Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Wild marmosets learned skills from watching monkey movies
Screening an instructional monkey movie in a forest revealed that marmosets do not only learn from family members: they also copy on-screen strangers. It is the first time such a video has been used for investigations in the wild.
Tina Gunhold at the University of Vienna, Austria, and her colleagues filmed a common marmoset retrieving a treat from a plastic device.
They then took the device to the Atlantic Forest near Aldeia in Pernambuco, Brazil, and showed the movie to wild marmosets there. Although monkeys are known to learn from others in their social group, especially when they are young, little is known about their ability to learn from monkeys that do not belong to the same group.
YouTube link.
Marmosets are territorial, so the presence of an outsider – even a virtual one on a screen – could provoke an attack. "We didn't know if wild marmosets would be frightened of the video box but actually they were all attracted to it," says Gunhold. Compared to monkeys shown a static image of the stranger, video-watching marmosets were more likely to manipulate the device, typically copying the technique shown.
Young monkeys spent more time near the video box than older family members, suggesting that they found the movie more engaging – although as soon as one monkey mastered the task, it was impossible to tell whether the others were learning from the video or from their relative. "We think it's a combination of both," says Gunhold.
They then took the device to the Atlantic Forest near Aldeia in Pernambuco, Brazil, and showed the movie to wild marmosets there. Although monkeys are known to learn from others in their social group, especially when they are young, little is known about their ability to learn from monkeys that do not belong to the same group.
YouTube link.
Marmosets are territorial, so the presence of an outsider – even a virtual one on a screen – could provoke an attack. "We didn't know if wild marmosets would be frightened of the video box but actually they were all attracted to it," says Gunhold. Compared to monkeys shown a static image of the stranger, video-watching marmosets were more likely to manipulate the device, typically copying the technique shown.
Young monkeys spent more time near the video box than older family members, suggesting that they found the movie more engaging – although as soon as one monkey mastered the task, it was impossible to tell whether the others were learning from the video or from their relative. "We think it's a combination of both," says Gunhold.
Man faces criminal charge after popping balloon
Popping a helium balloon outside a Williamsburg apartment complex last week earned a Georgia man a misdemeanor destruction of property charge.
Justin R. Bridges, 21, of Cumming, was arrested on Sept. 2, nearly eight hours after the incident.
Maj. Greg Riley with Williamsburg police said officers were called to the apartment complex earlier that day for a report of damage to a balloon sculpture. The sculpture, which stands at the entrance to Quarterpath Place Apartments, was estimated to cost between $350 and $500, according to a criminal complaint against Bridges.
The property manager said the display was "ruined as a result of the popped balloon." Shortly after 2pm a witness said she saw a man, later identified as Bridges, pop one of the balloons in the display. She told police Bridges exclaimed, "I just popped that balloon! I just popped that (expletive)!"
The witness then confronted Bridges, who responded "Don't judge me." Bridges and the woman he was with walked off toward the nearby Clarion Hotel and the witness lost sight of them. Bridges was arrested at around 10pm after being found hiding in a bathroom at the hotel and transported to Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail.
Maj. Greg Riley with Williamsburg police said officers were called to the apartment complex earlier that day for a report of damage to a balloon sculpture. The sculpture, which stands at the entrance to Quarterpath Place Apartments, was estimated to cost between $350 and $500, according to a criminal complaint against Bridges.
The property manager said the display was "ruined as a result of the popped balloon." Shortly after 2pm a witness said she saw a man, later identified as Bridges, pop one of the balloons in the display. She told police Bridges exclaimed, "I just popped that balloon! I just popped that (expletive)!"
The witness then confronted Bridges, who responded "Don't judge me." Bridges and the woman he was with walked off toward the nearby Clarion Hotel and the witness lost sight of them. Bridges was arrested at around 10pm after being found hiding in a bathroom at the hotel and transported to Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail.
Pedestrians requested to wave neon flag while crossing road in attempt to improve traffic safety
Pedestrians in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, are being asked to try a new way to safely cross Las Olas Boulevard: Step into the crosswalk. Make eye contact with the oncoming driver. And then wave a neon orange flag helpfully provided by the city.
The city put out the buckets of flags with an instructional sign at the corner of Southeast 13th Street and Las Olas in the entertainment district last month.
It’s a test project to see if they improve traffic safety. The flags are a new concept in South Florida, but they have been tried in other US cities, although two of these communities later abandoned them as useless. The city introduced the option as a way to make pedestrians more visible. On a recent weekday afternoon, many pedestrians ignored the flags or simply pressed a button to turn on flashing yellow lights facing drivers. But some saw the flags as a fun way to cross the busy street.
