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Scientific American
17-06-2025
- Science
- Scientific American
Readers Respond to the March 2025 Issue
FINDING A TOXIC SOURCE In ' Penguin Cartography ' [Advances], Gayoung Lee reports on research by marine biologist John Reinfelder and his colleagues about the accumulation of mercury in penguins. The story highlights gold mining as a source of such mercury. But according to an October 2010 article in the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's (WHOI's) journal Oceanus, most of the mercury in the oceans has been created by coal power plants. This link is important because burning coal is also a major source of the carbon in the atmosphere that is causing climate change. TERRENCE DUNN VANCOUVER, WASH. On supporting science journalism If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today. REINFELDER REPLIES: The WHOI article Dunn notes was published before the United Nations Environment Program's Global Mercury Assessment 2018, which shows that artisanal and small-scale gold mining constitute the largest single source of anthropogenic mercury emissions (representing 38 percent of such emissions). Coal combustion is the second-largest source (representing 21 percent). INSIGHT ON INSIGHT In ' The Wonder of Insight,' John Kounios and Yvette Kounios explore the neurocognitive underpinnings of the 'aha! moment.' I wonder whether the authors—or others in the field—have explored similar neurocognitive mechanisms in the experience of humor, particularly the moment of 'getting' a joke. Much like insight, the punchline of a joke often reconfigures our understanding of preceding information, and the moment of laughter seems to share the element of sudden recognition or restructuring. MARK HALLIWELL SMITH BEVERLY HILLS, CALIF. The authors assert that 'messages about rewards can enhance insight—but only when they are displayed so briefly that a person cannot consciously perceive them.' Yet rewards' effect on insight is nuanced and context-dependent. Highly important rewards might sometimes shift focus toward immediate goals and thus limit the broad, exploratory thinking that is beneficial for insight. But in other contexts, they can boost motivation, persistence and creative problem-solving. Moreover, the authors seem to present a strict dichotomy by suggesting that only subliminal rewards can boost insight, potentially overlooking the role of conscious incentives. JAMAL I. BITTAR TOLEDO, OHIO Up to my early 20s, I was a highly creative person and produced beautiful paintings. Since I finished college and went into a line of work that requires a lot of analytical thinking, I have struggled to be artistically creative again. Until now, I thought I was just too mentally exhausted to produce new ideas. But after reading this article, I wonder if highly analytical tasks and constant deadlines at work are suppressing the part of my brain that used to make me creative. AILYN MONTES MIAMI, FLA. THE AUTHORS REPLY: Smith likens jokes to puzzles and suggests their punchlines can cause one's initial understanding to become restructured. There is a fair amount of research on this topic. But 'getting' a joke can impose a burden on the would-be life of the party: When you haven't rehearsed the joke sufficiently, you might mentally fixate on the punchline and give away the meaning of the joke while telling it. When you see something in a new light, it can be hard to remember it in the old light. Bittar argues that explicit rewards can motivate creativity. Research shows that the prospect of such a reward can incentivize people to persist on solving a problem, making them more likely to come up with a good idea. Research also shows, however, that offering explicit rewards can narrow the scope of thought to ideas closely related to the goal, making it more difficult for a person to explore remote associations and fringe ideas that could be fodder for a creative insight. And recent research does suggest that subliminal rewards, in particular, can energize thought without narrowing one's thinking. Outside-the-box thinking is more likely when one's eyes are not on the prize. Montes's reflections on how work-related pressures can sap one's creativity will ring true for many people. The kind of relaxed reverie that can give birth to an insight can be easily crushed by anxiety, the constant pressure to stay on task and a lack of sleep. That's why many creative ideas unexpectedly emerge during vacations. It's also why some businesses take their creative teams on vacationlike retreats. AH, SUGAR, SUGAR ' Sweet Surprise,' by Saima S. Iqbal [Advances; February], reports on a study on exposure to sugar restrictions among mid-20th-century infants in the U.K.: economist Tadeja Gračner and her team found that such exposure mitigated chronic ailments later in life. Is the relevant 'sugar' sucrose, which is 50 percent glucose and 50 percent fructose? If so, is glucose or fructose, or both, the culprit for subsequent ailments? RAJESH KULKARNI VIA E-MAIL GRAČNER REPLIES: