Professor Clyde Sorenson is an expert who does research on, and teaches about, the ecology and biology of insects. He and other entomologists have identified 170 or more species of the bioluminescent beetles commonly known as lightning bugs or fireflies. Fireflies produce light in special organs in their abdomens by combining a chemical called luciferin, enzymes called … [Read more...]
6 minutes in a hot car kills a dog
The dreaded stream of summer stories about dogs dying from being left in cars on hot days is in full swing. They’re proof we must continue to remind people not to make this deadly mistake. The first article presents the science behind heatstroke and is easily shared via social media. The second offers two, free downloadable Animals in Hot Cars posters useful for social media, … [Read more...]
Actuaries develop healthy life expectancy tool
A team at the Goldenson Center for Actuarial Research is focusing on developing a rigorous measure of quality of life. They are working to determine how many healthy years of life you have before you become unhealthy. Given our industry’s aging professional population, you will value this information, the calculator and its implications. Please note, the calculator is still … [Read more...]
Dogs have masters. Cats have staff.
Collen Kirk’s recent paper investigated consumers' psychological ownership and their economic valuation of pets <link>. She discusses the juxtaposition of dogs versus cats and how that plays out in economic terms. Her results clearly show that the animal’s behavior is what makes people willing to pay and that psychological ownership is a driving factor in dog owners’ … [Read more...]
Data breaches are inevitable – protect yourself
There are some simple ways to protect your personal data that can still be effective, say W. D. Salisbury and Rusty Baldwin. They involve changing how you think about your own information security: specifically, assuming you are a target and thinking defensively about how you can protect yourself. In terms of online data, the most important information to protect is … [Read more...]
Media literacy needed at home and the office
Sarah Gretter makes a solid case for teaching children to watch commercials with their eyes wide open. She backs up her reasoning with study results. Media literacy is being able analyze and evaluate the messages we see in different media platforms. . . . 80 percent of middle school students believed that web ads were real news stories. The same study found that more than 80 … [Read more...]
Say pyt . . . pyt, pyt, pyt to stress!
Stress can be a precursor to ailments in humans and animals. Marie Helweg-Larsen shares how Danes use the word, pyt, to cultivate healthy thoughts to deal with stress. Studies show that we are happier and live longer when we have fewer daily hassles and don’t blame stressors on people. In some cases, what constitutes a hassle might be tied to how we interpret what’s happening … [Read more...]
These tips will help you protect against data breaches
Fighting the temptation to abandon our attempts at securing our data is not realistic. We need to adopt a defensive attitude for the inevitable breach of our data. Whether it is your personal or business account, the main change needed in our thinking is to assume that we are targets. The first step is to use a different username and password on each crucial site or … [Read more...]
Understanding schadenfreude helps teams, conflicts
Playoff season pits the best against the best. If you catch yourself thrilling to a failed pass or a superstar missing a field goal, there may be more at play than sheer competitive emotions. Shensheng Wang shares information on schadenfreude, a form of human dehumanization where we feel good to see someone fail. Source: The Conversation, January 4, 2019. Link. Linking … [Read more...]
Greenhouse gas is only part of the puzzle
Concern about the long-term sustainability of livestock production gets a lot of media attention. However, according to Al Rotz, there is fairly limited scientific information out there to support what is being said. When it comes to livestock and long-term impact, Rotz said, “I don’t see cattle being much of a contributor to global climate change.” . . . the greenhouse gas … [Read more...]
Philosophy professor questions ethics of some pet spending
Sandra Woien, philosophy lecturer at Arizona State University, speaks out on elements of the millions of dollars spent on pets. Citing the philosophy of effective altruism, she suggests if the money spent of pets was instead donated to a good cause, more good or utility could be produced. According to one estimate, about $440 million of pet spending in the U.S. was on … [Read more...]
Giant mosquitoes flourish in post-hurricane flood waters
Reports of giant mosquito sightings add to the confusion of dealing with post-hurricane damage,. Mosquito biologist Michael Reiskind explains why these gallinippers, often three times larger than normal mosquitoes, are showing up in the receding flood waters. Source: The Conversation, October 11, 2018. Link. The gallinippers belong to a genus of mosquitoes that specialize … [Read more...]
Opinion – Harassment is common at meetings, yet most men are not sexual predators
The curation functions of AHD bring published information to animal health pros to increase awareness and, more importantly, help start new discussions or change behaviors. Since the media has spent considerable time recently focusing on misconduct, a study released by Meetings and Conventions in January provides an insightful backdrop for our industry to consider. It stated … [Read more...]
Armadillos now re-gifting leprosy to humans
Leprosy, the oldest disease known to be associated with humans, is not a thing of the past. John Stewart Spencer, associate professor at Colorado State University, says research shows humans are contracting leprosy from common, nine-banded armadillos. The disease is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae, the identical strain infecting the majority of armadillos and … [Read more...]
Why vaccine opponents think they know more than medical experts
A research group recently sought to identify why skepticism about vaccines is perpetuated. They found strong evidence of the Dunning-Kruger effects which addresses the inability to accurately appraise one’s own knowledge. Their results point to the uphill battle the scientific community faces as it confronts growing anti-vax sentiment from the public and politicians alike. The … [Read more...]
