Dog owners may be convinced that their furry friends can recognise other breeds - whether out in the park or when one pops up on the telly. But the experts aren't so sure. In response to a reader question, zoo director Charlotte Corney told the BBC that although there is no specific research to discover whether or not dogs can recognise their own breeds, they can't pass a mirror test. That is, they don't understand when they're looking at a reflection of themselves. So the idea that they can distinguish a similar profile in another dog is quite a big stretch. Corney goes on to say that the latest research indicates that dogs have no sense of "self" in the same way as dolphins or apes do. But we have to give the canine species a little bit of credit. "Formal research has proved that they can differentiate between pictures of dogs versus other species such as rabbits and cows," Corney said. Even if man's best friend can't actively recognise its own breed, scientists reckon dogs … [Read more...] about Animal expert reveals whether dogs recognise their own breeds
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Albert Einstein’s outrageous list of rules and demands his wife had to follow
To this day, 63 years after his death, Albert Einstein remains one of the world's most important scientists. But his personal life wasn't quite so successful, and his marriage to Mileva Maric was a difficult one. Einstein began cheating on his wife, a successful mathematician herself, soon after they said their vows and the couple separated after 11 years. But he wanted to stay together for the sake of their two children, but only if Mileva agreed to a long list of shocking demands and rules. Unbelievably she accepted the list, which you can read in full below, and it basically turned her into his assistant rather than wife. The list was published in biography author Walter Isaacson's book Einstein: His Life and Universe , reports the Mail Online . It reads: A. You will make sure: 1. that my clothes and laundry are kept in good order 2. that I will receive my three meals regularly in my room 3. that my bedroom and study are kept neat, and especially that my desk is left for my use … [Read more...] about Albert Einstein’s outrageous list of rules and demands his wife had to follow
These are the 19 ways your dog is secretly communicating with you
SCIENTISTS have discovered dogs use 19 signals dogs to try and communicate with their human pals. Researchers at the University of Salford found "strong evidence" our furry friends will use paw and body gestures to get us to give them food or scratch their bellies. Footage of 37 dogs filmed by their owners during day-to-day task showed them the pooches were often seemingly using similar movements to express what they wanted. They eventually nailed down 19 gestures - including rolling over or jumping up and down - which appear to carry a message. The scientists think the dogs were, on several occasions, asking for a door to be opened, expressing they wanted to be fed or hoping their owner would get a toy. Although some desires, such as wanting food, were shown through many different gestures - basically dogs are keen to be fed at all times - others appeared quite distinctive. The journal Animal Cognition published these findings, where scientists thought flicking a toy around in front … [Read more...] about These are the 19 ways your dog is secretly communicating with you
Russia’s plan to get rid of space junk is to blast it with a laser
Scientists and researchers have been warning us about the dangers of space junk for a while now. These lumps of disused satellites and rocket fragments orbit the Earth and present a growing danger to future launches and upcoming space projects. But the Russians have an idea to start blasting away the space clutter with a gigantic laser. According to Live Science , which picked up on a report from RT, Precision Instrument Systems - an R&D wing of the Russian space agency Roscosmos has submitted plans to build a laser cannon. The plan is to transform a 3-meter optical telescope into a blaster that can vaporise floating bits of debris in low Earth orbit. Russia's Altay Optical-Laser Center will be tasked with actually building the intergalactic shooter, and will add an optical detection system to help hunt down the right targets. The idea might not seem as outrageous as you think. Other means of tackling the space junk problem include Airbus building a giant space harpoon to … [Read more...] about Russia’s plan to get rid of space junk is to blast it with a laser
£720m Large Hadron Collider upgrade ‘could upend particle physics’
A massive project to supercharge the world’s largest particle collider launched on Friday in the hope that the beefed-up machine will reveal fresh insights into the nature of the universe. The 950m Swiss franc (£720m) mission will see heavy equipment, new buildings, access shafts and service tunnels installed, constructed and excavated at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at Cern, the particle physics laboratory on the edge of Geneva. The vast machine, which occupies a 27km circular tunnel under the French-Swiss border, hunts for signs of new physics by slamming subatomic particles together at close to the speed of light. In compliance with Einstein’s law E=mc2, some of the energy of impact is converted into new matter. The upgrade will make the collider far more sensitive to subtle quirks in the laws of physics, and physicists hope these anomalies will prise open the door to entirely new theories of the universe. In 2012 physicists on the LHC announced the discovery of … [Read more...] about £720m Large Hadron Collider upgrade ‘could upend particle physics’