Can pigeons match wits with artificial intelligence?

Can a pigeon match wits with artificial intelligence? At a very basic level, yes. In a new study, psychologists at the University of Iowa examined the workings of the pigeon brain and how the "brute force" of the bird's learning ...

Developing a moral compass from human texts

Artificial Intelligence (AI) translates documents, suggests treatments for patients, makes purchasing decisions and optimises workflows. But where is its moral compass? A study by the Centre for Cognitive Science at TU Darmstadt ...

Great apes and ravens plan without thinking

Planning and self control in animals do not require human-like mental capacities, according to a study from Stockholm University. Newly developed learning models, similar to models within artificial intelligence research, ...

Is there such a thing as an objectively 'bad' song?

Everyone has a song which irritates the hell out of them – but Achy Breaky Heart by Billy Ray Cyrus was found by one 2005 study to have been nominated most often as "the worst song ever". The authors, academics from New ...

Bumble bees make a beeline for larger flowers

Bumble bees create foraging routes by using their experience to select nectar-rich, high-rewarding flowers. A study by Shohei Tsujimoto and Hiroshi Ishii of the University of Toyama in Japan now suggests that bees actually ...

Smart plants learn new habits

A new study led by The University of Western Australia has demonstrated for the first time that plants can learn about their environment by making links between events, an ability thought to be exclusive to animals.

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