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Dogs Likely Born with 'Canine Telepathy'
Practice makes perfect, however, so the more a dog hangs around humans, the better he or she becomes at "canine telepathy," which actually relies upon hyperawareness of the senses.
Those of us who have owned or been around dogs for any period of time know how well they often "get" us, sensing tiredness, depression, headaches or other maladies before we consciously exhibit any major outward signs of distress. Dogs can even detect when a person has cancer. They also seem to sense our joy and good health.
Monique Udell and her team from the University of Florida wondered why dogs are so clever at reading us, and how they accomplish this feat. Are dogs born with the ability to sense our mental states, or do canines learn from experience?
To explore these questions and more, Udell and her team carried out two experiments involving both wolves and dogs. In the experiments, the two sets of animals were given the opportunity to beg for food, either from an attentive person or from a person unable to see the potential begger.
The researchers showed for the first time that wolves, like domestic dogs, are capable of begging successfully for food by approaching the attentive human. This demonstrates that both species - domesticated and non-domesticated - have the capacity to behave in accordance with a human's attentional state. They are therefore likely born with the ability, since wolves would not have had much practice, which the typical pet dog gains by begging for treats during dinner and at other times.
Some dogs were better at reading people than others were, however. Shelter dogs were not nearly as good as pampered house pooches, demonstrating that exposure to humans allows dogs to hone their natural people-reading skills more.
According to the researchers, "These results suggest that dogs' ability to follow human actions stems from a willingness to accept humans as social companions, combined with conditioning to follow the limbs and actions of humans to acquire reinforcement. The type of attentional cues, the context in which the command is presented, and previous experience are all important."
2 people die as bear flies through SUV
Police in Quebec said a 300-pound male black bear wandered onto a road and was struck by an eastbound Pontiac Sunfire. The impact sent the animal hurtling through the air, where it smashed the windshield of a westbound Nissan Pathfinder sport utility vehicle and went out through the back window, regional police spokesman Officer Martin Fournel said.
Eye of the Tiger: Interview – 2 Gryphon
Kell Bengal and Kraden band together for ‘Eye of the Tiger’, a new sideline segment run by Kell asking the in-depth questions on various topics.
This episode we interview 2 Gryphon, a high-line furry personality, professional comedian with a knack for making a point/firey indifference, and general interesting fellow. In this interview we ask 2 not about his works so far, but about his means behind them. He reveals a deeper and more engaging mind at work behind his on-stage and on-show character. What was planned to be a 20 minute Q&A turned into an hour of in-depth tantalising conversation from ‘the Aristocrats’ to Malcom X.
His home-page, vod-cast, archive and rants can be found at www.Ranting-gryphon.com
A little bit about 2… (source: Wikifur)
Born in August 1972, 2 has been a performer for most of his life. He began as a rock guitarist in the 1980?s. He then ventured into the sci-fi and fantasy fields, doing comedy events at conventions during the 1990?s.
The weekly 2sense show and his insightful rants gave him a sudden rise in popularity in the fandom as someone willing to say what many were thinking, even if they were merely his own opinions.
As a member of the furry fandom, he has a gryphon fursona. His name allegedly came to him in a dream about the creature. He regularly attends furry conventions and often performs stand up there. He has been the guest of honor at Califur 0, Oklacon 2004, Rocket City FurMeet 2005, Feral! 2006 and RBW 2007. He is also currently on staff at Furry Weekend Atlanta, Rocket City Furmeet and was a founding member of Furry Connection North.
2 formerly resided in Arkansas, USA, in a social collective of fellow furry fans/artists (“furs”), known as the North Arkansas Regional Furry Association (NARFA), and also formerly lived in Ypsilanti, Michigan. He now currently resides in Los Angeles, California
Kung Fu Panda 2 :: rogerebert.com :: Reviews
Via RogerEbert.com
“Kung Fu Panda 2″ is exactly as you’d expect, and more. The animation is elegant, the story is much more involving than in the original, and there’s boundless energy. I enjoyed it as fully as I possibly could, given the horror of its 3-D. The original film, in 2-D wide-screen, was just fine. But never mind. Hollywood has brainwashed us (or itself) that 3-D is an improvement and not an annoyance.
What’s best about this sequel is that it’s not a dutiful retread of the original, but an ambitious extension. Of the many new elements, not least is the solution of the mystery of how Mr. Ping, a goose, could be the biological father of Po, a panda. In the original film, as nearly as I can recall, every character represented a different species, so I thought perhaps inscrutable reproductive processes were being employed. But no, Po’s parenthood is explained here, and it has a great deal to do with new developments in the kingdom.