YouTube link.
Similar flags have been used in cities like St. Paul, Minnesota, and Berkeley, California, with one of the largest being introduced in Seattle in 2008. The Seattle programme featured many more flags than Fort Lauderdale’s program and they were placed at 17 locations. After three years, the Seattle Department of Transportation dropped the programme claiming that “people kept stealing the flags” and that they didn’t notice a marked impact from the programme.
YouTube link.
Berkeley found similar results when it dropped the programme in 2004, estimating that about 2 percent of pedestrians used the programme and many did not use them properly. Shortly after the programme launched in Fort Lauderdale, three of the four flags had been stolen. But the city replaced the stolen flags. The city hasn’t planned to launch the programme at any other intersections yet.
It’s a test project to see if they improve traffic safety. The flags are a new concept in South Florida, but they have been tried in other US cities, although two of these communities later abandoned them as useless. The city introduced the option as a way to make pedestrians more visible. On a recent weekday afternoon, many pedestrians ignored the flags or simply pressed a button to turn on flashing yellow lights facing drivers. But some saw the flags as a fun way to cross the busy street.
YouTube link.
Similar flags have been used in cities like St. Paul, Minnesota, and Berkeley, California, with one of the largest being introduced in Seattle in 2008. The Seattle programme featured many more flags than Fort Lauderdale’s program and they were placed at 17 locations. After three years, the Seattle Department of Transportation dropped the programme claiming that “people kept stealing the flags” and that they didn’t notice a marked impact from the programme.
YouTube link.
Berkeley found similar results when it dropped the programme in 2004, estimating that about 2 percent of pedestrians used the programme and many did not use them properly. Shortly after the programme launched in Fort Lauderdale, three of the four flags had been stolen. But the city replaced the stolen flags. The city hasn’t planned to launch the programme at any other intersections yet.
Man charged with pooing in the woods claims his civil rights were violated
A Florida man charged by police with defecating in a wooded area outside a Mount Dora bar has filed a federal lawsuit contending his civil rights were violated.
Elvan Moore II of Lake Mary, who said he was “harassed” and “humiliated, filed the lawsuit against Mount Dora police officer Jeremy Alexander and the city of Mount Dora at the federal courthouse in Ocala this week. He is seeking in excess of $15,000.
The incident occurred just before 1am on July 7, 2010.
According to a Mount Dora police report, Alexander observed Moore running out of McGregor’s Bar, through the parking lot and into a wooded area. Alexander said he followed the man and witnessed him squatting in the woods beside a disabled vehicle with his shorts down. The report added Alexander noticed the man had a handful of white napkins and the area smelled of faeces. Moore reportedly said he was on vitamin supplements that didn’t agree with his digestive system and that he didn’t want to be disrespectful to the bar by using the restroom.
He also said his girlfriend was creating too much drama inside. The report adds the officer cited Moore for disorderly conduct and told him he needed to make arrangements to remove the faeces in a sanitary manner. According to the lawsuit, Moore contends it was vomit and not faeces that he dumped on the ground. Moore argues that Alexander never saw him defecating, did not collect the napkins or faeces so they could be tested or take any pictures of it. The lawsuit adds Moore obtained an attorney for the disorderly conduct charges but the State Attorney’s Office eventually dropped the charges, citing a lack of evidence.
However, Moore added not only did the incident become a matter of public record, but as a result of the charges he was fired from his $55,000-a-year job as a financial advisor at Merrill Lynch. The suit contains a copy of his termination letter that states bank officials had “lost confidence in your abilities to perform as a financial manager.” The lawsuit adds the city of Mount Dora adopted a “careless and reckless policy” that allowed Alexander to cite him and he has suffered lost wages, damages to his reputation, embarrassment and humiliation.
According to a Mount Dora police report, Alexander observed Moore running out of McGregor’s Bar, through the parking lot and into a wooded area. Alexander said he followed the man and witnessed him squatting in the woods beside a disabled vehicle with his shorts down. The report added Alexander noticed the man had a handful of white napkins and the area smelled of faeces. Moore reportedly said he was on vitamin supplements that didn’t agree with his digestive system and that he didn’t want to be disrespectful to the bar by using the restroom.
He also said his girlfriend was creating too much drama inside. The report adds the officer cited Moore for disorderly conduct and told him he needed to make arrangements to remove the faeces in a sanitary manner. According to the lawsuit, Moore contends it was vomit and not faeces that he dumped on the ground. Moore argues that Alexander never saw him defecating, did not collect the napkins or faeces so they could be tested or take any pictures of it. The lawsuit adds Moore obtained an attorney for the disorderly conduct charges but the State Attorney’s Office eventually dropped the charges, citing a lack of evidence.
