# behav: generous bonobo

<< Modern humans live in an “exploded” network with unusually large circles of trust that form due to prosociality toward unfamiliar people (i.e. xenophilia). In a set of experiments [AA] demonstrate that semi-free ranging bonobos (Pan paniscus) – both juveniles and young adults – also show spontaneous responses consistent with xenophilia >>

Jingzhi Tan, Dan Ariely, Brian Hare. Bonobos respond prosocially toward members of other groups. Scientific Reports  2017; 7 (14733). doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-15320-w. Nov 7, 2017.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-15320-w

Robin A. Smith. Bonobos Help Strangers Without Being Asked. Humans aren’t the only species eager to make a good first impression. Nov 7, 2017.

https://today.duke.edu/2017/11/bonobos-help-strangers-without-being-asked

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/11/171107122904.htm

# brain: perception of musical rhythms in mammals

AA << confirmed that beat perception, far from being a unique human trait, is likely strongly conserved in mammals >>

Andrew Masterson. Beat perception more primitive than thought. New research shows gerbils react differently to varying musical rhythms. Nov 9, 2017.

https://cosmosmagazine.com/biology/beat-perception-more-primitive-than-thought

Vani G. Rajendran, Nicol S. Harper, et al. Midbrain adaptation may set the stage for the perception of musical beat. Proc. R. Soc. B 2017 284 20171455; DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.1455. Nov 8, 2017.

http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/284/1866/20171455

# gst-ethno-lang: the physics of bubbles to describe (and to predict) the dynamics of linguistic patterns

<< If you want to know where you'll find dialects and why, a lot can be predicted from the physics of bubbles and our tendency to copy others around us >> James Burridge

Physics of bubbles could explain language patterns. July 24, 2017

https://m.phys.org/news/2017-07-physics-language-patterns.html

<< The model shows that the boundaries of language dialect regions are controlled by a length minimizing effect analogous to surface tension, mediated by variations in population density which can induce curvature, and by the shape of coastline or similar borders >>

<< The model is able to reproduce observations and predictions of dialectologists. These include dialect continua, isogloss bundling, fanning, the wavelike spread of dialect features from cities, and the impact of human movement on the number of dialects that an area can support >>

James Burridge. Spatial Evolution of Human Dialects. Phys. Rev. X. 031008. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevX.7.031008. Jul 17, 2017

https://journals.aps.org/prx/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevX.7.031008 

# evol: they were even fluffier than previously thought

<< Anchiornis’ contour feathers revealed a newly-described, extinct, primitive feather form consisting of a short quill with long, independent, flexible barbs erupting from the quill at low angles to form two vanes and a forked feather shape >>

Feathered, Bird-Like Dinosaur Anchiornis Was Even Fluffier than We Thought. Nov 30, 2017

http://www.sci-news.com/paleontology/feathered-bird-like-dinosaur-anchiornis-05485.html

https://m.phys.org/news/2017-11-feathered-dinosaurs-fluffier-thought.html

Evan T. Saitta, Rebecca Gelernter, Jakob Vinther. Additional information on the primitive contour and wing feathering of paravian dinosaurs. Palaeontology.  doi: 10.1111/pala.12342. Nov 28, 2017.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/pala.12342/full

# ai-bots: an autonomous "golem" perspective; bots could improvise, bots could appear emotionally intelligent, bots could become extremely robust, bots could use non-intercepting cryptic strategies.

Feras Dayoub, Jonathan Roberts,  Michael Milford. We need robots that can improvise, but it's not easy to teach them right from wrong. Nov 26, 2017

https://theconversation.com/we-need-robots-that-can-improvise-but-its-not-easy-to-teach-them-right-from-wrong-87014

David Pring-Mill. Tech Is Becoming Emotionally Intelligent, and It's Big Business. Oct 30, 2017

https://singularityhub.com/2017/11/02/tech-is-becoming-emotionally-intelligent-and-its-big-business/amp/

Artificial muscles give soft robots superpowers. Nov 27, 2017

https://phys.org/news/2017-11-artificial-muscles-soft-robots-superpowers.html

Joris van Rossum. Blockchain for Research. Digital Science. Nov 27, 2017.

https://figshare.com/articles/_/5607778

FonT

in pratica un hacker da manuale, questo assolutamente ipotetico "golem" ...

Also

<< (..) che solva - senz'altro - qualsivoglia brillanza dell' insolto // (..) >>

<< Lascia il letto, figlio mio /
Usa i tuoi talenti con intelligenza /
e fabbrica sostituti agli dei /
affinche' smettano di lavorare ... / >>

1971 - una zolla dalle rive dell' Apsu'. Mar 8, 2006.

http://inkpi.blogspot.it/2006/03/1971-una-zolla-dalle-rive-dell-apsu.html

# behav: large-eared bats adopting slow-flight feeding strategies

AA << compare quantitative aerodynamic measures of flight efficiency of two bat species, one large-eared (Plecotus auritus) and one small-eared (Glossophaga soricina), flying freely in a wind tunnel >>

AA << find that the body drag of both species is higher than previously assumed and that the large-eared species has a higher body drag coefficient, but also produces relatively more ear/body lift than the small-eared species >>

<< The relatively higher power of the large-eared species results in lower optimal flight speeds and [AA] findings support the notion of a trade-off between the acoustic benefits of large external ears and aerodynamic performance. The result of this trade-off would be the eco-morphological correlation in bat flight, with large-eared bats generally adopting slow-flight feeding strategies >>

Jonas Hakansson, Lasse Jakobsen, et al. Body lift, drag and power are relatively higher in large-eared than in small-eared bat species. 2017; 14 (135): 4099. doi: 10.1098/rsif.2017.0455. Oct 25, 2017.

http://rsif.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/14/135/20170455

The pros and cons of large ears. Nov 10, 2017

http://www.lunduniversity.lu.se/article/the-pros-and-cons-of-large-ears

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/11/171110084634.htm

# ai-bot: a campaign to stop killer bots (i.e. near-future ubiquitous lethal autonomous weapons - nfulaw)

<< In response to growing concerns about autonomous weapons, the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots, a coalition of AI researchers and advocacy organizations, has released a fictional video that depicts a disturbing future in which lethal autonomous weapons have become cheap and ubiquitous worldwide >>

Disturbing video depicts near-future ubiquitous lethal autonomous weapons. The technology described in the film already exists, says UC Berkeley AI researcher Stuart Russell. Nov 18, 2017

http://www.kurzweilai.net/disturbing-video-depicts-near-future-ubiquitous-lethal-autonomous-weapons

FonT

in effetti si puo' immaginare - senza sconfinare troppo nella fantascienza - una entita' "nfulaw"  nella forma funzionale del bot-mosquito, di pochi millimetri, armata di device a pungiglione e adatte nano-vescicola e nano-pompa - in grado di iniettare qualche sorta di micidiale molecola -  che traccia e individua il suo bersaglio tramite il riconoscimento facciale oppure attraverso il segnale dello smartphone ...