When hungry becomes hangry
There’s no question we are obsessed with food. We track what we eat, avoid eating, eat irregularly, eat like mice or eat like a ravenous dog. When we get hungry, we sometimes get grumpy, which leads to becoming hangry. Many people feel more irritable, annoyed, or negative when hungry – an experience colloquially called being “hangry.” The idea that hunger affects our feelings … [Read more...]
Night owls may die early, study says
The early bird gets the worm and may also be healthier than night owls whose biological clocks prefer late nights and wee morning hours. Research by Knutson and von Shantz shows night owls’ behavior is associated with a range of health problems that include obesity, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and early death. Source: The Conversation, April 12, 2018, … [Read more...]
Why we stink at fact-checking
Research from cognitive psychology shows that people are naturally poor fact checkers and it is very difficult for us to compare things we read or hear to what we already know about a topic. Psychologists believe that there are at least two forces at work. First, people have a general bias to believe that things are true. Second, people tend to accept information as … [Read more...]
Urban poultry needs more regulation to protect human and animal health (includes video)
Backyard chickens are increasingly popular throughout the U.S. Nearly one percent of all U.S. households surveyed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported owning backyard fowl in 2013, and four percent more planned to start in the next five years. This is more than 13 million Americans flocking to the backyard poultry scene. Researchers from University of California - … [Read more...]
Public support for animal rights goes far beyond dogs in overhead bins
Garrett M. Broad is a researcher who studies how society treats animals. While public outrage clings to the death of a French Bulldog in an airplane bin, Broad has been investigating what the public thinks about animals and their rights. The results show that a clear majority of people identify as animal lovers. But, not every self-professed animal lover supports full legal … [Read more...]
Opinion – Cats, boxes and digital communication
A story of cats in boxes has been the rage this year. Beyond its novelty, is the reality that the story appears in a medium not affiliated with an animal health publication. This is another example of the realities of the human-animal bond, the digital evolution, continual scrutiny of animals in the food chain and zoonotic risks place animal health topics into non-traditional … [Read more...]
Reading with your children
With all we post about work-life balance, this information on book reading will be meaningful to those with infants at home. Lisa Scott shares new research about reading to infants. Shared book reading with young children is good for language and cognitive development, increasing vocabulary and pre-reading skills, and honing conceptual development. Source: The Conversation, … [Read more...]
My pet is left-pawed (includes video)
Just for fun! Like humans, many animals tend to use one side of the body more than the other. This innate handedness (or footedness) is called behavioral or motor laterality. Use this video to test your own pets. Source: The Conversation, September 24, 2017. Determining laterality – or which side of the brain dominates the other – could change the way domestic animals are … [Read more...]
Mobile device impacts
Whether at work, in a meeting, at the dinner table or at the movie theater, mobile devices are an ever-present distraction. The world has been rewired. And, nobody wrote a user’s manual. The first article here shares study results from teens and parents in Japan and the U.S. The second addresses reasons we become addicted to phones which may be tapping into our basic … [Read more...]
Let science help you choose good passwords
Passwords are an annoying part of online life, but they aren’t going away. While the password policies of the past decade have caused more user pain than security gain, research is finding ways to create passwords that work for regular people. Source: The Conversation, August 30, 2017. Make your password at least 12 characters, and mix it up with at least two or three … [Read more...]
Cool clear water. Is it?
Water is readily available in the United States, yet 63 percent of Americans worry a great deal about drinking water pollution. Whether you live in the city, suburbs, on an acreage or farm, water quality is a modern-day concern for people and their animals. Two extension educators urge consumers to monitor their water and have it tested if they suspect problems. Source: The … [Read more...]
Human noise pollution is disrupting parks and wild places
Human-caused noise has consequences for wildlife, entire ecosystems and people. It reduces the ability to hear natural sounds, which can mean the difference between life and death for many animals, and degrade the calming effect that we feel when we spend time in wild places. Source: The Conversation, July 17, 2017. Strategies to reduce noise include establishing quiet … [Read more...]
The iPhone turns 10 (includes Steve Jobs historical video)
As the iPhone turns 10, we now know the technology that was supposed to bring us all together has isolated us instead. Smartphones now seem indispensable. They connect us to the internet, give us directions, allow us to fire off texts and much more. Yet research has shown that this convenience may be coming at a cost. Source: The Conversation, June 26, 2017. Smartphones are … [Read more...]
Sunscreen is necessary
The Food and Drug Administration regulates the efficacy sunscreens can claim and standards have become increasingly strict over the years. Use a shot-glass-sized amount of sunscreen to protect your body and a nickel-sized amount for your face and neck for every two hours spent in the sun, writes Kerry Hanson. Source: The Conversation, May 25, 2017. We can still enjoy being … [Read more...]
Did my phone just buzz?
Have you been convinced that you felt your phone vibrate in your pocket or heard your ringtone? Yet, when you check your phone, no one tried to reach you. More than 80 percent of college students recently surveyed have experienced the phantom buzz. If it’s happening more than once a day it could be a sign that you’re psychologically dependent on your cellphone. Source: The … [Read more...]