However, Moore added not only did the incident become a matter of public record, but as a result of the charges he was fired from his $55,000-a-year job as a financial advisor at Merrill Lynch. The suit contains a copy of his termination letter that states bank officials had “lost confidence in your abilities to perform as a financial manager.” The lawsuit adds the city of Mount Dora adopted a “careless and reckless policy” that allowed Alexander to cite him and he has suffered lost wages, damages to his reputation, embarrassment and humiliation.
Suspicious packages on railway tracks revealed to be cow tongues embedded with nails and pins
A search is underway by the Indian River County Sheriff's Office for the person who left two packages on the railroad tracks in Sebastian, Florida, on Sunday.
Deputies said they found two cylindrical-shaped packages that appeared to be wrapped with wire or string. According to IRCSO, the area closed the tracks and surrounding area to traffic and trains.
The bomb squad from the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office checked the packages and found that they were not dangerous. Upon opening the packages, deputies discovered cow tongues with nails and pins stuck in them.
YouTube link.
Deputies have since learned of at least one similar incident in another jurisdiction that link the practice to Santeria, a religion that combines Christianity with West African beliefs. Officers are now seeking more information about the person who placed these items on the tracks.
Deputies said they found two cylindrical-shaped packages that appeared to be wrapped with wire or string. According to IRCSO, the area closed the tracks and surrounding area to traffic and trains.
The bomb squad from the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office checked the packages and found that they were not dangerous. Upon opening the packages, deputies discovered cow tongues with nails and pins stuck in them.
YouTube link.
Deputies have since learned of at least one similar incident in another jurisdiction that link the practice to Santeria, a religion that combines Christianity with West African beliefs. Officers are now seeking more information about the person who placed these items on the tracks.
Giant centipede crawling up woman's leg caused mid-flight commotion
Passengers on a flight to New Zealand got a scare when a large centipede scuttled up the leg of a first class passenger.
The woman noticed the large centipede crawling up her leg while on board a flight from Apia to Auckland.
The centipede then scuttled off, causing commotion amongst passengers in the cabin. The unidentified species of centipede, which was 10cm long, has since been destroyed.
Ministry for Primary Industries spokesman Craig Hughes said said biosecurity staff were waiting to meet the plane on arrival, and once passengers had disembarked, two quarantine inspectors checked the plane and found the centipede between a seat and the cabin wall. "By the size of its claws, it would have at least caused a nasty nip," he said. Mr Hughes said the it was most likely that a passenger accidently carried the centipede onto the plane in their hand luggage.
The incident was very unusual, but showed how important it was for passengers to check their bags for biosecurity risk items, he said. "It's also essential that passengers secure their hand luggage as much as possible so that dangerous critters don't sneak in before boarding. "The last thing that anyone wants is a new population of poisonous centipedes, or worse, crawling around Auckland."
The centipede then scuttled off, causing commotion amongst passengers in the cabin. The unidentified species of centipede, which was 10cm long, has since been destroyed.
Ministry for Primary Industries spokesman Craig Hughes said said biosecurity staff were waiting to meet the plane on arrival, and once passengers had disembarked, two quarantine inspectors checked the plane and found the centipede between a seat and the cabin wall. "By the size of its claws, it would have at least caused a nasty nip," he said. Mr Hughes said the it was most likely that a passenger accidently carried the centipede onto the plane in their hand luggage.
The incident was very unusual, but showed how important it was for passengers to check their bags for biosecurity risk items, he said. "It's also essential that passengers secure their hand luggage as much as possible so that dangerous critters don't sneak in before boarding. "The last thing that anyone wants is a new population of poisonous centipedes, or worse, crawling around Auckland."
Dog doubles as farm hand
A retired Russian army dog trainer who left the military to become a farmer claims he's managed to train his four-year-old dog to be a bigger help than any farm hand.
Alexander Matitsyn, 47, said he had purchased the Giant Schnauzer which he called Lemon, despite the fact it was dark black, and had decided to train it to see what it could do.
YouTube link.
He said: "I made him carry the bucket to get water from the yard because we aren't on a mains water supply here, and before long he was carrying the bucket himself, hooking it on the pump and then standing on the lever so that the water comes out and then bringing the bucket back without spilling it."
