Researchers led by animal behaviorist Eleonora Biffi at the University of Parma tested 70 domestic dogs to see if they associate the nonsense word 'bouba' with rounded shapes and 'kiki' with spiky ones, a pattern long observed in humans. Using screens, speakers and AI-based head-tracking from GoPro footage, the team recorded where dogs looked as the words and shapes were played in different combinations. The findings were published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.
sciencealert.com
· 2026-10-18
Paleontologists studying microscopic pores on fossilized Fusioolithus eggshells, linked to massive titanosaurs, concluded these giant dinosaurs could not incubate eggs by sitting on them due to their enormous size. Instead, the study led by Kohei Tanaka and Darla Zelenitsky suggests titanosaurs buried their volleyball-sized eggs in piles of decaying vegetation, similar to how modern crocodiles incubate their nests, even in surprisingly cool, far-from-equator climates.
cbc.ca
· 2026-09-14
A commentary examines how generative AI tools, now used to summarize literature, draft text and respond to peer reviewers, are complicating traditional notions of who counts as an author on a scientific paper. The piece argues that authorship has always been a socially constructed status tied to accountability and trust, not just credit, and that AI's growing role in writing, review and publishing workflows demands deliberate public debate rather than decisions based on convenience or cost.
nature.com
· 2026-09-01
GoKawiil