Latest news with #fiddlercrabs


CNN
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
US Coast Guard releases new report on Titan submersible implosion
US Coast Guard releases new report on Titan submersible implosion The implosion of OceanGate's Titan submersible, which killed five people in 2023, was a preventable tragedy caused by OceanGate's failure to follow safety protocols and a toxic workplace culture, according to a report released by the US Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigation. 01:07 - Source: CNN See what happens when a robot competes with courting fiddler crabs Researchers test fiddler crab mating strategies by introducing a robot with a waving claw, dubbed 'Wavy Dave.' CNN speaks to one of the scientists about the study and some surprising moments caught on camera. 01:50 - Source: CNN Harry Enten samples new ketchup smoothie CNN's Harry Enten gives a taste test for the ketchup smoothie collaboration between Heinz Ketchup and Smoothie King. 00:52 - Source: CNN See statue unveiling for Tom Brady at Gillette Stadium The New England Patriots unveil a statue for seven-time Super Bowl champion and retired quarterback Tom Brady at Gillette Stadium. 00:32 - Source: CNN Dinosaur footprints found after Texas floods Videos and photos show dinosaur footprints uncovered in the Sandy Creek area in Travis County, Texas following the catastrophic July 4th floods. Experts say the creek where the prints were found is usually dry but rose to 20 feet during the floods, and that the prints are approximately 110 to 115 million years old. 00:51 - Source: CNN Water slide malfunction on Royal Caribbean cruise Videos show a hole in a broken water slide on the Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas cruise ship. Acrylic glass broke as a guest passed through the slide. A spokesperson said in a statement to CNN that the guest is being treated for injuries. 00:26 - Source: CNN CNN contributor sounds off on the big issue of sex toys thrown at WNBA games CNN Contributor Cari Champion says that WNBA players deserve respect in the wake of sex toys being thrown on the court during games. 01:21 - Source: CNN Iconic astronaut of Apollo 13 dies at 97 Famed NASA astronaut Jim Lovell, who commanded the harrowing Apollo 13 mission that was forced to abandon a lunar landing attempt in 1970, has died. He was 97. 00:45 - Source: CNN Kelly Clarkson's ex-husband Brandon Blackstock dead at 48 Brandon Blackstock, a talent manager and former husband of singer Kelly Clarkson, has died following a battle with cancer. He was 48. 01:11 - Source: CNN Sex toys thrown on court of WNBA games WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert denounced people throwing sex toys on the floor during games. A group of cryptocurrency meme creators claimed responsibility for some of the incidents. 00:36 - Source: CNN 'South Park' mocks Kristi Noem in new episode 'South Park' creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone continue their satirical takedown of the Trump administration with the newest episode taking aim at DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. CNN's Victor Blackwell and Sara Fischer discuss the latest episode. 01:24 - Source: CNN Headbanging birds? How cockatoos get down just like us These fine-feathered friends know how to get down. CNN's Channon Hodge explains how dozens of videos on social media helped researchers identify all the ways cockatoos cut a rug. 01:12 - Source: CNN First female umpire to make MLB history Baseball umpire Jen Pawol will make history this weekend as the first woman to work as an umpire in a Major League Baseball regular season game, crossing a historic gender barrier. 00:33 - Source: CNN Apple CEO gifts Trump plaque with 24K gold base Apple CEO Tim Cook gifted President Donald Trump a plaque made of glass manufactured in Corning's Harrodsburg, Kentucky, which he announced would be the cover glass on all iPhones and Apple Watches soon. 01:01 - Source: CNN NYT obtains previously undisclosed images of Epstein's home The New York Times has obtained previously undisclosed images and descriptions of the interior of Jeffrey Epstein's Manhattan townhouse. 01:47 - Source: CNN 'Dream come true': LAFC signs Son Heung-min South Korean forward Son Heung-min officially signed with Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) on a permanent transfer. Son was welcomed by chants from the club's passionate fanbase as he walked onto the stage for his unveiling. 01:03 - Source: CNN James Cameron's planned film on Hiroshima and Nagasaki 'a sacred duty' to survivors Film director James Cameron tells CNN's Christiane Amanpour he is adapting the book, "Ghosts of Hiroshima" by Charles Pellegrino into a film that he "has to make" partly because of a pledge he made to Tsutomu Yamaguchi, a survivor of both the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings. 02:55 - Source: CNN This man swims with his pet alligator Frau Meyer, an 8-foot-long alligator, is a pet to retired circus performers in Germany. She spends her days living with the Kaulis family, swimming and sunbathing. 