Primates make laughter when they play. However, laughter in animals often means an invitation to mate, join a herd, or find food. The meaning of animal laughter Laughing together helps people connect and bond. Although the reason for laughing can vary widely between individuals and groups, this sound can still be distinguished from crying, screaming, groaning or shouting. In humans, laughter expresses a wide range of emotions, from positive such as amusement to negative such as annoyance. People laugh when they hear an interesting story or when they see funny things. But what about animals? Do they laugh and is the reason they laugh the same way humans laugh? It’s hard to tell if animals have a sense of humor like humans. A study published in the journal Bioacoustics in April 2021 found that when communicating, animals sometimes make sounds that have a comforting, pleasant nuance. Sasha Winkler, lead author of the study, at the University of California, Los Angeles (USA), said that rhesus monkeys (scientific name Macaca mulatta) often pant when playing. This is the inspiration for her and her colleagues to expand their research on animal laughter. They looked to see if other animals let out gasps like rhesus monkeys during play. The researchers say that such sounds closely resemble human laughter. They continued to study the prevalence of laughter among animals. The team identified 65 species that “laughed” while playing, most of which were mammals. Some birds also make cheerful sounds. This analysis helps scientists go back to the evolutionary origins of laughter in humans. When playing, animals may cry or laugh to keep interactions at a harmonious level, not becoming aggressive. Unlike fighting, the concept of play in animals is often mating, foraging. Play can be clearly seen in primates because their facial muscles show human-like expressions when playing. The study grew out of an experiment from 2017 on kea parrots living in New Zealand. Experts recorded the laughter of the kea parrots and played them back for others to hear. As a result, these parrots will play together relatively closely. This study shows that the laughter of kea parrots is like an invitation to others to join the flock or to feed together. Investigation results show that mammals, especially primates, rodents, carnivores and cetaceans emit similar sounds. These sounds are only emitted when playing, such as the whistle like the whistle of a bottlenose dolphin (scientific name is Tursiops truncatus), the hiss of a mouse. Most primates, including chimpanzees, gorillas, monkeys, and baboons, exhibit laughter by: panting, smirking, chuckling to “click, clack” and loud cries. . Birds emit laughter to attract their fellow humans. Laughing is not just for fun Research also shows that fish, amphibians and reptiles do not produce laughter because this group may not organize play activities. However, laughter between humans and animals is quite different. Usually, people’s laughter shows that they are having fun or sharing their joy with those around them. People also put laughter into communication to express their attitudes and feelings towards the behavior of people around them. For example, smirking, sarcastic laughter, sarcastic laughter to express a reaction of praise or disapproval of the actions of people around. But in some animals, laughing is not synonymous with cheerfulness. For example, hyenas often laugh when feeling dangerous, threatened, attacked or simply upset. Human and animal laughter also differ in volume. For example, older hyenas often laugh at a low pitch while young hyenas’ laughter is high, even shrill. Some species laugh very softly, just enough for the other person to hear. While human laughter is loud, loud and nuanced. Before Winkler, in 2000, Jaak Panskeep, a psychologist and neuroscientist working at Washington State University, USA, discovered that tickled rats emit chirping sounds similar to the sounds they make when they play. Some lab rats liked to be tickled so much that they simulated this amusing activity. From there, Panskeep and his colleagues began to seriously study the play of animals. He identified seven basic emotional expressions activated by the mammalian brain. Since then, he has applied this result to the study of human emotions and found a treatment for depression in humans. Panskeep has clinically developed an antidepressant, named GLYX-13. He considers this modulation product to be proof that scientists should seriously evaluate the emotional state of animals. Animal studies could pave the way for the development of psychopharmaceuticals for humans. He also added that we think rats and monkeys can laugh because they are smart. But in fact, intelligence is not a funny factor. Play in any animal can stimulate laughter, increase cognitive ability.

