After studying a cockatoo that grooves to the Backstreet Boys and examining about 1,000 YouTube videos, scientists say they’ve documented for the first time that some animals “dance” to a musical beat.
The results support a theory for why the human brain is wired for dancing.
In lab studies of two parrots and close review of the YouTube videos, scientists looked for signs that animals were actually feeling the beat of music they heard.
The verdict: Some parrots did and maybe an occasional elephant.
But researchers found no evidence of that for dogs and cats, despite long exposure to people and music, nor for chimps, our closest living relatives.
Girl in marching band shows muggers a beat
Don’t mess with the marching band.
That’s what California authorities are saying after a 17- year-old girl used her marching-band baton to beat back two would-be muggers.
Los Angeles County sheriff’s Deputy Michael Rust said the Quartz Hill girl was walking to school April 24 when two men approached her from behind, tried to grab her coat and demanded money.
Instead, one got a punch in the nose and the other a kick to the groin. Rust says the girl then beat both of them with her baton before she ran away.
Inmate no saint, but he won’t be Sinner either
He may have broken the law, but a Nebraska inmate still can’t change his name to “Sinner Lawrence Bilskirnir.”
Court documents say 23- year-old Jonathan L. Thomas cited his Norse religion in seeking the name change to Sinner Lawrence Bilskirnir. He says he “is a heathen and Thor is his ‘High God.’ ” But Lancaster County District Judge Steve Burns denied the request. He said government agencies will need to closely track Thomas because of his criminal record and three child-support cases against him.
Thomas is serving time for attempted burglary, receiving stolen property and methamphetamine possession. He is due to be released in 2014.
“Hey, Master, why the heck are you taking my photo on your iPhone and shaking it?”
A new application for the Apple iPhone says it lets you read your dog’s mind.
“Dog Thoughts,” a 99-cent application for the iPhone, can be downloaded through the App Store. Take a picture of your dog’s face and shake your iPhone. The program will bring up an interpretation of what your dog is thinking.
There are more than 100 dog thoughts and phrases that the program draws from to supposedly see into your dog’s mind.
