Chinese scientists create ‘robot’ pigeon
The News Review:
- Chinese scientists create ‘robot’ pigeon
- Pigeon racing ban lifted
- NRFLK & SUFFLK
- Pigeon problem is in our sights.
- Science and Medicine: Human Behavior
Chinese scientists create ‘robot’ pigeon
Rediff – Mar 19, 2007
Scientists in Qingdao city in east China’s Shandong Province implanted electrodes in the brain of the pigeon to control its behaviour and flight remotely by electrical stimulation. “The electric stimulation is precisely controlled by computer programmes” said Su Xuecheng director of the project from Shandong University of Science and Technology. So far scientists are able to order the pigeon to perform many complicated tasks like take-off and landing as well as turning right and left during flight. Robot birds will be put in use for rescue photography mapping and even national defence Xinhua news agency said.
Pigeon racing ban lifted
Express & Star – Mar 19, 2007
There were fears that many fanciers could scale back breeding programmes if the ban on racing lasted until the start of the season in April causing cashflow problems for clubs. The Royal Pigeon Racing Association said last month a number of clubs were hit financially last year when continental racing was halted because of bird flu fears. Training starts in March and Stafford and District Homing Society will be holding its first race on April 14 from Cheltenham. It also has a continental race planned for May 21. The club has been going for more than a century and has around 40 members in the area. Many are also members of the town?s other pigeon club ? Stafford Racing Pigeon Club.
NRFLK & SUFFLK
Elimar Pigeon Services – Mar 19, 2007
For those who still say my team of pigeons are rubbish read below. I am arguably the 9th best young bird flyer in the UK in nationals from when I entered my first young bird national in 2001through to 2006. All these results are taken from NFC young bird nationals: 1. R J Lowe Reading 1353.
Pigeon problem is in our sights.
Free with registration – Europe Intelligence Wire – AccessMyLibrary.com – Mar 19, 2007
Pigeon problem is in our sights. (19-MAR-07) Europe Intelligence Wire. Hull City Council said today its growing pigeon population.
Science and Medicine: Human Behavior
Washington Post – Mar 19, 2007
I am also happy to take any questions related to my Department of Human Behavior Column — today’s piece was about what insights Shakespeare and King Lear may have to offer the Bush Administration. The column as many of you know explores what news events reveal about human behavior. Buckle up!_______________________Shankar Vedantam: Jeff:Do you think we could start by having you tell us why you decided to study cowbirds — and whether the mafia behavior you found surprised you?ShankarJeff Hoover: I had been studying the interactions between cowbirds and this particular host the Prothonotary Warbler for a decade. During that time we had never removed cowbird eggs because we wanted to see what the consequences of raising cowbirds was for the warbler. Then in a separate study we started to remove cowbird eggs to maximize the production of warbler offspring. When we did this we discovered that by removing the cowbird eggs we were somehow increasing the failure rate of the warbler nests… Shankar Vedantam: I think this raises a raft of interesting questions. When we think of human behavior we immediately ascribe agency to it which is not something we routinely do with animal behavior. There is a pigeon outside my home that has currently been sitting on a couple of eggs for the last three days and I have been wondering about whether she knows what she is doing or whether she is just doing it "instinctively. "f course that is such a messy word and often just a euphemism to say that a creature is not thinking about it the way a human would. In my article today Frans de Waal argued I think persuasively that the reverse of this argument may also be true. While it is possible that other animals may be "thinking" the way we do it is also possible that many of our thinking behaviors are indeed automatic or instinctive. They don’t feel that way of course but at least one popular vein of research in neuroscience would suggest that the feeling of agency we have over our thoughts is something that the brain layers over processes that are actually largely automatic.
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