Mangrove forest in Dong Rui commune has just been restored. The sky began to recede, the tide receded into the sandy beach. Nguyen Thi Phuong and many people in Ha hamlet, Dong Rui commune carried hoe down to Bay Mau hill to dig deep soil (also known as sea worms). The hills are locally called but are actually newly restored mangrove forests running along the commune’s dike. In order to catch earthworms, Ms. Phuong bends down and always has to observe, look for extrusions and then quickly dig up the correct strokes. In just a moment, Ms. Phuong’s basket was full of large earthworms…. In every waking season, the commune’s mangrove forest is always an address for people in Dong Rui commune to make a living, especially since the time when they wake up. outbreak of Covid-19 to date. Phuong said: “In the past, these lagoons were covered, the tiger trees and parrots died without any children. Now there are worms, clams, twilight, stilts. On these trees, snails turn out, clinging to the tree to live. As long as there is a tree, there is life, and if you go to the sea, you can make a living. From the elderly to children, most of them make their living from the sea. Students also earn 100,000-150,000 VND every day. Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong from Ha village digs earthworms at Bay Mau hill, Dong Rui commune. Far away from where Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong digs deep into the ground are primeval mangrove forests with black tiger trees, parrots, and mammoth trees that are too high for a person’s head, spreading like raspberries in the shadow of the water. To go to these forests, you have to wait for the water to grow and travel by bamboo boat to reach the tiger trees and parrots that have a lifespan of more than a hundred years. Mr. Nong Van Chien, a resident of Tien Yen said: “In the period of 2010, there was no gas at that time, fuel was limited. People go to the forest to chop down for fuel. In 2013, there was a movement to make shrimp ponds. Everywhere they see zoning, they clear many hectares of forest to make shrimp ponds. Then they realized because the forest was cut down and then due to waves, storms and wind, it greatly affected people’s lives.” After the damage caused by widespread deforestation, new planting projects to fill in the cleared area have been promoted by NGOs and sectors at all levels, increasing the vitality of Dong Rui mangrove forest. . After a while, the vegetation has revived, rising steadily. Under the tree are green fishes, the wider the crabs, the symbiotic snails like affirming the intense vitality of the plants on the mangroves. To protect this forest area, a mangrove management team of Dong Rui commune was established with 3 people, who are responsible for coordinating with forest rangers to patrol, control and remind people to protect the forest. Mr. Hoang Van Thong (62 years old), Leader of the Mangrove Self-Management Group in Dong Rui Commune, said that people now realize the economic values ​​and voluntarily participate in mangrove protection. Under the tree are green fishes, the wider the crabs, the more symbiotic and growing snails. “The three of us regularly check and wade deep into the forest to see if there is any change in the status quo? There is also a lot of reforestation. Since then, people’s awareness has been raised and they know that protecting forests is protecting aquatic resources, especially when being propagated. People here are encouraged to plant forests, they really like it. Many times when they go to the forest, they see newly planted trees leaning against them, “said Thong. Dong Rui is considered one of the most beautiful mangrove forests in the North today with nearly 3,000 hectares, accounting for more than half of the commune’s natural land area. Since being managed and protected closely, the forest is green and lush, resulting in more and more diverse and rich seafood resources. Many households here have a stable income by fishing in the mangroves. The mangrove ecosystem of Dong Rui commune is very diverse and rich in the number of tree species, the ecosystem, and the aquatic species with high economic value such as crabs, crabs, and fish species that bring profit. and good livelihood for the people. Mr. Loc Van Sinh, Secretary of the Party Committee, Chairman of the Commune People’s Committee said that the management of the commune is less difficult than before because there are people in the community. Dong Rui Crab “In the last two years, the commune has planted 25-30 hectares of new mangrove forests to develop mangrove forests in the area. The important role of mangroves has been recognized, both protecting the national breakwater and having aquatic resources. products under the forest canopy to give people a daily income. In order to soon develop the mangroves in the future, it is suggested that the province and the authorities arrange funding sources for the self-managing groups to operate in the future.” Mr. Sinh information. The practical lesson of the negative impacts of mangrove destruction has led people and local authorities in Quang Ninh province to change their awareness and join hands to plant and protect mangroves. The young people of Dong Rui commune now have many new options such as working as workers, opening trading services, but most people in Dong Rui island commune still cling to the sea, cultivate seafood, and stick to mangroves to stay alive. subsistence. The wealth of mangroves is helping the people of Dong Rui change their lives and realize the vital values ​​​​if they work together to “symbiotically” protect the “green lungs” on the island.

