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Performing magic tricks with Eurasian jays helps scientists to understand the animals’ powers of perception, but also their ability to read minds, remember the past and anticipate the future. Mind 22 December 2021 By Sam Wong Psychologists have long studied how magic deceives us. Illusionists exploit shortcomings in our attention and perception to prevent us … Read more
Hundreds of thousands of brain cells in a dish are being taught to play Pong by responding to pulses of electricity – and can improve their performance more quickly than an AI can Mind 17 December 2021 By Michael Le Page Living brain cells in a dish can learn to play Pong when they are … Read more
A survey of dog owners has concluded that the average pet can respond to 89 words or phrases, with some dogs responding to 215 Life 14 December 2021 By Christa Lesté-Lasserre Dogs respond to more words than you might think Shutterstock / Prostock-studio Domestic dogs respond to 89 words and phrases, on average – including … Read more
In the middle of his landmark book On the Origin of Species, Darwin had a crisis of faith. In a bout of honesty, he wrote, “To suppose that the eye with all its inimitable contrivances for adjusting the focus to different distances, for admitting different amounts of light, and for the correction of spherical and … Read more