He said that in addition to that, Lemon was capable of driving his skiddoo on his farm on the outskirts of the city of Tara in Omsk Oblast, and can also keep a plough in a straight line when it comes to harvesting or planting crops. He added: "He loves to learn and try out new things and never forgets a trick. I learned about training animals in the army and it was only as a small hobby that I tried to train him and was amazed by the results."
Alexander Matitsyn, 47, said he had purchased the Giant Schnauzer which he called Lemon, despite the fact it was dark black, and had decided to train it to see what it could do.
YouTube link.
He said: "I made him carry the bucket to get water from the yard because we aren't on a mains water supply here, and before long he was carrying the bucket himself, hooking it on the pump and then standing on the lever so that the water comes out and then bringing the bucket back without spilling it."
He said that in addition to that, Lemon was capable of driving his skiddoo on his farm on the outskirts of the city of Tara in Omsk Oblast, and can also keep a plough in a straight line when it comes to harvesting or planting crops. He added: "He loves to learn and try out new things and never forgets a trick. I learned about training animals in the army and it was only as a small hobby that I tried to train him and was amazed by the results."
Councillor banned from speaking to female council staff
A councillor has been banned from speaking to female council staff after a phone bill of nearly £2,500 revealed he had been calling sex chat lines.
Wigan Independents' Robert Bleakley also used his council-issued mobile to send explicit text messages, which showed he had a "problem with women".
Wigan Council launched an investigation after a review of his phone contract.
The Standards Committee has removed his council mobile phone and he will be given equal opportunities training.
Mr Bleakley has not been suspended but the council committee found he breached the members' code of conduct by calling the premium rate numbers and sending discriminatory messages. The panel also removed other IT equipment and stopped his internet access. At the hearing on Friday, the panel was shown text messages including one in March 2013 in which he swore and said women were "idiots". It then said: "No wonder women are just cooking and washing material." The Standards Committee was told the Tyldesley ward councillor, who did not attend the hearing, had been investigated by the council twice before.
In February, he was found to have deliberately altered an email to try to jeopardise a senior employee's job. In March, Mr Bleakley viewed pornographic material on his council-issued laptop. He had been disqualified and suspended by the Standards Board for England twice and removed from the Liberal Democrat Party, Wigan Council said. Donna Hall, chief executive of Wigan Council, said: "I am appalled and sickened with the language used in these messages. It is quite clear, judging by the content of Councillor Bleakley's text messages, that he has a problem with women.
"I will not tolerate this prejudice, nor will I allow him to come into contact with female officers until he has undertaken equal opportunities training," she said. Leader of Wigan Independents Gareth Fairhurst said: "Councillor Bleakley used his mobile phone for personal use, which is a no-no. When it was highlighted he paid the money straight back. He thought it was the end of the matter, a clean slate effectively," Mr Fairhurst said. Mr Bleakley joined the group in June, before the investigation began, but Mr Fairhurst is now urging Wigan Council to provide full details of the investigation, so he can review the case. Mr Fairhurst added: "I'm quite sickened by some of the language that was used [and] I told Councillor Bleakey that under no uncertain terms."
Mr Bleakley has not been suspended but the council committee found he breached the members' code of conduct by calling the premium rate numbers and sending discriminatory messages. The panel also removed other IT equipment and stopped his internet access. At the hearing on Friday, the panel was shown text messages including one in March 2013 in which he swore and said women were "idiots". It then said: "No wonder women are just cooking and washing material." The Standards Committee was told the Tyldesley ward councillor, who did not attend the hearing, had been investigated by the council twice before.
In February, he was found to have deliberately altered an email to try to jeopardise a senior employee's job. In March, Mr Bleakley viewed pornographic material on his council-issued laptop. He had been disqualified and suspended by the Standards Board for England twice and removed from the Liberal Democrat Party, Wigan Council said. Donna Hall, chief executive of Wigan Council, said: "I am appalled and sickened with the language used in these messages. It is quite clear, judging by the content of Councillor Bleakley's text messages, that he has a problem with women.
"I will not tolerate this prejudice, nor will I allow him to come into contact with female officers until he has undertaken equal opportunities training," she said. Leader of Wigan Independents Gareth Fairhurst said: "Councillor Bleakley used his mobile phone for personal use, which is a no-no. When it was highlighted he paid the money straight back. He thought it was the end of the matter, a clean slate effectively," Mr Fairhurst said. Mr Bleakley joined the group in June, before the investigation began, but Mr Fairhurst is now urging Wigan Council to provide full details of the investigation, so he can review the case. Mr Fairhurst added: "I'm quite sickened by some of the language that was used [and] I told Councillor Bleakey that under no uncertain terms."
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