Gizmorama
August 11, 2010
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Good Morning,
The article I would like to point out in this newsletter
comes off as quite creepy; to me anyway. In the second
article, you can find all the details on a European robot
that can detect and display emotions. This sounds a lot like
all those 'machines are taking over the world' movies!
Until Next Time,
Erin
Questions? Comments? Email me at: mailto:gizmo@gophercentral.com
Email your comments
P.S. You can discuss this issue or any other topic in the new
Gizmorama forum. Check it out here...
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Early crocodile chewed more like mammals
ATHENS, Ohio - A fossil found in sub-Saharan Africa is that
of an ancient crocodile, but with some surprisingly mammal-
like features, especially its teeth, researchers say. Sci-
entists from Ohio University say the cat-sized creature,
named Pakasuchus Kapilimai, chewed more like a mammal rather
than "chomping" like its modern crocodile descendants, The
Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch said. In its head -- which "fits
in the palm of your hand" -- OU researcher Patrick O'Connor
says, it had mammal-like teeth that allowed for chewing
plants, insects or smaller animals. It likely lived mostly
on land, unlike modern crocs that sport fang-like teeth,
don't chew their food and spend most of their time in the
water. The OU team had found partial fossilized remains of
the animal in 2005, but a complete skeleton found in 2008
provided information about its teeth and other characteris-
tics. The fossil is a firsthand demonstration of evolution,
O'Connor said. "In unrelated animal groups, we see similar
patterns independently arrived," he said.
First robot with 'emotions' unveiled
LONDON - European researchers have developed a robot they
say is the first able to display and detect emotions and
react to being treated kindly. The humanoid robot, called
Nao, can detect human emotions through non-verbal clues such
as body-language and facial expressions and gets better at
reading a person's mood through prolonged interaction,
Britain's Daily Telegraph reported Monday. With a "brain"
designed to mirror the neural network of the human mind, it
can remember its interactions with different people and
memorize faces. With video cameras to see how close a person
comes and sensors to detect out how tactile they are, Nao
uses a programmed set of rules about what is "good" and
"bad" for it and can indicate whether it is "sad" or "happy"
by shrugging its shoulders or raising its arms for a hug.
The actions used to display each emotion are programmed, the
scientists say, but Nao decides which feeling to display,
and when. "We're modeling the first years of life," Lola
Canamero of the University of Hertfordshire said. "We are
working on non-verbal cues and the emotions are revealed
through physical postures, gestures and movements of the
body rather than facial or verbal expression. "If people can
behave naturally around their robot companions, robots will
be better-accepted as they become more common in our lives,"
she said.
New study analyzes calls of blue whales
SAN FRANCISCO - Scientists in California say more than 4,000
recordings of blue whales made off the state's coast could
explain how the world's largest animal communicates. Resear-
chers at San Francisco State University spent three months
collecting the cries and bubbling chatter of the whales as
they swam past an undersea observing station near Half Moon
Bay, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Monday. Yet even
with all the data, scientists admit they're unsure whether
the calls represent a kind of collaborative discussion, a
signal for possible mates, or perhaps a group signal to an-
nounce an intention to migrate or head to a new source of
food. Like humpbacks and fin whales, only the male blues are
believed to vocalize. But unlike most whales which have
widely varied song repertoires, blue whales all communicate
at exactly the same unvarying pitch, study leader Roger
Bland, an acoustical physicist, said. "We can only speculate
what they mean and wonder just what adaptive advantage the
(songs) may give the whales in their evolution," he said.
Blue whales live in all the oceans of the world with the
species and subspecies varying by region, but all are endan-
gered as worldwide hunting decimated their numbers before
international protections were imposed in 1966.
Study zeroes in on genes 'at work'
LOS ANGELES - U.S. researchers say they're using human gene
maps not just to show their location but also which ones
interact with each other to help cells thrive. Scientists
at UCLA say their findings will help researchers understand
which genes work together as cells grow, function and then
die, a university release said Monday. Humans have about
20,000 different genes that initiate and control all bodily
processes, from moving blood through the veins to stimulating
the immune system to attack a cold virus. Not all genes in a
cell are active during the processes, but some are almost
always engaged in either one-on-one reactions or creating
networks involving dozens of genes. Previous research had
mapped interactions between proteins, which are set in motion
by genes, but not the genes themselves. Researchers say this
is an important step in understanding the role each gene
plays in triggering a process or function in the body. The
new findings go beyond just understanding where a gene is
located, based on DNA sequencing -- that is, the order in
which they reside in a cell. "Current genetic maps show the
order of genes and where they physically reside, like a
street map of homes," Desmond Smith, a professor of molecular
and medical pharmacology at UCLA, said. "We took it one step
further and were able to map which genes interact when they
leave their homes and go to work." "By looking at a gene's
network of 'friends and co-workers,' we can tell a lot about
its role and purpose," said researcher Andy Lin, a postdoc-
toral researcher at UCLA.
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