Democracy in the U.S. is on the ropes, the UK has left the European Union, and almost all the news is depressing. The best thing in the New York Times is the Science section every Tuesday.
This week I learned that an African grey parrot who has access to a token that will be rewarded with a walnut but can’t reach the human with the walnut will actually pass the token to another parrot who is able to reach the human. It is the first time a non-mammal individual has been observed deliberately helping another.
Another article noted that in an experiment, three out of 13 wolf pups learned to play fetch. Many scientists assumed that dogs descended from an ancient strain of wolves now extinct. Instead it may be that dogs really did descend from the same type of wolves running around today.
A third article talked about how Chinese children two years old were learning both Chinese and English in a day care center. Not only were they learning the two languages, but they were also having fun.
A fourth article noted that a team of researchers at the University of Colorado were developing bricks made of photosynthetic microbes that could reproduce. The mix formed “concrete” blocks in whatever form it was put in. After a few days of drying the blocks hardened, and the team was able to build structures.
Not only did I learn interesting (if useless) facts, but it certainly beats reading about craven Republican Senators and the so-called president.
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