Friday 28 February 2014
Wednesday 26 February 2014
Dogs' brain scans reveal vocal responses
Devoted dog owners often claim that their pets understand them. A new study suggests they could be right.
By placing dogs in an MRI scanner, researchers from Hungary
found that the canine brain reacts to voices in the same way that the
human brain does.Emotionally charged sounds, such as crying or laughter, also prompted similar responses, perhaps explaining why dogs are attuned to human emotions.
The work is published in the journal Current Biology.
Lead author Attila Andics, from the Hungarian Academy of Science's Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, said: "We think dogs and humans have a very similar mechanism to process emotional information."
Eleven pet dogs took part in the study; training them took some time.
"We used positive reinforcement strategies - lots of praise," said Dr Andics.
"There were 12 sessions of preparatory training, then seven sessions in the scanner room, then these dogs were able to lie motionless for as long as eight minutes. Once they were trained, they were so happy, I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it."
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Corinna Downes: Interviewed by Mark Antony Raines
What inspired you to get into birds?
Birds are, quite simply, magnificent. And the fact that some migrate thousands of miles, year after year, just boggles the mind. They come in all shapes and sizes, colouration and beauty, and from the smallest to the largest they fill this world with their songs, their displays, and – in some cases - their downright stamina: annual migration, living a life on the wing, or roaming the oceans, and only coming to land to breed.
What is the aim of your blog?
Many birds across the world are facing the same fate as elephants, rhinos and tigers – to name but a few – and their plight needs to be publicised far and wide. The human race needs to learn that killing for fun is not acceptable; who exactly do we think we are? Killing for feathers to adorn hats and such like is obscene. And if we are supposed to have evolved into such great beings, why is it that some cannot accept that the old ways are defunct? Not forgetting those creeps that trap to sell to the illegal wildlife trade. We - as the so-called intelligent species – are systematically destroying the world around us and it just seems to me that the dilemma of birds is largely ignored. Wind farms, for example, may be the way forward for us, but for a lot of birds they are merely another form of execution. High rise buildings may be a way of solving our problems of over-population but to one heck of a lot of birds their windows are a death sentence. People are beginning to wake up to these problems, but we need to continue to drive home the point, lest it shrinks into the background once news of such things begins to fade.
What plans do you have for the future?
To continue to bring stories of their struggles to light. And the successes, of course, and there are some. But for the sake of the birds there should be more. We need to educate the future generations that the sight and sounds of birds alive is more important than seeing pile upon pile of them laying dead, watched over by a smiling hunter who appears to have had a fun day killing. Or nets full of dead ones after a day out trapping. Those snapshots of our world should be erased once and for all. But, of course, they never will be. We are humans after all.
All in very simplistic terms, but I think you get my drift.
Karl Shuker: Interviewed by Mark Antony Raines
What inspired you?
Right from the earliest age, I'd always been fascinated by animals and in particular by unusual ones. But cryptozoology didn't enter my life significantly until my early teens, when my mother, Mary Shuker, bought as a birthday present for me a copy of the 1972 Paladin paperback edition of Bernard Heuvelmans's classic cryptozoology book On the Track of Unknown Animals. Once I'd read that, I was totally hooked on the subject, and re-read it so many times that I could quote great chunks of it. I later bought the bigger, unabridged edition that contained a few extra chapters, as well as his book on sea serpents, and during my spare time during sixth form and university I began amassing an archive of magazine articles, books, and newspaper cuttings re mystery animals of every kind. When I obtained my PhD in zoology, I decided to try my hand at becoming a full-time writer and media consultant specialising in cryptozoology, and in 1989 my first book, Mystery Cats of the World, was published and was a big success. I now have 20 published books to my name and countless articles, most of them on cryptozoology, and have just completed my 21st book.
What are your aims?
My primary aim with my cryptozoology career has always been to investigate and document lesser-known mystery beasts. There are so many researchers and publications re bigfoot, yeti, Loch Ness monster, etc, so I've always aimed to publicise the more obscure examples, uncovering long-forgotten reports in early travelogues, little-known periodicals, and so forth, so my books and articles cover many cryptids that you won't find in other published works. Of course, with the internet a lot of my work gets copied by others online without even giving me the courtesy of a reference, but those who read my publications know that mine are the origin of these online coverages, so that's all that really matters. Also, I now have my own award-winning blog, ShukerNature (at: www.karlshuker.blogspot.com), where I regularly post new or updated articles of mine on a vast range of subjects, not just cryptozoology but also other animal anomalies and mysteries, and it attracts numerous viewers every day. There are almost 400 articles on my blog at present, and one of them alone, on black lions, has attracted almost a million hits since I posted it less than 2 years ago.
What are your plans for the future?
My plans for the future are to write more books and articles - I have lots of ideas in mind, though obviously I'd prefer not to go into details publicly just in case someone else steals them and gets a book or article out on the same subject before I do! I can say, however, that the book I have just completed and which will be published by CFZ Press later this year is my third compilation volume of extraordinary animals, containing a varied mix of mystery animals, mythological animals, and bizarre known animals. It's called The Menagerie of Marvels. So look out for that one soon!