01:09 - Source: CNN NHL mascot and player have close call with bear Video posted on X shows The Seattle Kraken's mascot 'Buoy' fishing with teammate John Hayden in Anchorage, Alaska, when they had a close call with a bear. 00:29 - Source: CNN Great Barrier Reef sees record coral bleaching According to the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), parts of the Great Barrier Reef suffered their biggest-ever declines last year after a marine heatwave bleached vast swaths of hard coral. 00:55 - Source: CNN The apartment she bought is perfect. The owner just has to die first There is a morbid loophole that could get you a Paris apartment for half the price. The French viager system is a real estate deal where buyers essentially bet on how long the seller has left to live. 01:50 - Source: CNN Neil deGrasse Tyson reacts to proposal for nuclear power on the moon CNN's Victor Blackwell speaks with astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson about NASA's desire to make the US the first country to put a nuclear reactor on the moon. 01:51 - Source: CNN Watch brown water gush out of the ceiling at Atlanta airport A ceiling leak at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Monday has been contained and the source of the leak is being investigated, according to a spokesperson for the airport. The leak did not impact overall airport operations, the spokesperson said. 00:37 - Source: CNN
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Robot Crab Meets Terrible Fate When Its True Nature Is Discovered by Real Crab
Scientists apparently underestimated the aggression of itty-bitty male fiddler crabs when they deployed a friendly robot version during mating season. In a paper published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, animal behavior researchers from the UK's University of Exeter detailed the embarrassing end to their experiment with "Wavy Dave," a 3D-printed, Bluetooth-controlled crab-bot trained to wave at its fellow crustaceans. Known for having one claw that's much larger than the other, fiddler crabs not only wave their large pincers to attract mates, but actually hold diminutive competitions during their mating seasons in which females choose those whose claws are biggest — yes, seriously — and wave the fastest. Though scientists already knew that male fiddler crabs will, as lead study author Joe Wilde said in a statement, "adjust their sexual displays if rivals are nearby," less was known about what exactly those males do in response to the rivals themselves. To test it out, Wilde — who is now at the Biomathematics and Statistics Scotland lab — and his Exeter colleagues took Wavy Dave out for a spin during fiddler crab mating season in the mudflats of Portugal's Ria Formosa Natural Park. Initially, the males left Dave alone, possibly because his larger claw was bigger — and therefore more likely to win the attention of females or pose a threat — than their own. At some point, however, "the females realized [the robot] was a bit odd," Wilde said, which led some of the male fiddlers to confront him. Unfortunately, things didn't turn out so well for the little crab robot. "One male broke Wavy Dave by pulling off his claw," the lead author wrote. "We had to abandon that trial and reboot the robot." Despite their creation getting torn to pieces, however, Wilde and his team learned a lot from their short-lived experiment. "If you own a shop and your rivals start selling things really cheaply, you might have to change how you run your business," the researcher explained. "The same might be true for males signaling to attract females — and our study suggests males do indeed respond to competition." As with humans and other animals, the male fiddler crabs who took Dave down have "subtle ways" of adjusting how they act "to compete in a dynamic environment, investing more in [sexual] signaling when it is likely to be most profitable." Like so many drunk bros in bar fights, the male fiddlers only attacked Wavy Dave after assessing the situation and getting feedback from the females — and ultimately, nobody lost except for the robot. More on responses to robots: As Waymo Debuts in Philadelphia, It May Want to Look Into the Time Furious Locals Tore Apart an Adorable Robot Solve the daily Crossword


Telegraph
3 days ago
- Science
- Telegraph
Robot crab ‘killed' by rivals in mating rituals
