All posts tagged: clever

Watch a clever elephant use a hose to get clean

Watch a clever elephant use a hose to get clean

Published by skeptic

A pair of elephants at the Berlin Zoo have figured out how to use a hose as a make-shift flexible shower head. Not only do they use the water to get clean, but they have been observed turning the water off, potentially as a kind of prank. The behaviors are yet further examples of tool use in non-human animals and are detailed in a study published November 8 in the Cell Press journal Current Biology. Tool use known throughout the animal kingdom. Chimpanzees use sticks as tools to get to various grubs and honey. Crows also use sticks to probe for hidden sources of food. Humpback whales catch fish in “bubble nets,” which some scientists consider to be a type of tool use. Now, it appears that some elephants at the Berlin Zoo in Germany like to use hoses–particularly an Asian elephant named Mary.  A video abstract for the 2024 Current Biology paper on elephant water hose tool use.CREDIT: Urban et al./Current Biology VIDEO: A video abstract for the 2024 Current Biology paper on elephant …

The Clever Body Language Fix That Instantly Makes You A ’10’ | Robyn Wahlgast

The Clever Body Language Fix That Instantly Makes You A ’10’ | Robyn Wahlgast

Published by skeptic

Each year, hundreds of women seeking advice on how to get a boyfriend send me pictures of their favorite date outfits and their online dating profiles, hoping I can help them be more attractive to men. While your hairstyle, makeup, and clothing certainly deserve a thorough assessment, you mustn’t overlook another important “X factor” that’s a major key to your entire presentation of yourself but doesn’t always show up in a photo: your body language and the non-verbal communication you send with your posture. If you don’t believe that how you stand and carry yourself is a critical component of your overall appeal, think again. While most potential dates won’t consciously evaluate your body language, how you communicate via your body is crucial. Perhaps nowhere is this more important than in their unconscious assessment of whether or not you have good posture. It’s not a detail they’re likely to comment on or discuss, but it colors how they and others perceive you. Are you a potential partner or “just a friend”? RELATED: 4 Big Mistakes …

Clever Noodle and Jeff Koons unveil Phonics-Based game

Clever Noodle and Jeff Koons unveil Phonics-Based game

Published by skeptic

Clever Noodle, a non-profit startup known for crafting educational children’s games, has unveiled its latest release in partnership with the artist Jeff Koons. The innovative phonics-based game, titled “Popped!”, marks a significant stride in merging art and education to cultivate a journey toward literacy. Designed to transform the task of learning to read into an immersive adventure, “Popped!” features Koons’s Balloon Dog as its visual centerpiece. Developed in tandem with national literacy experts, the game endeavors to equip children with vital reading skills while nurturing a deep-seated appreciation for both learning and art. Related Articles In a press release, Clever Noodle’s founder and chief executive Jacquelyn Davis, said the game’s mission was to alleviate the perceived “burden” of learning to read, ensuring an experience that is as enjoyable for children as it is for parents. “Popped!”, which teaches children to read using  Consonant-Vowel-Consonant (CVC) word patterns, “is firmly grounded in the science of reading, employing an evidence-based approach that delves into the intricate mechanisms of children’s cognitive processes related to literacy,” Davis said. Koons and Davis …

10 clever ways to reuse coffee grounds

10 clever ways to reuse coffee grounds

Published by skeptic

Americans consume an average of two cups of coffee daily, primarily using single-cup brewers, though drip coffee makers remain popular. Regardless of the brewing method, the question of what to do with used coffee grounds persists. These grounds are not merely waste but valuable for various practical, eco-friendly applications. They can enhance garden health, elevate beauty routines, and serve as natural cleaning agents, offering solutions to many household challenges. How to use coffee grounds around the house If you ever find yourself with a surplus of used coffee grounds, here are some clever ways to repurpose them. Mild fertilizer Coffee grounds contain essential minerals beneficial for plant growth, such as nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus. These nutrients can contribute to the fertility of the soil but won’t be enough to sustain the health of your plants over time. Just think of it as an inexpensive, mild, organic fertilizer that will give your plants a slight nitrogen boost. To use in the garden or potted plants, sprinkle the used coffee grounds around your plants and work it …

This Retelling of a Classic is a Clever, Gut-Wrenching Punch-in-the-Face

This Retelling of a Classic is a Clever, Gut-Wrenching Punch-in-the-Face

Published by skeptic

James by Percival Everett This book is a retelling of Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from the point of view of James, also known as Jim, the runaway enslaved man and Huck Finn’s companion during his adventures down the Mississippi River. If you have read any of Everett’s other work, then you know you are in store for a hilarious, clever, gut-wrenching, punch-in-the-face book. When this book starts, you immediately know what the character James is about. He is intelligent and knows how to read, illegally consuming books from the Judge’s library. James is astute enough to know not to show any of his hand, carefully speaking to white folks in the manner in which they expect a “simple” enslaved person to speak. He teaches this to his children, not only the correct “incorrect” grammar but also the ways in which to speak according to social structure. It’s clear that James has a soft spot for Huck. When James catches wind that he (James) may be sold to another enslaver, he runs away. …