Right from the earliest age, I'd always been fascinated by animals and in particular by unusual ones. But cryptozoology didn't enter my life significantly until my early teens, when my mother, Mary Shuker, bought as a birthday present for me a copy of the 1972 Paladin paperback edition of Bernard Heuvelmans's classic cryptozoology book On the Track of Unknown Animals. Once I'd read that, I was totally hooked on the subject, and re-read it so many times that I could quote great chunks of it. I later bought the bigger, unabridged edition that contained a few extra chapters, as well as his book on sea serpents, and during my spare time during sixth form and university I began amassing an archive of magazine articles, books, and newspaper cuttings re mystery animals of every kind. When I obtained my PhD in zoology, I decided to try my hand at becoming a full-time writer and media consultant specialising in cryptozoology, and in 1989 my first book, Mystery Cats of the World, was published and was a big success. I now have 20 published books to my name and countless articles, most of them on cryptozoology, and have just completed my 21st book.
What are your aims?
My primary aim with my cryptozoology career has always been to investigate and document lesser-known mystery beasts. There are so many researchers and publications re bigfoot, yeti, Loch Ness monster, etc, so I've always aimed to publicise the more obscure examples, uncovering long-forgotten reports in early travelogues, little-known periodicals, and so forth, so my books and articles cover many cryptids that you won't find in other published works. Of course, with the internet a lot of my work gets copied by others online without even giving me the courtesy of a reference, but those who read my publications know that mine are the origin of these online coverages, so that's all that really matters. Also, I now have my own award-winning blog, ShukerNature (at: www.karlshuker.blogspot.com), where I regularly post new or updated articles of mine on a vast range of subjects, not just cryptozoology but also other animal anomalies and mysteries, and it attracts numerous viewers every day. There are almost 400 articles on my blog at present, and one of them alone, on black lions, has attracted almost a million hits since I posted it less than 2 years ago.
What are your plans for the future?
My plans for the future are to write more books and articles - I have lots of ideas in mind, though obviously I'd prefer not to go into details publicly just in case someone else steals them and gets a book or article out on the same subject before I do! I can say, however, that the book I have just completed and which will be published by CFZ Press later this year is my third compilation volume of extraordinary animals, containing a varied mix of mystery animals, mythological animals, and bizarre known animals. It's called The Menagerie of Marvels. So look out for that one soon!
Sunday 23 February 2014
Weird Weekend 2014 - August 15 to 17th 2014
Tickets for the 2013 event are now on sale at a special discount price of £20 if you buy in advance. Don't be square, be there.
http://forteanzoology.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-publicity-juggernaut-for-next-years.html
http://forteanzoology.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-publicity-juggernaut-for-next-years.html
Gonzo Multimedia
About Gonzo
Gonzomultimedia.co.uk went live in October 2010, with the first exclusive being Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman's debut release as a duo "The Living Tree". Gonzo Multimedia brings you a wide variety of products from a number of renowned artists and record labels, largely spanning rock and pop music from the '60s to today, and the Gonzo catalogue includes 100% exclusive products that are unavailable elsewhere.In addition to a varied and wildly eclectic catalogue Gonzo also boasts its own YouTube TV channel and its own dedicated streaming web radio service which features exclusive interviews with some of the world’s biggest artists. Two recent additions to the web radio stream were exclusive interviews with Daevid Allen and Steve Hillage from Gong and those two legendary Prog musicians Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman who are discussing their latest album The Living Tree.
Gonzo Multimedia also have a large back catalogue of DVD releases including DVDs from Ginger Baker, Yes, Renaissance, T’Pau, Nik Kershaw and Van Der Graaf Generator and albums from Gordon Giltrap and Rick Wakeman, Hawkwind, Soft Machine, The Fall and Gong with many more to come. Gonzo also exclusively distribute releases from the great British film director Tony Palmer and some of the recent best selling DVD releases from Tony Palmer featuring Frank Zappa, Jack Bruce and Leonard Cohen have been released through Gonzo Multimedia
With further exclusives in the pipeline from names such as Yes and Leonard Cohen we look forward to serving you with the best music on the planet and quite possibly in the Universe, Well, let’s stick to Planet earth for now.
Sign up to our mailing list for news on releases web casts and TV shows not to mention advance news of upcoming tours from Gonzo related artists and you will not miss out on any forthcoming exclusives and special offers!
http://www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk/about.html
Lars Thomas: Interviewed by Mark Antony Raines
What inspired you?
My inspiration when it comes to cryptozoology was a Danish book about the Loch Ness monster I bought at a book sale when I was 12. And later on Janet and Colin Bord's book Alien Animals, which brought me in contact with the world of cryptozoology in a more serious manner, and then it just grew from there.
What are your plans for the future?
My future plans a simple, to find the truth behind as many cryptozoological creatures I possibly can, to make sure, that Denmark will have a new generation of cryptozoologists when I am gone, and to get at least on of the universities in Denmark to offer a course in cryptozoology - just once!
What are your aims?
My aim in life is to teach as many people as I can, what a wonderful place nature is - not just from a cryptozoological point of view, but also just from a natural history point of view. There are so many exciting creatures out there - you just have to look for them!
My inspiration when it comes to cryptozoology was a Danish book about the Loch Ness monster I bought at a book sale when I was 12. And later on Janet and Colin Bord's book Alien Animals, which brought me in contact with the world of cryptozoology in a more serious manner, and then it just grew from there.
What are your plans for the future?
My future plans a simple, to find the truth behind as many cryptozoological creatures I possibly can, to make sure, that Denmark will have a new generation of cryptozoologists when I am gone, and to get at least on of the universities in Denmark to offer a course in cryptozoology - just once!
What are your aims?
My aim in life is to teach as many people as I can, what a wonderful place nature is - not just from a cryptozoological point of view, but also just from a natural history point of view. There are so many exciting creatures out there - you just have to look for them!
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