Australian town miserable because of being occupied by white parrots Thousands of white parrots flock to the resort town of Nowra in New South Wales, Australia, creating an unbelievable scene resembling the one in the movies of talented horror director Alfred Hitchcock. White parrots occupy many areas, from light poles, gathering on lawns and rooftops of people, to messy trash cans they rummage through in search of food.

Not when the landscape is all white, people in the area also complain about the annoying noises that the birds make. This was a rare sight in town. Photos and videos of white birds congregating on the streets of Nowra went viral on social media. In the last few years, local people sometimes have to share the same area with white-feathered parrots. Although, many of them dislike or even hate parrots, most can’t do anything about them. A local Nowra resident said: “White-feathered parrots are thought to be pests, they destroy a lot of trees in the area. I have to repeatedly wipe their feathers from everywhere.” If you just look at the photos, many people will find it interesting, but the loud cries and droppings that the parrots leave everywhere will make many people clamor. However, as it is a protected species, locals have little choice when it comes to dealing with the birds. If you’re driving or walking through the Nowra region, it’s not uncommon to see flocks of parrots perched on power lines, car parks, and billboards. They don’t mind rolling around in the grass, picking up food in the trash or sliding down the roof to play. Sometimes they even make a big invasion that covers a long distance together. White-haired parrots have occupied Nowra for a long time. In fact, experts have been warning about this for years. These birds are very intelligent, they have ‘brain’, like a child about 2 years old so they quickly found out that it is better to move to an artificial cozy area than to arid wilderness in New South Wales. Since before the 1950s, white feathered parrots appeared in some urban areas and now they are ubiquitous. “We created a better habitat for the parrots and they arrived as expected,” said the expert at the University of South Australia. The spacious lawns of Nowra, surrounded by tall trees, and easily accessible water, are the perfect habitat for white parrots. Many fear white-feathered parrots will soon become a nuisance to major urban centers such as Melbourne and Adelaide. However, this would definitely be much better than the town being invaded by giant foxes.

Li Bai (701-762) was one of the most famous poets of the Tang Dynasty in China. He is not only known as a great poet, he is also known as “Zu Trung Tien” because of his rare wine-loving style. In particular, in his poems, there was once a cup of wine that could not be exhausted no matter how he drank it: “The ladle of the falcon, the cup of the parrot, one hundred five thirty-six thousand days, one day should be inclined three hundred cups.” (Tuong Duong ca). The cup of wine “drinking forever” really exists in history. Photo: Sina Archaeologists have always been very interested in the “parrot cup” or “parrot cup” that Li Bai refers to, but such artifacts have never been excavated. It was not until the discovery of an ancient Jin Dynasty (317 – 420) tomb in 1965 that archaeologists found the strange wine glass described in these poems. Invention ahead of its time In 1965, archaeologists discovered a family tomb in Xiangshan, Nanjing. Based on the stele unearthed, the archaeological team judged that the owner of the tomb belonged to the Vuong family, one of the four largest clans of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. Here, in addition to finding a large number of burial items, which are of great value to the study of family culture and funeral customs of the Wei and Jin dynasties, scientists were also very surprised. when unearthed a large snail shell in the grave . The cup was unearthed. Photo: Sina The appearance of the Anh Vu snail caused a lot of controversy in the professional world, because this was the first time they unearthed a strange artifact. Through research, the experts eventually discovered: It turns out that this is the famous “parrot cup” in history, this cup is originally made from Anh Vu snail shell. Perhaps, the owner of the tomb is also a person with a passion for wine like poet Ly Bach, so he decided to bring this cup to his final resting place. This is the first time people have unearthed a parrot cup, so experts are very interested and want to study why the parrot cup can contain such a large amount of alcohol, because from the outside, this is really a normal Anh Vu snail shell, nothing special. The secret inside To find out the answer to this problem, experts decided to take an X-ray of the cup, it turned out that the image of “300 cup tilting day” in Li Bai’s poetry was not a product of pompous tricks, it’s true. Inside the parrot cup there are lots