When scientists deposited 'Wavy Dave' the robot crab on a mudflat in Portugal, they hoped to learn more about how males compete for mates by waving their huge claws. But the little machine was thwarted by an altogether different kind of pincer movement after being attacked by furious rivals, unhappy with the interloper. 'The females realised he was a bit odd, and some of the males tried to fight him,' admitted Dr Joe Wilde, who carried out the study while working for the University of Exeter. 'One male broke Wavy Dave by pulling off his claw. We had to abandon that trial and reboot the robot.' The Exeter team were studying the mating habits of male fiddler crabs, who have one oversized claw, and attract females by standing outside their burrow and waving it. Female fiddler crabs prefer males with a larger claw, and those that wave their jumbo pincher more quickly. The outsized claw is so big it can be 30 per cent of their body weight and takes a lot of effort to continually wave. Once a male crab has impressed a female with his laborious claw waving, she will lay eggs in his burrow which he will then fertilise. Once the eggs have hatched, the larvae float away to sea. Thousands of crabs live on the mudflats in Southern Portugal where the study was conducted, and Wavy Dave was set up 12 inches from a real male's burrow to find out how males adjust their behaviour in the presence of a rival. The team discovered that the males did not appreciate the extra competition and stayed outside their burrows, waving for longer, to make sure they won the female's attention. The study – led by the Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour (CRAB) at Exeter – suggests male crabs notice the behaviour of rivals and can adjust their courtship in response. 'If you own a shop and your rivals start selling things really cheaply, you might have to change how you run your business,' added Dr Wilde. 'The same might be true for males signalling to attract females – and our study suggests males do indeed respond to competition. 'Our findings reveal the subtle ways in which these crabs adjust their behaviour to compete in a dynamic environment, investing more in signalling when it is likely to be most profitable.' The scientists said they observed multiple males 'aggressively challenging and physically attacking' the robot during trials, saying they were confident they saw Wavy Dave as a rival. However, when a larger claw was fitted, the crabs grew more fearful and less willing to throw their hat into the ring for the females. They retreated back into the burrow for longer periods, which researchers said was potentially to avoid attack and prevent their homes being stolen. Scientists believe crabs use the size of claws to assess fighting ability. Dr Wilde said Wavy Dave began as a 'pipedream' during the Covid lockdown. At the time, Dr Wilde was learning about 3D printing, and he happened to see that someone had created 3D scans of fiddler crabs and made them freely available. He found a 3D printer to make a model, and taught himself enough robotics to make a crab that waved its claw. He then developed an app to control the crab via Bluetooth signals. The new research was published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.


CNN
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
See what happens when a robot competes with courting fiddler crabs
See what happens when a robot competes with courting fiddler crabs Researchers test fiddler crab mating strategies by introducing a robot with a waving claw, dubbed 'Wavy Dave.' CNN speaks to one of the scientists about the study and some surprising moments caught on camera. 01:50 - Source: CNN Dinosaur footprints found after Texas floods Videos and photos show dinosaur footprints uncovered in the Sandy Creek area in Travis County, Texas following the catastrophic July 4th floods. Experts say the creek where the prints were found is usually dry but rose to 20 feet during the floods, and that the prints are approximately 110 to 115 million years old. 00:51 - Source: CNN Water slide malfunction on Royal Caribbean cruise Videos show a hole in a broken water slide on the Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas cruise ship. Acrylic glass broke as a guest passed through the slide. A spokesperson said in a statement to CNN that the guest is being treated for injuries. 00:26 - Source: CNN CNN contributor sounds off on the big issue of sex toys thrown at WNBA games CNN Contributor Cari Champion says that WNBA players deserve respect in the wake of sex toys being thrown on the court during games. 01:21 - Source: CNN Iconic astronaut of Apollo 13 dies at 97 Famed NASA astronaut Jim Lovell, who commanded the harrowing Apollo 13 mission that was forced to abandon a lunar landing attempt in 1970, has died. He was 97. 00:45 - Source: CNN Kelly Clarkson's ex-husband Brandon Blackstock dead at 48 Brandon Blackstock, a talent manager and former husband of singer Kelly Clarkson, has died following a battle with cancer. He was 48. 