Parrots Learn To Make Video Calls To Chat With Other Parrots, Then Develop Friendships With Each Other

Parrots learn to make video calls to chat with other parrots, then develop friendships with each other

Researchers from Northeastern University, in conjunction with scientists from MIT and the University of Glasgow, conducted a study exploring the impact of teaching a group of domesticated birds to communicate using tablets and smartphones. The findings indicate that utilizing video calls may assist parrots in mimicking the communication patterns observed in wild birds, potentially enhancing their behavior and overall well-being in the homes of their owners.

via smithsonianmag.com

Breathtaking view of Saturn!

Psychedelic Cryptography

California-based nonprofit group called Qualia Research Institute has awarded cash prizes to artists who made videos encoded with hidden messages that can be most easily deciphered by a person who is tripping on psychedelic substances, such as LSD, ayahuasca, or psilocybin mushrooms.

(via Netflix reveals its top watched shows for the first time)

Political thriller The Night Agent turned out to be the most watched show on Netflix globally in the first half of 2023, with 812m hours.

With the average human lifespan standing at 692,040 hours, it means fans of the show spent the equivalent of 1,173 lifetimes glued to the series.

Atomic Gardening refers to a mid-20th-century scientific technique that involved exposing plants to radiation in order to induce mutations and create new, potentially improved varieties. The idea behind atomic gardening was to harness the mutagenic effects of radiation, such as X-rays or gamma rays, to induce random genetic mutations in plants. Scientists believed that some of these mutations might lead to desirable traits, such as improved yield, disease resistance, or other beneficial characteristics.

This approach was explored as a method for crop improvement and was part of broader efforts to increase food production in the post-World War II era. The hope was that by exposing plants to radiation, researchers could generate genetic diversity more rapidly than traditional breeding methods, allowing for the development of new and improved crop varieties.

The term "Atomic Gardening" gained popularity in the 1950s and 1960s when various countries, including the United States, conducted experiments in which crops like wheat, rice, and barley were exposed to radiation. However, the technique eventually fell out of favor as researchers better understood the complexities of genetic mutations and the potential risks associated with ionizing radiation. Modern genetic engineering techniques have largely replaced atomic gardening in contemporary agricultural research. However, it remains popular in the Asia-Pacific region.

*Photo | Rio Star Grapefruit: https://historycollection.com/atomic-gardening

Mercury as little dot front of the Sun