're pretty good girls.  Proper elimination habits have been established. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We can leave the bathroom door open now as the thrill of unspooling the toilet paper roll seems to have passed. 

 

 

 

 

 

Their personalities have asserted themselves.  Clover is inclined to whining.   

 

 

 

 

 

Lily displays stealth tendencies.  For example, as we're all heading down the hall together, she'll casually stop and scratch her ear.  Then she'll turn back and grab the coveted small kong.  This toy, at least in theory, belongs to Henry.

 

 

 

Speaking of Henry.  The Monsters have learned to play a bit less strenuously with him.  He fails to appreciate this kindness and is quite pushy with them.  Short Man Syndrome, perhaps?  (Well now.  That's a blog post in itself.)

 

 

 

 

When the Monsters play with each other it's a no holds barred free for all.  The Tall One growls ferociously, seizes The White One's neck scruff and gives it a violent shake.  The White One responds by gleefully throwing herself unto the ground.  (Sigh.  Lately, it has been muddy outside.) 

 

 

 

 

 

The Tall One is able to walk through several inches of snow without getting her tummy wet.  Not only that, she is able to place her chin on the kitchen counter. 

 

 

 

 

The White One has taken over this chair on the back porch.  Notice the expression of smug serenity as she gazes over her domain. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can't figure out how to get the video on here but if you follow this link you can hear the song I like to sing to The Monsters.  Lucky for you though, Mel Torme' is singing it.

 

 http://www.famousfix.com/topic/mel-torme-monsters-lead-such-interesting-lives

Sheep Eating Weeds

Farmers are forever fighting weeds.  A group of Spanish researchers may have found a nifty answer that is what you might call a win/win.   

At the University of Barcelona sheep and goats have been trained, well, conditioned, to eat weeds while not eating the olive crop.  As an added bonus the animals drop fertilizer right there on the spot where it'll do the most good.

 

 

 

 

 

 

How do you get a goat to graze only on the plants you want him to? 

Conditioned Taste Aversion.  This is a natural ability animals posses that alerts them when they eat something that is bad for them.  The animal has an unpleasant reaction after eating the toxic thing.  Thus, he learns that eating this particular thing causes an uncomfortable sensation.  This mechanism helps the animal avoid ingesting things that are poisonous. 

Thus, a goat can be conditioned not to eat a crop food by letting the goat eat the crop food with a lithium chloride chaser.  This simulates the unpleasant reaction that toxic plants produce.  In other words, the animal feels awful and throws up.  So the goat learns that the crop plant makes him sick.  Therefore, when allowed to graze in the crop bed he eats everything except the crop.

The University of Barcelona group successfully treated some sheep and goats to taste aversion therapy using olive plants.  Surely, they can teach other grazing animals to avoid other crops too.  Is this a greenies dream?  Weed your crop beds, feed your farm animals, skip the nasty chemicals, add manure to the soil, all at once? 

Don't break out the environmentally responsible confetti yet.  Like most good news, there is accompanying bad news. The lab induced taste aversion only lasted, on average, four months.  After that, the sheep and goats ate the olive plants.