Caught on camera, capuchin monkeys kidnap howler monkey babies
Scientists spotted surprising evidence of what they describe as monkey kidnappings while reviewing video footage from a small island of Panama. The capuchin monkeys were seen carrying at least 11 howler babies between 2022 and 2023.
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Forbes
28 minutes ago
- Forbes
Why Noise Pollution Is Slowly Killing Us All
Given the growing cacophony of noise pollution here on planet Earth, maybe it's a good thing that in space no one can hear you scream, as the 'Alien' film franchise so aptly points out. It's not just undersea noise negatively affecting our planet's marine life. Noise is also affecting terrestrial wildlife reserves and natural parks. And on a day-to-day basis, human-generated noise is literally endangering both the mental and physical health of a large swath of the global population. It's a point repeatedly made clear in 'Clamor: How Noise Took Over The World And How We Can Take It Back,' by science journalist Chris Berdik. The author provides us with a comprehensive and well-crafted narrative of the history of noise pollution as well as what hope we have in countering this threat. As anyone who's experienced the din of a busy airport, freeway or even Manhattan at rush hour can attest, noise linked to transportation can be overwhelming. In fact, a 2020 report by the European Environment Agency linked noise from transportation and other sources to some 48,000 new cases of heart disease and 12,000 premature deaths across the European continent every year, Berdik writes. As For The U.S.? According to the American Public Health Association, noise could be putting the health of more than 100 million Americans at risk, Berdik writes. And there's little escape at the office. Open concept office designs have only made the problem worse. By 2017, at least 70 percent of American offices were open plan in design despite mounting evidence that the racket it produced drove employees crazy and hampered their job performance, writes Berdik. But regardless of office type, thousands of workers have found links between self-reported workplace noise and more days spent sick at home, Berdik notes. Noise pollution also negatively affects wildlife. As Berdik points out, biologists at California Polytechnic State University spent several years studying the effects of noise on the flora and fauna of Rattlesnake Canyon in northwest New Mexico which hosts a plethora of natural gas wells, Berdik writes. The researchers found that the natural gas wells that also had noisy compression stations drove away two bird species, the Woodhouse Scrub Jay and Mountain Bluebirds, Berdik notes. Both species are key seed distributors for the canyon's primary tree species — the Pinyon Pine and the Utah Juniper, Berdik notes. Unnecessary Noise And all too often, we generate insane amounts of noise for no good reason. As I can personally attest, in the mid-1980s Manhattan restauranteurs started thinking diners would prefer to eat in restaurants that offered all the acoustics of a busy industrial warehouse. Open kitchens, high ceilings and cement floors wreaked havoc on decibel levels. But it was a pattern that was repeated nationwide and still pervades most urban restaurants. Urban cafes are also some of the worst offenders. In addition to the noise their machines make while whipping up lattes and frappuccinos, their usual floor design is such that the acoustics are horrific. In addition, there's the constant drone of music at ridiculously high levels. That's strange, since most people are usually there to work on their laptops or check their phones in relative tranquility. Sadly, public libraries are no longer refuges of quiet as they are now functioning as de facto community centers. In the U.S., at least, people who want to work in peace and relative quiet must pay for that privilege at woefully overpriced co-working establishments. Soundscape Design Despite Berdik's plea for soundscapes designed for public spaces, I say why introduce more sound when less sound would do? Let me remind you of the healing powers of silence. There's nothing like pulling a vehicle over to the side of a two-lane blacktop and stepping out into the complete silence of a desert landscape. And anyone who's had the privilege of skiing in an empty high mountain pass can also attest to the peaceful crunch of snow beneath one's feet. Can natural sounds counter noise pollution? It's a point that Berdik makes repeatedly in his book. As he notes, a 2022 study by environmental neuroscientists at Berlin's Max Planck Institute found that only six minutes of recorded birdsong reduced measures of depression and anxiety in listeners. In contrast, people subjected to recorded traffic noise came to feel more depressed, writes Berdik. There has been a myriad of noise mitigation strategies put forth over the last few decades. But I'm not as sanguine as Berdik about ways to win the war on noise pollution. It's both insidious and a blatant threat to our collective sanity. But what's perhaps most distressing about this problem is that it's woefully underappreciated and in comparison to other pressing environmental issues rarely gets much attention. Yet in his book, Berdkik reminds us of what's at stake. The Bottom Line? 'Clamor' is an important work that deserves to be read and used as a springboard for serious discourse about this burgeoning problem that cuts across almost every aspect of global society. Quiet is indeed vital, and it's disappearing; sonic tranquility is fast becoming a luxury product for those who can afford it, Berdik writes.