Finish reading at RogerEbert.com:Kung Fu Panda 2
Editor’s note: The best part about this is the last paragraph:
Speaking of “Panda 3,” I wonder if the relationship between Po and Tigress will advance from its current status as what might be called a warm friendship. Tigress seems to occupy a favored position in Po’s heart, reopening the possibility of cross-species pollination.
Find the full article here: furryne.ws | Published News
Dogs Likely Born with ‘Canine Telepathy’
Via Discovery
Dogs are so in tune with us that they can read our minds, according to a new Learning & Behavior study that also determined canines are probably born with the ability.
Practice makes perfect, however, so the more a dog hangs around humans, the better he or she becomes at “canine telepathy,” which actually relies upon hyperawareness of the senses.
Those of us who have owned or been around dogs for any period of time know how well they often “get” us, sensing tiredness, depression, headaches or other maladies before we consciously exhibit any major outward signs of distress. Dogs can even detect when a person has cancer. They also seem to sense our joy and good health.
Monique Udell and her team from the University of Florida wondered why dogs are so clever at reading us, and how they accomplish this feat. Are dogs born with the ability to sense our mental states, or do canines learn from experience?
To explore these questions and more, Udell and her team carried out two experiments involving both wolves and dogs. In the experiments, the two sets of animals were given the opportunity to beg for food, either from an attentive person or from a person unable to see the potential begger.
The researchers showed for the first time that wolves, like domestic dogs, are capable of begging successfully for food by approaching the attentive human. This demonstrates that both species – domesticated and non-domesticated – have the capacity to behave in accordance with a human’s attentional state. They are therefore likely born with the ability, since wolves would not have had much practice, which the typical pet dog gains by begging for treats during dinner and at other times.
Some dogs were better at reading people than others were, however. Shelter dogs were not nearly as good as pampered house pooches, demonstrating that exposure to humans allows dogs to hone their natural people-reading skills more.
According to the researchers, “These results suggest that dogs’ ability to follow human actions stems from a willingness to accept humans as social companions, combined with conditioning to follow the limbs and actions of humans to acquire reinforcement. The type of attentional cues, the context in which the command is presented, and previous experience are all important.”
Vote for the article here: furryne.ws | Published News
Review: ‘Fuzzy Nation’ by John Scalzi
Author: Fred
H. Beam Piper’s “Little Fuzzy” (1962) was about the discovery of a small, cute, furry mammal on the planet Zarathustra, and the battle against the Charatered Zarathustra Company to have the Fuzzies recognized as intelligent natives.
Now John Scalzi has rewritten the same story, but with plenty of big differences. Fans of Piper’s Hugo-nominated novel can debate whether the original needed a revision, but none can deny that Scalzi’s version is enjoyable in its own right.
Find the full article here: flayrah – furry food for thought
Creative Commons: Full post may be available under a free license.
Wanna hear a good band in the fandom?
Guide dog aids blind owner AND former leading labrador after he loses sight
After six years of loyal service, Graham Waspe was devastated when his guide dog Edward was left blind after developing cataracts.
But his devastation turned to joy when his replacement Opal turned out to be a real gem.
Mr Waspe’s new dog is not just aiding his owner to carry out everyday tasks, but also helping Edward to get around.
Find the full article here: furryne.ws | Published News
My Little Pony Corrals Unlikely Fanboys Known as ‘Bronies’
Each day, out-of-work computer programmer Luke Allen self-medicates by watching animated ponies have magical adventures.
The 32-year-old, who lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, loves his daily fix of My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic, and he’s not alone. He’s part of a growing group of “bronies” (“bro ponies”) — men who are fans of a TV show largely intended for a much younger audience.
“First we can’t believe this show is so good, then we can’t believe we’ve become fans for life, then we can’t believe we’re walking down the pink aisle at Toys R Us or asking for the girl’s toy in our Happy Meal,” Allen said in an e-mail to Wired.com. “Then we can’t believe our friends haven’t seen it yet, then we can’t believe they’re becoming bronies too.”
Every nerd has a favorite TV show they watch religiously and know inside and out. But My Little Pony seems like an unlikely object of fanboy love. Since the show debuted last fall on cable channel Hub TV, it’s attracted a growing number of male fanatics. Their love of the show is internet neo-sincerity at its best: In addition to watching the show, these teenage, twenty- and thirtysomething guys are creating pony art, posting fan videos on YouTube and feeding threads on 4chan (and their own chan, Ponychan).
They also risk life, limb and being trolled to death on the /co/ board to fawn over a small gaggle of ponies with names like Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash.