Throughout the article, 'sugar' refers primarily to added sugar—sugar that is added to foods rather than naturally occurring, or intrinsic, sugar. These additives can come in many forms, including but not limited to honey, table sugar, molasses and high-fructose corn syrup. Our study did not specifically examine the exact sources of added sugar. OBJECTIVE SPHERICITY ' The Roundest Object in the Universe,' by Phil Plait [The Universe; February], asserts that, among known astronomical objects, the sun is the closest to a perfect sphere. I realize Plait was talking about natural objects, but I was surprised that he made no mention of Gravity Probe B. That orbiting experiment, which tested predictions of Einstein's general theory of relativity, used four fused quartz spheres as its gyroscopes, and these objects were more spherical than the sun. DON JENNINGS COLLEGE PARK, MD. PLAIT REPLIES: I should have made it clear that I was exploring the question of the most spherical natural object. As many people have noted, there are some artificial objects vying for the title. They indeed include the gyroscopic rotors developed for NASA's Gravity Probe B mission, which launched in 2004. These ball-bearing-like gyroscopes were 3.8 centimeters across and deviated from sphericity by the thickness of just a few atoms. Unfortunately, there wasn't room in the article to mention them. So right after it was published online in November 2024, I followed up with more information in issue number 801 of my Bad Astronomy Newsletter. Other contenders for roundest object are the spheres used to measure Avogadro's constant, the number of atoms or molecules in one mole of a given substance. Having a nearly perfectly round object isn't just a matter of idle interest; our understanding of the universe can depend on it! CLARIFICATIONS In ' The Traumatic Roots of Addiction ' [October 2024], Maia Szalavitz refers to the train bound for Auschwitz with her father and his mother onboard as what was abandoned by the Nazis in 1944. The online version of ' Deep-Sea Mining Begins,' by Willem Marx [May], now describes Alisher Usmanov as a businessperson.
CBC
14-06-2025
- Science
- CBC
Like real-life Dr. Dolittles, scientists are using AI to decode animal communication
Bottlenose dolphins are known for their intelligence, and now researchers are trying to find out whether we could one day communicate with them in their own language. Researchers from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in Massachusetts and the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program in Florida are using artificial intelligence to decode the meaning behind dolphin whistles. "Our objective is to understand their rules of communication, what the structure, function, and meaning of dolphin communication is," Frants Havmann Jensen, an investigator at WHOI's Marine Research Facility, told The Current's Matt Galloway. "So, not just identifying the sounds they make but uncovering what those sounds mean to them." In May, the researchers were awarded the Coller Dolittle Challenge for Interspecies Two-Way Communication for that work. It honours researchers who've made significant scientific advances that could pave the way for human-animal communication. Yossi Yovel, who led the judging panel for the Coller Dolittle prize, says the Jeremy Coller Foundation is interested in unlocking a deeper understanding of language, across species. "By understanding how communication has evolved across many different species, we can better understand the evolutionary roots of communication and language," he said. Yovel says understanding the signals and the messages they convey is a crucial first step to decoding bottlenose dolphins' communication system. From there, scientists can begin to understand how dolphins organize signals when they're communicating to create what humans would understand as sentences. "The next step would be to present signals that you've discovered to the animal and observe their response, and to show that you can do this in multiple contexts," he said. Using AI to enhance understanding The Sarasota Dolphin Research Program is conducting the world's longest-running study of a wild dolphin population. Since 1970, they've built a database of sounds from over 300 dolphins. Jensen says bottlenose dolphins have distinct, individual sounds researchers call signature whistles. "It's the dolphin equivalent of a human name. Dolphins use these signature whistles to maintain social bonds and recognize each other," he said. Dolphins also make non-signature whistles, which comprise approximately 50 per cent of the whistles they produce, but there's little research in this area. The study published by the winning team suggests that the non-signature whistles could function like words with mutually understood, context-specific meanings. Jensen says AI can help researchers decode the dolphins's communication by automatically detecting and discovering new shared whistle types. "We're looking into how to use it for identifying patterns of use across individuals and