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Scientists want to send tiny, solar-powered spacecraft to Mars
Scientists want to send tiny, solar-powered spacecraft to examine difficult-to-reach parts of Earth's atmosphere – and eventually other planets too. The small devices are able to float in the air and could carry sensing instruments to monitor our climate as well as explore Mars, the researchers behind them suggest. Unlike conventional spacecraft, they do not need fuel to stay floating in the atmosphere. Instead, they use energy from light, through a process known as photophoresis that has been used to make objects levitate for 150 years. Despite that long history, the practical use of photophoresis has been limited to truly tiny objects or very powerful artificial light, and practical devices have not worked out. Now, however, researchers believe that they have made a centimetre-long flying device out of perforated sheets that can use natural sunlight to stay afloat. The flying structure is made from two thin, perforated membranes that are attached together by tiny supports. They can be used to create a tiny disc that is then able to leveitate. They could be sent up to the upper layers of the Earth's atmosphere. If they can be scaled up slightly, they would be able to carry antennae and circuits that would allow them to be used to monitor the atmosphere and for other science work. Eventually, the same design could be taken to other planets, they suggest. It is currently almost prohibitively expensive to send satellites to Mars, for instance – but doing so with the tiny spacecraft could allow researchers to monitor conditions on that planet, they say. 'If the full potential of this technology can be realized, swarms or arrays of such photophoretic flyers could be collecting high-resolution data on the temperature, pressure, chemical composition and wind dynamics of the mesosphere within the next decade,' Igor Bargatin from Penn University wrote in an article accompanying the new research. The work is described in a paper, 'Photophoretic flight of perforated structures in near-space conditions', published in the journal Nature.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
How common are wild wallabies in East Anglia?
Suffolk and Norfolk residents have been captivated this week after a small wallaby was spotted on the border near Bungay, as well as in Halesworth. While the species is not native to the UK, and it is not clear where it has come from, there are some wild colonies across the country. So just how many could there be in Suffolk and Norfolk? Where do wallabies come from? Wallabies are primarily found in Australia and nearby islands, and are members of the Macropod family along with kangaroos. They are typically small to medium-sized and have powerful hind legs that they use to bound along at high speeds and jump distances. Their diet typically consists of grass, herbs, roots, tree leaves, and other foliage. Why are there wallabies in the UK? A research paper in 2020 by Holly M. English of University College Dublin and Anthony Caravaggi of the University of South Wales looked into wallabies in the UK. They believed wallabies were likely first brought to the UK for zoos as well as for private collections in the late 19th Century. From then, it is believed that during the World Wars, some were released into the countryside as people were unable to look after them. Some of those wallabies that were released went on to form a population in the Peak District; however, they slowly died out over the years. Are there any large populations left in the UK? There is a large population of wallabies living on the Isle of Man. It is thought there are likely up to 1,000 of them living in an area of the isle called the Ballaugh Curragh. It is believed they were brought to a wildlife zoo in 1965 before some managed to escape and went on to breed. Surveys in 2023 and 2024 revealed the huge numbers living in the area with the use of thermal-imaging cameras. The study found there was a strong correlation with wallaby presence being linked to "cover of some sort", primarily woodland. Can wallabies survive in the wild? Helen Pearson, head of animal studies at Suffolk Rural, which has its own wallabies, said they could survive "quite well" in the UK. "They all come from Australia," she explained. "They live in shrubland out there, so as much as you think Australia is quite hot, they cope quite well in our climate. They're really hardy animals. "I know that on the Isle of Man, there is a wild population of wallabies because of how well they can survive. "Unfortunately, it does make them an invasive species because they are not native to here." While the animals are non-indigenous to the UK, it is unknown the impact they could be having on native animal and plant life, according to the 2020 research paper. Where could this wallaby have come from? It is currently unknown just where the wallaby on the Suffolk and Norfolk border has come from. "This one in particular in Suffolk, at one point it would have been in captivity, but I obviously don't know how long ago or if it's just escaped, or if it's been there for a long time," Ms Pearson said. "My guess, if you've only just seen it, then it's just escaped, but I don't know where from." Mr Pearson believed the wallaby was of the same kind as the ones at the college, a red-necked wallaby also known as a Bennett's wallaby. Have there been any other sightings in the area? Ms Pearson said she had not heard of any wild wallaby sightings in Suffolk before. However, the 2020 research paper mapped sightings of wallabies across the UK, and it found 95 confirmed sightings between 2008 and 2018, most of which were in the south of England. There were also 64 media reports of sightings during that time. A map of their findings suggested there had been some sightings in both Norfolk and Suffolk over the years, as well as in nearby Essex, but exact locations were not mentioned. While this is the first reported wallaby sighting in some time, there were other wallaby sightings near Halstead in Essex in 2018, as well as in Glemsford in Suffolk. At the time, it was believed they had escaped the year prior from a travelling carnival. There was also a captive wallaby named Sheila that escaped her home in Norwich in 2023, but she was later found. Is it illegal to release wallabies into the wild? It is considered illegal to release a wallaby into the wild under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. This is because they are not native to the UK, and the Act protects wild animals and plants in the UK. Anyone caught doing this could face imprisonment or a fine. What should you do if you spot the wallaby? Ms Pearson offered advice to anyone who sees the wallaby again. "Try and, if possible, keep eyes on it from a distance if you can because as soon as you lose sight of it, it could be another week until someone sees it," she said. "Out there in the woodlands, fields and things, it could very easily disappear quite quickly. "I used to be a zookeeper, and when things like this happen, you want to know that someone can see it at all times. "Keep eyes and ring maybe the RSPCA or local vet, and hopefully they can assemble a team. "I wouldn't approach it; they've got a really big kick on them, which could cause you some injuries, so it's best to leave it alone." Suffolk Police also encouraged anyone who saw it to contact them. Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. More on this story More sightings of wallaby roaming the countryside Video shows wallaby running in English countryside Survey shows wild wallaby population likely 1,000 Related internet links Suffolk Rural