Find the full article here: furryne.ws | Published News
New guide dog helps wounded airman
Via WTNH.com [tip:@Talliy]
- By: Keith Kountz
Hartford, Conn (WTNH) – Back in December we introduced you to a Airforce Senior Airman who was blinded by an explosive in Afghanistan, and now 23-year old Micahel Malarsie continues to regain his independence, with help from the Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation .
Malarsie walked into the studios of Clear Channel radio in Hartford this morning with his family, and his new best friend X-on at his side.
“I wake up in the morning, and whether we’re going to the grocery store, or the mall, or to eat, anywhere I go I get to take him with me,” Malarsie said.
It was January of last year when Malarsie was blinded by an improvised explosive device while on a routine patrol in Kandahar, Afghanistan.
Finish reading story: New guide dog helps wounded airman: wtnh.com
Re: New CN Looney Tunes show?
this crapfest any longer. Was extremely disappointed to see that they
made her an excruciatingly annoying ditz :^(
Ron
Human & Bovine Genes Spliced – Brave Moo World
Udderly creepy! Scientists in China have created a herd of 300 cows that produce human breast milk, according to Sky News, and the hu-moo juice should be available on Chinese supermarket shelves in three years. Using transgenic and cloning technology similar to that which produced Dolly the sheep, cloned cow embryos were injected with human genes and then implanted into surrogate cows.
Workers at University of Beijing’s dairy farm say the result–identical to human breast milk with the same antibacterial and immune-boosting qualities:
is sweeter and stronger than the usual bovine variety
Genetically modified food is popular in China where GM papayas, tomatoes, potatoes, and cooking oil are already widely available for sale. The team at University of Beijing have already produced animals that are resistant to mad cow disease, as well as beef cattle that are genetically modified to produce more nutritious meat. The Chinese government recently approved insect-resistant rice and corn modified to help pigs absorb more nutrients.
Catch a video on the Transgenic Cows at GizModo
ActFur OnAir: ActFur s3 ep05 – Rainbewm
Hey guys! and welcome aboard for Episode 5, SONI I mean,……. just ‘Rainbewm’!
Copyright infringements aside, w’ve got Blue Birds blazing a fashion trail, National Geek day, the return of Pooh! ((’Winnie’ that is)), and in-depth looks at COLOUR in it’s entirety and Ray gives us the scoop on SUPPPPPER Volcanoes!
All this and more in store for you this fortnight with a mammoth 2hr+ show, and the Mushi ‘Quik Draw’ competition continues into Round 2!
((Length entirely Carnivals fault. She is soooort of sorry, for the record~!))
Find the full article here: ACTfur On Air
This podcast may contain coarse language and adult themes. It is being provided as a service and is not the property of Furry News Network
‘Buckets’ by Jinxtigr
Author: toonces
Much appreciation to Jinxtigr for providing this week’s story!
By the time Daucery was done with Boodins, everybody in the Cathouse was up. She didn’t hurry him, which was surprising- but she explained that she liked to take time for herself, too. He counted as ‘me time’. Boodins found this gratifying, and by the time he had his pants on and was wandering back out into the common area, he was further gratified by a plethora of kitties.
Daucery was talking with the fat white fluffy Nerre in the black ribbon… Read more..
Find the full article here: The Bad Dog Book Club » Podcast
The contents of this Podcast may have adult language and adult themes. The content is not produced by Furry News Network, but is posted for your convenience.
Motor City Comic Con 2011 pt 2 David Petersen
06/09/2011
By: CraftyAndy
Interview with artist and writer David Petersen, creator of the popular furry comic Mouse Guard. A medieval fantasy adventure that follows a group of Mice Guard who’s perilous task is to ensure the safety and be a guide to their fellow kin who reside in independent villages and towns hidden away from would be predators. It has two volumes, with a third in the works, a spin off series and possibilities of a film.
I find it a quite different take on the whole anthro tales that are similar to it. No prophecies (so far) it’s not some overdone “Mice are at war with rats because all rats are evil and mice are all perfect!.” No pothole creating magic either, just pure medieval lore in the setting of twelfth century Michigan. Honestly the sophistication of the world, and characters made me think this came from anywhere but america, let alone Michigan. Much to my pleasant surprise soon after.
I intend to delve into this a little more in my “not in theaters” show I have in mind.
To be continued next with Jeremy A. Bastian. Don’t worry next video to come out will be FCN related for those wondering.
Allow modifications, Attribution Non-Commercial
Upcoming furry comics for June 2011 (Previews only)
Genius collection; I'm not sure if there's anything furry in it beside
the robot dog, but it's the only thing in this month's post that I've
ordered.
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DARK HORSE COMICS ([link])
APR110020 Usagi Yojimbo #138 24pg, b&w $3.50