contexts so that we can begin to infer meaning from how dolphins use these," he said. Jensen and other researchers say one of AI's strengths is its ability to process large amounts of data. Sophie Cohen-Bodénès and her team at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., — who were shortlisted for the prize — are using AI to decipher patterns in cuttlefish arm wave signals, a form of sign language. Through non-invasive behavioural experiments, Cohen-Bodénès examined that the creatures interpret arm signs using vision and vibrations. "We're in the process of collecting large datasets from many behavioural contexts to give to the AI algorithm that could find, in an objective way, the different correlations between different arm signs," she said. Cohen-Bodénès says her research goal is to gain more insight into the meaning of animal communication displays and their underlying sensory mechanisms. "It's a way to better assess their welfare, to better understand their needs and to improve their protection." WATCH | Dolphins circle space capsule: #TheMoment dolphins greeted the capsule returning astronauts to Earth 3 months ago Duration 1:04 Marine mammal expert Ashley Noseworthy recounts the moment a pod of dolphins greeted the SpaceX capsule carrying NASA astronauts returning from nine months stuck in space. Limits of AI Yovel says AI is a powerful tool but it has shortcomings. When researchers consider the meaning and context of their findings, he says they base them on human observations, which could be limited or wrong. Yovel believes humans might be able to communicate with animals, but he's skeptical that AI could be used in a device or algorithm that would allow them to have a conversation. Human communication is complicated and allows people to discuss a wide range of topics, and Yovel doubts animal communication systems are as complex. "We have this language, which is extremely complex, and it seems to stand out in comparison to other animal communication systems," he said. In order to understand whether human language systems stand out and how, Yovel says humans need a better understanding of nature.
American Military News
13-06-2025
- Science
- American Military News
Video: World War I submarine found off San Diego coast
The USS F-1, a World War I-era U.S. Navy submarine, was recently discovered by researchers off the cost of San Diego, California. The discovery comes 108 years after the submarine was 'lost at sea' in a training accident in December of 1917. In a recent press release, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) announced, 'A deep-sea training and engineering dive off the coast of San Diego provided an opportunity for never-before-seen imagery of the U.S. Navy submarine USS F-1, lost at sea in an accident on December 17, 1917, that resulted in the death of 19 crew members.' According to the press release, WHOI researchers captured images of the World War I-era Navy submarine by using 'Sentry,' an autonomous underwater vehicle, and 'Alvin,' a human-occupied vehicle, to access the remains of the submarine located under more than 1,300 feet of water. 'Advanced ocean technology and simple teamwork played a big part in delivering these new images,' Bruce Strickrott, manager of the Alvin Group at WHOI and the senior pilot who helped lead the recent expedition, said. 'Once we identified the wreck and determined it was safe to dive, we were able to capture never-before-seen perspectives of the sub. As a U.S. Navy veteran, it was a profound honor to visit the wreck of the F-1 with our ONR and NHHC colleagues aboard Alvin.' READ MORE: Pics: Surprising WWII shipwreck finds revealed WHOI explained that the recent expedition was part of a training and engineering mission intended to give pilots of the underwater submersibles an opportunity to increase their piloting skills and develop technology for underwater research. 'It was an incredibly exciting and humbling experience to visit these historically significant wrecks and to honor the sacrifice of these brave American Sailors,' Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) Underwater Archaeologist Brad Krueger said. 'All of us at the NHHC are grateful for this collaboration, which also enabled us to document and assess the condition of the crafts.' According to the press release, the crew on the Atlantis, which was stationed above the location of the remains of the USS F-1, held a remembrance ceremony in honor of the 19 Navy members who were killed in the training incident in 1917. 'History and archaeology are all about people and we felt it was important to read their names aloud,' Krueger stated. 'The Navy has a solemn responsibility to ensure the legacies of its lost Sailors are remembered.' A video shared on X, formerly Twitter, by WHOI shows the new footage of the USS F-1 submarine as well as part of the ceremony held in honor of the 19 Navy members.
CBS News
30-05-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Cicadas emerge on Cape Cod after 17 years underground. Why researchers test them for mercury.