01:11 - Source: CNN Sex toys thrown on court of WNBA games WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert denounced people throwing sex toys on the floor during games. A group of cryptocurrency meme creators claimed responsibility for some of the incidents. 00:36 - Source: CNN 'South Park' mocks Kristi Noem in new episode 'South Park' creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone continue their satirical takedown of the Trump administration with the newest episode taking aim at DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. CNN's Victor Blackwell and Sara Fischer discuss the latest episode. 01:24 - Source: CNN Headbanging birds? How cockatoos get down just like us These fine-feathered friends know how to get down. CNN's Channon Hodge explains how dozens of videos on social media helped researchers identify all the ways cockatoos cut a rug. 01:12 - Source: CNN First female umpire to make MLB history Baseball umpire Jen Pawol will make history this weekend as the first woman to work as an umpire in a Major League Baseball regular season game, crossing a historic gender barrier. 00:33 - Source: CNN Apple CEO gifts Trump plaque with 24K gold base Apple CEO Tim Cook gifted President Donald Trump a plaque made of glass manufactured in Corning's Harrodsburg, Kentucky, which he announced would be the cover glass on all iPhones and Apple Watches soon. 01:01 - Source: CNN NYT obtains previously undisclosed images of Epstein's home The New York Times has obtained previously undisclosed images and descriptions of the interior of Jeffrey Epstein's Manhattan townhouse. 01:47 - Source: CNN 'Dream come true': LAFC signs Son Heung-min South Korean forward Son Heung-min officially signed with Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) on a permanent transfer. Son was welcomed by chants from the club's passionate fanbase as he walked onto the stage for his unveiling. 01:03 - Source: CNN James Cameron's planned film on Hiroshima and Nagasaki 'a sacred duty' to survivors Film director James Cameron tells CNN's Christiane Amanpour he is adapting the book, "Ghosts of Hiroshima" by Charles Pellegrino into a film that he "has to make" partly because of a pledge he made to Tsutomu Yamaguchi, a survivor of both the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings. 02:55 - Source: CNN This man swims with his pet alligator Frau Meyer, an 8-foot-long alligator, is a pet to retired circus performers in Germany. She spends her days living with the Kaulis family, swimming and sunbathing. 01:09 - Source: CNN NHL mascot and player have close call with bear Video posted on X shows The Seattle Kraken's mascot 'Buoy' fishing with teammate John Hayden in Anchorage, Alaska, when they had a close call with a bear. 00:29 - Source: CNN Great Barrier Reef sees record coral bleaching According to the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), parts of the Great Barrier Reef suffered their biggest-ever declines last year after a marine heatwave bleached vast swaths of hard coral. 00:55 - Source: CNN The apartment she bought is perfect. The owner just has to die first There is a morbid loophole that could get you a Paris apartment for half the price. The French viager system is a real estate deal where buyers essentially bet on how long the seller has left to live. 01:50 - Source: CNN Neil deGrasse Tyson reacts to proposal for nuclear power on the moon CNN's Victor Blackwell speaks with astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson about NASA's desire to make the US the first country to put a nuclear reactor on the moon. 01:51 - Source: CNN Watch brown water gush out of the ceiling at Atlanta airport A ceiling leak at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Monday has been contained and the source of the leak is being investigated, according to a spokesperson for the airport. The leak did not impact overall airport operations, the spokesperson said. 00:37 - Source: CNN


CNN
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
See what happens when a robot competes with courting fiddler crabs
See what happens when a robot competes with courting fiddler crabs Researchers test fiddler crab mating strategies by introducing a robot with a waving claw, dubbed 'Wavy Dave.' CNN speaks to one of the scientists about the study and some surprising moments caught on camera. 01:50 - Source: CNN Dinosaur footprints found after Texas floods Videos and photos show dinosaur footprints uncovered in the Sandy Creek area in Travis County, Texas following the catastrophic July 4th floods. Experts say the creek where the prints were found is usually dry but rose to 20 feet during the floods, and that the prints are approximately 110 to 115 million years old. 00:51 - Source: CNN Water slide malfunction on Royal Caribbean cruise Videos show a hole in a broken water slide on the Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas cruise ship. Acrylic glass broke as a guest passed through the slide. A spokesperson said in a statement to CNN that the guest is being treated for injuries. 