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Whether you’re left, right or ambidextrous, “handedness” is part of our identity. But a lot of people don’t realise that we have other biases too and they are not unique to humans. My colleagues and I have published a new study that shows aligning our biases in the same way as other people may have social benefits. Across different cultures, human populations have high levels of right-handedness (around 90%). We also have a strong population bias in how we recognise faces and their emotions. A significant majority of the population are faster and more accurate at recognising identities and emotions when they fall within the left visu...... Read Full article on HadNews

With the arrival of spring, a timeless ritual begins anew: male birds fill the air with song, seeking to attract mates and defend their territories from other competing males. But there is a lot we still don’t understand about how birds learn which sounds to sing. Our latest study offers new insights and suggests genes may play a more important role than scientists realised. In nearly half of the world’s bird species, young birds learn by imitating the songs of adults. As birds learn songs from one another, mistakes inevitably happen, leading to variation in songs between populations of the same species, similar to the formation of d...... Read Full article on HadNews

In the wake of North America’s recent solar eclipse, another historic natural event is on the horizon. From late April through June 2024, the largest brood of 13-year cicadas, known as Brood XIX, will co-emerge with a midwestern brood of 17-year cicadas, Brood XIII. This event will affect 17 states, from Maryland west to Iowa and south into Arkansas, Alabama and northern Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia and Maryland. A co-emergence like this of two specific broods with different life cycles happens only once every 221 years. The last time these two groups emerged together was in 1803, when Thomas Jefferson was president. For about f...... Read Full article on HadNews

The video titled “What Was Prehistoric Earth Like?” takes us on a journey back millions of years ago when Earth was a very different place. In the prehistoric times, all the continents were fused into one supercontinent, teaming with life both beautiful and terrifying. Before the dinosaurs, there were other giant creatures ruling the Earth, such as the Permian period with epic landscapes and diverse plant and animal life. The video explores the changes Earth went through over millions of years, from the formation of Pangia to the rise and fall of different species like the giant insects, amphibians, and reptiles. It also delves into th...... Read Full article on HadNews

40,000 years of music explained in 8 minutes | Michael Spitzer In the video "40,000 years of music explained in 8 minutes," Michael Spitzer takes viewers on a journey through the evolution of music from prehistoric bone flutes to the modern era. Spitzer, a professor of music at the University of Liverpool, challenges the common perception that the history of music is solely a history of works and composers. Instead, he emphasizes that music is a universal and participatory activity that has evolved alongside human civilization. Spitzer explains that the earliest musical instruments, such as bone flutes and lithic instruments, were designed ...... Read Full article on HadNews

Our ancient ancestors weren’t jacked. They were energy savers. | Daniel Lieberman Daniel Lieberman's video "Our ancient ancestors weren’t jacked. They were energy savers" delves into the cost of keeping our bodies running and explains why physical activity was limited for our ancient ancestors. Lieberman explains that basic, essential bodily functions require a significant amount of energy. Even when doing nothing, our bodies spend about 1,400 calories per day just to keep us alive. This cost of maintaining our bodies helps to explain why we tend to avoid unnecessary physical activity. Our ancestors had to conserve energy and didn't waste i...... Read Full article on HadNews

It has been 50 years since Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Kiss launched their thunderock-doused debut album into the pop culture stratosphere. The eponymous album, released on February 18 1974, became a platform-stacked foot in the music industry’s door. What followed established Kiss as one of the most memorable hard-rock bands of the 1970s and ’80s, with a globally recognised legacy. The early days In 1972, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons shelved their first ever rock outfit following a short stint in a band called Wicked Lester. The pair then hatched a plan to form a far more aggressive and successful rock band. Drummer Peter C...... Read Full article on HadNews

Colourful flowers, and the insects and birds that fly among their dazzling displays, are a joy of nature. But how did early relationships between flower colour and animal pollinators emerge? In a study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society, we have unravelled this mystery by analysing the visual environments in which the ancestors of today’s bees foraged from flowers. We measured and analysed the light reflected from today’s flowers, as well as the rocks, soil, sticks, bark and leaves that form their natural backgrounds. From this data we built computer simulations that recreate the ancient visual environment when the first f...... Read Full article on HadNews