The Cat Burglar
Photo by Brazil’s General Superintendency of Prisons of Alagoas (SGAP) in Arapiraca, Brazil. Authorities in Sao Paulo, Brazil, have announced that they are trying to get…
Why Nothing Can Change
Last week, we noted that most Americans now consider climate change to be a high priority. Does that mean that significant action will be taken? No.…
No Need to Smoke in Beijing!
You can save money on cigarettes in Beijing. No need to light up; just go outside and take a deep breath. You can see the vast…
Will Humans Become Hobbits?
A hobbit in the movie, and what real-life hobbits (homo floresiensis) looked like when they flourished on the island of Flores in Indonesia for about 80,000…
Left Brain, Right Brain and Our Relationship with the Real World
This video, by renowned English psychiatrist and writer-philosopher Dr. Iain McGilchrist, explains how a growing imbalance between our left and right brains has led to a…
American Humane’s Chairman Resigns
Eric Bruner, chairman of the board of the American Humane Association, has resigned in the wake of questionable financial practices as well as general policies regarding the direction of an organization that seems to have lost its way.
All the Government’s Chimpanzees to Be Retired to Chimp Haven
In a change of plan from what was announced four months ago, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has decided to release all 110 of its “research-ineligible” chimpanzees to sanctuary care – most likely at Chimp Haven in Louisiana.
Packing Their Trunks?
In the old and delightfully subversive children’s song, Nellie the elephant “packed her trunk and said goodbye to the circus.” Could this be coming true in…
Dolphin Stampede Races Whale-Watching Boat
Who could possibly imagine, after watching this, that dolphins belong in a tank at a marine zoo. The video was taken off the coast of Dana…
After the Sixth Extinction
This smiling fellow, known as Thalattoarchon saurophagis, was cruising the oceans about 244 million years ago in what are now the mountains of central Nevada, snapping up smaller fish for dinner. And that, we’re told, is good news. Here’s why.
True Facts about Sloths
From Buzzfeed’s Ze Frank. (Fair warning: includes humor some may find tasteless!) [readon] And for more about sloths, visit the Sloth Sanctuary in Costa Rica –…
Are Religions Bad for Animals?
While religion itself is not in itself bad for animals, religions that seek to separate humans from the natural world are indeed a problem.
(And, incidentally, there’s very little difference between a fundamentalist religious believer and an atheist transhumanist worshipper of technology.)
Most Americans Call Climate Change a High Priority
Some recent facts from the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication: * Most Americans (77%) say global warming should be a “very high”, “high”, or “medium”…
Shamu Goes on Strike
In this video, taken two months ago at SeaWorld San Antonio, Shamu, the generic name for orcas at SeaWorld shows, decides not to perform one evening…
Fortunate Is Luckiest Cat
A homeless kitty who fell 80 feet from the top of a tree is “unbelievably” well at the animal hospital where she’s hanging out and getting ready for a good new home.
More Bad ‘Luck’
A senior ex-staffer at American Humane Association is suing AHA for having fired her after she reported abuse of horses on the set of the HBO racehorse drama series Luck.
Barbara Casey, who worked as the director of production in the AHA’s film and television unit, says that abuse was endemic on the set, and that AHA thwarted her efforts to enforce the organization’s own animal safety standards.
Why the Churches Are Failing
How are churches trying to adapt to the fact that fewer and fewer Americans are identified with a particular religion? And what does this have to…
The Two Dogs in the Rose Bowl Parade
Two dogs are featured in the Rose Parade today. One of them, Chuck, will be with conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall, who’s serving as the Grand Marshall this year.
The other is Lucca, also a shepherd mix, who will be riding with Cpl. Juan Rodriguez. Lucca is a veteran of three deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Rodriguez says he owes his life to her.
Who’s More Altruistic: Monkeys or Researchers?
Here’s a weird one: A group of researchers sets out to study empathy in monkeys. They want to understand altruism better. So they cook up a…
Why the Gun Lobby Always Wins
It’s hard to argue that murdering children with an assault weapon is what the Founding Fathers had in mind when they said that a “well-regulated militia” could protect a “free state” at a time when the newborn nation was fighting for its life against the British Empire.
But this is not about rational arguments. Something much deeper is going on. Why are so many Americans afraid of losing their “right” to carry around practically any weapon of their choice? Why are they so emotional about it?