Here’s a Clever Way to Uncover America’s Voting Deserts

Here’s a Clever Way to Uncover America’s Voting Deserts

Published by skeptic

The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine. In Georgia’s 2020 gubernatorial election, some voters in Atlanta waited over 10 hours to cast a ballot. One reason for the long lines was that almost 10 percent of Georgia’s polling sites had closed over the preceding seven years, despite an influx of about 2 million voters. These closures were disproportionately concentrated in predominantly Black areas that tended to vote Democratic. But pinpointing the locations of “voting deserts” isn’t as straightforward as it might seem. Sometimes a lack of capacity is reflected in long waits at the polls, but other times the problem is the distance to the nearest polling place. Combining these factors in a systematic way is tricky. In a paper due to be published this summer in the journal SIAM Review, Mason Porter, a mathematician at the University of California, Los Angeles, and his students used tools from topology to do just that. Abigail Hickok, one of the paper’s coauthors, conceived the idea after seeing images of long lines in Atlanta. “Voting …

The Guardian view on smart motorways: not so clever without a hard shoulder | Road transport

The Guardian view on smart motorways: not so clever without a hard shoulder | Road transport

Published by skeptic

Ten years ago this week on the M25, Britain’s first stretch of all-lane running (ALR) “smart” motorway was introduced, with more to follow. Envisaged as a way to ease congestion without spending money on widening roads, ALR motorways function without a hard shoulder for drivers in difficulty. As they were rolled out, motorists were assured that the emergency lane would not be missed, as new technologies would be able to respond to breakdowns, and control traffic flow. The public was understandably sceptical about how smart this idea was, and it turned out the public was right. Smart motorways without a hard shoulder have been found to be three times more dangerous than ones where drivers have that option. Behind the data lie horrific incidents, in which stationary vehicles have been ploughed into from behind with fatal consequences. In one tragic case, a passenger in a car which stopped to lend assistance to another vehicle was killed when a lorry crashed into it. Rightly, Rishi Sunak last year pulled the plug on plans for more ALR motorways, citing …

Photoncycle targets low-cost energy storage with a clever hydrogen solution

Photoncycle targets low-cost energy storage with a clever hydrogen solution

Published by skeptic

For years, the solar energy sector has grappled with interseasonal energy storage. The ability to harness the surplus solar energy of summer months for use during the winter has remained an elusive goal, with existing solutions like batteries falling short due to prohibitive costs and limited lifespans. Hydrogen, meanwhile, despite its clean-burning properties, has been sidelined due to inefficiency and high costs. Photoncycle — a startup emerging from the depths of an accelerator in Oslo Science Park in Oslo, Norway — has been working on a solution. With a vision as bright as the summer sun, the startup claims its solid hydrogen-based technology can store energy more efficiently in an ammonia synthesis reactor. The claim is this tech does the storage more cost-effectively than any battery or liquid hydrogen solution on the market.   A schematic of how Photoncycle envisions its full system when installed at a house. Image Credits: Photoncycle “Lithium-ion batteries use costly metals. Our material is super cheap: To store 10,000 kilowatt-hours, it costs around $1,500, so it’s almost nothing. In addition, our …

Microsoft has a clever way of showing you AI is normal (especially if you’re alone)

Microsoft has a clever way of showing you AI is normal (especially if you’re alone)

Published by skeptic

Screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/ZDNET Microsoft wants Copilot to be your everyday companion. But what does this really mean? And when are you likely to use it most? The company just offered some answers and you might be especially interested if you happen to spend a lot of time alone. Also: The best AI chatbots: ChatGPT isn’t the only one worth trying Perhaps you haven’t noticed yet, but Microsoft is already pushing a democratic slogan in social media: “AI for all,” as it shows how the tool can prepare you for, for example, meetings. Microsoft Copilot makes prepping for meetings a snap. AI for All. — Microsoft Cloud (@MSCloud) March 7, 2024 “How does this tool make me feel?” you might wonder. “BOOMSHAKALAKA,” is Microsoft’s answer in the tweet. But if Copilot is for everyone, when might everyone need it the most? Your new best friend? Your only best friend? Microsoft has just released a YouTube video that suggests the most perfect time to have a Copilot is when you’re wandering the world alone. In this …

Red Foxes: The Behavior of Our Playful and Clever Neighbors

Red Foxes: The Behavior of Our Playful and Clever Neighbors

Published by skeptic

A resident fox who hung out at my home. Source: Marc Bekoff Red foxes and other vulpines are wonderful neighbors and live in or near towns and cities wherever they’re found. They’re playful, clever, witty, and emotional animals. I lived alongside red foxes for decades and got to know one family and their children very well when they resided for six years near my mountain home in the foothills of Boulder (Colorado). They allowed me and my dogs to observe them from a few feet away from their den and didn’t seem to mind our voyeuristic ways. Some ventured close to my home and even hung out near my dogs. Some people think we’re driving them to self-domesticate. Because of my interest in these fascinating, playful animals who stare at you with vertical pupils and who have been observed to amuse themselves on a trampoline, I was thrilled to learn about Andreas Tjernshaugen’s new book, Finding the Fox: Encounters With an Enigmatic Animal. Andreas not only covers the behavior of these clever beings but also …