of naturally created nets that occupy the dense interior of the prison and, all hidden nets are connected by small holes. When the ancients poured wine into the parrot cup, the wine would gradually seep into the net through small holes. In this way, when the ancients poured wine from a parrot cup, the wine inside would not be poured out all at once, but flowed out little by little under the influence of air pressure.In this way, it gives the illusion that the alcohol in it never runs out. Recreate the image inside the parrot cup. Photo: Sina After the experts learned this secret, they felt great admiration for the wisdom of the ancients. The working principle of the parrot cup is very similar to today’s activated carbon, it uses the spatial structure inside the object to achieve the purpose of slowing down the flow. Drinking with a small glass of wine with such a long pouring power is very elegant and rich in emotion, so the parrot cup is always sought after by antique wine lovers. The parrot cup is so popular, but why has it disappeared from history? Experts believe that the cause is due to the main material of the cup – the Anh Vu snail, which has a very small number. This animal lives on the seabed several hundred meters deep in the tropics and subtropics, so it is not easy to find.

The study estimates that many bird species in Australia, such as the rainbow parrot, number in the millions. Photo: Guardian. The world has about 50 billion individuals of nearly 10,000 bird species, according to a new study that uses public scientific observations to estimate bird populations. Research published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), led by scientists at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), shows that there are six times as many bird species on the planet as possible. human times. There are four species of birds that researchers call the “billion-person club,” with an estimated population greater than 1 billion individuals. These are house sparrows, European starlings, ring-billed gulls and swallows, found in many parts of the world. The researchers estimated the population of 9,700 species, based on hundreds of millions of bird observations recorded by birdwatchers on eBird, one of a number of community science projects on diversity. The world’s largest biome. They combined records with professional scientific observations to develop an algorithm that estimated the population numbers of most species. The team of scientists found that there are relatively few individuals of common bird species, but a large number of rare species. “They can be rare for natural reasons, as they really only live on one island,” said Associate Professor Will Cornwell, a UNSW ecologist and one of the lead scientists on the study. island or the top of a mountain, or they may be rare due to human causes.” Over time, he said, he hopes the models can chart which species are in decline and where conservation efforts are needed. Many bird species in Australia number into the millions such as the rainbow parrot (19 million individuals), the yellow cockatoo (10 million individuals) and the laughing kingfisher (3.4 million individuals). Mr. Sean Dooley, BirdLife Australia’s public affairs manager, is a longtime bird watcher and a contributor to community science programmes. The paper shows the value that people’s observations can contribute to scientific knowledge, he said. “This is a great first step to trying to discover what we have. It will be important if we can continue to do this over time, as we are witnessing a massive loss of wildlife. Research can help us do what is needed to get close to quantifying what’s going on.” By combining bird-watching records and professional monitoring of birds that are the subject of rigorous academic research, scientists have tweaked some of the things that have not been done, said Associate Professor Cornwell. certainly through public science. The model was then applied to birds that have not been studied professionally, he said. The figure of 50 billion birds represents the model’s average estimate for the total number of bird species worldwide. “The really big breakthrough in this study is that we can take the scientific data and the public science data and then fill in the gap for birds that are not expertly studied by scientists,” said Mr. Cornwell. research industry”. There is still some uncertainty in the figures, said Mr. Cornwell, and the researchers plan to refine the model as more professional studies of more species become available. He also said that the study revealed gaps in information due to the importance of scientific attention to birds in developed regions compared to developing countries of the world, and the need to It is necessary to refine global population estimates for all species. According to him, this also shows the role of public science in those efforts. Scientists will conduct another survey in the next few years.