00:26 - Source: CNN CNN contributor sounds off on the big issue of sex toys thrown at WNBA games CNN Contributor Cari Champion says that WNBA players deserve respect in the wake of sex toys being thrown on the court during games. 01:21 - Source: CNN Iconic astronaut of Apollo 13 dies at 97 Famed NASA astronaut Jim Lovell, who commanded the harrowing Apollo 13 mission that was forced to abandon a lunar landing attempt in 1970, has died. He was 97. 00:45 - Source: CNN Kelly Clarkson's ex-husband Brandon Blackstock dead at 48 Brandon Blackstock, a talent manager and former husband of singer Kelly Clarkson, has died following a battle with cancer. He was 48. 01:11 - Source: CNN Sex toys thrown on court of WNBA games WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert denounced people throwing sex toys on the floor during games. A group of cryptocurrency meme creators claimed responsibility for some of the incidents. 00:36 - Source: CNN 'South Park' mocks Kristi Noem in new episode 'South Park' creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone continue their satirical takedown of the Trump administration with the newest episode taking aim at DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. CNN's Victor Blackwell and Sara Fischer discuss the latest episode. 01:24 - Source: CNN Headbanging birds? How cockatoos get down just like us These fine-feathered friends know how to get down. CNN's Channon Hodge explains how dozens of videos on social media helped researchers identify all the ways cockatoos cut a rug. 01:12 - Source: CNN First female umpire to make MLB history Baseball umpire Jen Pawol will make history this weekend as the first woman to work as an umpire in a Major League Baseball regular season game, crossing a historic gender barrier. 00:33 - Source: CNN Apple CEO gifts Trump plaque with 24K gold base Apple CEO Tim Cook gifted President Donald Trump a plaque made of glass manufactured in Corning's Harrodsburg, Kentucky, which he announced would be the cover glass on all iPhones and Apple Watches soon. 01:01 - Source: CNN NYT obtains previously undisclosed images of Epstein's home The New York Times has obtained previously undisclosed images and descriptions of the interior of Jeffrey Epstein's Manhattan townhouse. 01:47 - Source: CNN 'Dream come true': LAFC signs Son Heung-min South Korean forward Son Heung-min officially signed with Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) on a permanent transfer. Son was welcomed by chants from the club's passionate fanbase as he walked onto the stage for his unveiling. 01:03 - Source: CNN James Cameron's planned film on Hiroshima and Nagasaki 'a sacred duty' to survivors Film director James Cameron tells CNN's Christiane Amanpour he is adapting the book, "Ghosts of Hiroshima" by Charles Pellegrino into a film that he "has to make" partly because of a pledge he made to Tsutomu Yamaguchi, a survivor of both the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings. 02:55 - Source: CNN This man swims with his pet alligator Frau Meyer, an 8-foot-long alligator, is a pet to retired circus performers in Germany. She spends her days living with the Kaulis family, swimming and sunbathing. 01:09 - Source: CNN NHL mascot and player have close call with bear Video posted on X shows The Seattle Kraken's mascot 'Buoy' fishing with teammate John Hayden in Anchorage, Alaska, when they had a close call with a bear. 00:29 - Source: CNN Great Barrier Reef sees record coral bleaching According to the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), parts of the Great Barrier Reef suffered their biggest-ever declines last year after a marine heatwave bleached vast swaths of hard coral. 00:55 - Source: CNN The apartment she bought is perfect. The owner just has to die first There is a morbid loophole that could get you a Paris apartment for half the price. The French viager system is a real estate deal where buyers essentially bet on how long the seller has left to live. 01:50 - Source: CNN Neil deGrasse Tyson reacts to proposal for nuclear power on the moon CNN's Victor Blackwell speaks with astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson about NASA's desire to make the US the first country to put a nuclear reactor on the moon. 01:51 - Source: CNN Watch brown water gush out of the ceiling at Atlanta airport A ceiling leak at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Monday has been contained and the source of the leak is being investigated, according to a spokesperson for the airport. The leak did not impact overall airport operations, the spokesperson said. 00:37 - Source: CNN