After 17 years underground, cicadas are emerging on Cape Cod. The noisy bugs will spend the next four to six weeks above ground as part of their life cycle. When underground, they feed on nutrients and pollutants from nearby trees. The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) is capturing the insects to test them for heightened mercury levels. "We are looking at the base of the tree to see any if cicadas are climbing up from the bottom," said Corinne Richard, a WHOI research assistant. "The first thing we need to do is find a tree with holes around the bottom." Mercury levels in cicadas Mercury is everywhere from the ground to the air to the ocean. Scientists at WHOI want to see if the mercury levels in the bugs are getting higher, and how much of it is natural versus manmade. Assistant Scientist Laura Motta is out collecting cicadas, but typically she is working on zooplankton in the ocean. She calls them the bugs of the sea. Often, she sees mercury in plankton as well as the fish we eat. Cicada on Cape Cod CBS Boston "The cicadas are a cool analogue of what happens out in the ocean," said Motta. "What we are trying to figure out is how they get it, through time and anthropogenic emissions increases? How are we polluting our forest?" Motta and Richard have been collecting cicadas as well as their molts and the leaves they are near. When the molts land on the ground, they will decompose and potentially reintroduce that mercury to the soil. The mercury can also be passed onto their offspring. "What we are trying to figure out is where does it end up, and how does it accumulate and become a public health problem?" said Motta. The insects are placed into bags depending on their gender. It's easy to figure out which one is a female. "They don't have the ability to sing," said Motta, putting a live cicada up to her ear and shaking it. "If you get really close, you'll be able to tell female or male." How cicadas are tested After they collect a cicada, they give them a quick bath with a water bottle to clean off any excess mercury on their body. The bugs are later frozen at extremely cold temperatures before they are freeze dried and smashed into a powder. The powder is then tested for the mercury levels. "A few years ago, someone did a study to show that cicadas have quite a bit of mercury," said Motta. Now, researchers at WHOI will compare the new data with the study from 17 years ago to see if the mercury levels are rising.
Gizmodo
30-05-2025
- Science
- Gizmodo
Haunting Deep-Sea Footage Reveals U.S. Submarine Lost During WWI
On December 17, 1917, the U.S. Navy submarine USS F-1, crashed off the coast of San Diego. Now, more than a century later, researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI) have collected the first high-definition visuals of the wreckage. During a series of seven dives conducted earlier this year, researchers employed the crewed underwater vehicle Alvin and autonomous underwater vehicle Sentry, both based on the WHOI research ship Atlantis, to snap close-ups of the sunken submarine. Since 1917, F-1 has been resting approximately 1,300 feet (400 meters) underwater. A Navy underwater vehicle located it by accident in the 1970s, but this expedition is the first to capture detailed images of the lost sub. The F-1 was built in 1901 and launched in 1911. The crash occurred during a training mission, during which the F-1 collided with another submarine, sinking in mere seconds. Nineteen crew members lost their lives, but five escaped and survived. By the time of the 1917 crash, the U.S. had been at war with the Central powers for seven months. 'Advanced ocean technology and simple teamwork played a big part in delivering these new images,' Bruce Strickrott, manager of the Alvin Group at WHOI and the sub's senior pilot who helped lead the expedition, said in a statement. 'Once we identified the wreck and determined it was safe to dive, we were able to capture never-before-seen perspectives of the sub.' The team used multi-beam sonar systems on Atlantis and Sentry to produce maps of the F-1 and surrounding areas. Then, high-resolution cameras on Alvin picked up photos and videos of the wreck. The researchers stitched these images together to create detailed 3D photogrammetric models. The images showed that the F-1 is lying on the seafloor on its starboard (right) side, facing northwest, and is 'remarkably intact,' Strickrott told Live Science. The researchers left the war grave site untouched, however, 'to preserve its condition and be respectful of its legacy,' Bradley Krueger, an underwater archaeologist for the Naval History and Heritage Command who participated in some of the dives, told Live Science. During the series of dives, the researchers also surveyed a Navy torpedo bomber training aircraft that crashed nearby in 1950. The dives were part of a training and engineering mission to provide the Alvin pilots with experience controlling the submersible and employing deep-sea imaging technologies. The research was conducted as a collaboration between the U.S. National Science Foundation, University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System and the U.S. Navy's Office of Naval Research and Naval History and Heritage Command. After the dives, the researchers held a remembrance ceremony aboard the Atlantis, ringing a bell 19 times, once for each of the F-1's crew members who died in the crash. 'As a U.S. Navy veteran, it was a profound honor to visit the wreck of the F-1 with our ONR and NHHC colleagues aboard Alvin,' Strickrott said in a statement.
