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Recent Articles

July 4, 2009

Do Prairie Dogs Talk?

Wondrous World

Two Prairie DogsOne of the most intriguing questions humans face is not only whether we are alone in the universe, but whether we alone have a rich language to use on earth. Do other creatures communicate like we do? We know they make sounds, and birds chirp in all sorts of complex ways, but does this count as having a language? We know that parrots mimic our sounds exceptionally well, but are they really talking and understanding the sounds they are making?

A curious set of answers to this question is coming from an unexpected source, the so-called prairie dog. These creatures are actually closely related to the squirrel, and are about the same tiny size. They live in burrows dug deep into the ground. They inhabit the North American continent and combine in small families. A family is a single male and one or more females with their off-spring. Their underground homes include safety exits, storage rooms, sleeping chambers and even toilet areas.

Prairie Dog Close

Prairie dogs distinguish themselves from other small rodents with an unusually rich community life. Prairie dog colonies can stretch for miles and include hundreds of families. Estimates from a century ago speak of over a billion such creatures alive in America, with some colonies said to have included hundreds of millions of creatures. Today their numbers are much reduced by farming and human expansion, but the behaviors they reveal are increasingly convincing scientists that they have a rich, complex language all their own. It may well be the most complex language we have yet found in the animal kingdom.

Prarie Dog GroupDr. Con Slobodchikoff at Northern Arizona University has been leading research into prairie dog communication for over 20 years. He has been video and audio-taping prairie dogs as they respond to new stimuli in their environment, and used the results to infer a complex vocabulary. He claims that prairie dogs even use nouns, verbs and adjectives, the building blocks of human speech.

Dr. Slobodchikoff used sonograms to determine how prairie dogs reacted to environmental stimuli. His work showed that these creatures used different sounds to tell each other about the presence or arrival of coyote, hawks and human beings. They apparently can distinguish between the colors a human is wearing, or the type of coyote who is approaching. Different warnings sounds led to different reactions. Whether a hawk was diving or just flying around, for example, led prairie dogs to either dive for the nearest burrow, or stand and watch alertly.

In an interview with the Arizona Daily Star from January 2006, Dr. Slobodchikoff explains “Within these calls, they [prairie dogs] can describe the physical features of the predator. They can describe the size and shape of an individual human and the color of clothes that he or she is wearing. They can describe the coat color and the size and shape of a domestic dog. . . . Our studies are showing that prairie dogs have the most sophisticated natural animal language that has been decoded to date.”

What caused prairie dogs be so advanced in their communication skills? Are they the unique in this capacity? We do not know yet. Other animals may have similarly complex systems of communication, only we have not yet had the scientists and tools to study them in depth. Their means of “talking” - like the sounds whales make - may not be as amenable to analysis. In short, this is too new a field to make grand generalizations.

Prairie Dog GroupDr. Slobodchikoff’s work with prairie dogs suggests, though, that one reason for the complex communication between these creatures has to do with the extreme danger they face on the open prairie. They are food for so many other creatures - mammals, birds and reptiles in their environment - that without the means to communicate among each other, they could not survive. Dr. Slobodchikoff thinks it might be the need for language that drives its development. From this point of view, the prairie dog has little choice: to talk is to live.

The Bubonic Plague

History

The Grim Reaper

As the discussion of swine flu dominates the media, it is worthwhile to look back at some of the other pandemics that have affected the human race throughout history. A pandemic is an illness that spreads from person to person and affects a large, dispersed population. It usually creates an enormous amount of fear among those not affected. The skeleton on the right represents “Doctor Death” from an engraving made in the 1500s, when the Black Death or Bubonic Plague was common in Europe. It was one of the worst pandemics to ever strike on earth, responsible for tens of millions of deaths.

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Earth Day

Holidays & Seasons

Earth Day

Have you ever been to an Earth Day Celebration? Earth Day began on April 22nd, 1970 and has been celebrated every year since. The original purpose of Earth Day was to bring different groups together to raise awareness about environmental issues.

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Poisonous vs. Venomous Animals

Animals

Have you heard the words venomous and poisonous in reference to animals? Do you know what they mean?

Black Widow

There is a big difference between venomous organisms like this black widow spider and poisonous animals like some frogs. It is easy to tell the difference between a venomous animal and a poisonous animal if you if you understand how they use the toxins.

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Automobile Design

Cars

Car Wire Frame

The automobile industry has come a long way since Karl Benz designed the first gas powered automobile in 1885. Even more astonishing is how much the designs have changed. As the engineering has advanced and become more sophisticated, so have the exterior and interior designs.

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Largest Snake, Largest Squid

History

Titanboa (Titanboa cerrejonensis)

Coiled-Python

Researchers in Colombia have found fossils of an ancient snake 42-45 feet long, that weighed more than a ton. This huge species of snake, named Titanboa cerrejonensis, lived 58 to 60 million years ago in a warm rainforest setting. So far, fossils from about 24 individual snakes have been discovered. The quest for a Titanboa skull is still underway.

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California Almond Bloom

Food & Recipes

California Almond Trees in Bloom

It is the beginning of February and California’s Central valley is painted vibrant shades of pink and white from millions of almond blooms. While much of the country is white with snow, California is white with blooms.

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Super Bowl XLIII

Sports

Family-Wathcing-Super-Bowl

02.01.09

Tampa Bay, Fl

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Arizona Cardinals


Then

Modern football developed from rugby in the 1860s and 1870s on the Eastern Coast of the United States, the first rules of which were written in 1876. Less than a century later, the first Super Bowl as we know it took place January 15, 1967 at Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA. The Green Bay Packers beat the Kansas City Chiefs 35 to 10, making the Packers Champions of Super Bowl I. Roman Numerals are used to title the game because the season spans two different years (this season began in September of 2008 and ends in February of 2009).


Now

The Super Bowl is the Championship game between one team from the National Football Conference (NFC) and one team from the American Football Conference (AFC) that determines the champion of the National Football League (NFL). The Playoffs are a series of games that determine the Champion of each Conference who then proceed to the Super Bowl.


XLIII

February 2, 2009 NFC Champions, the Arizona Cardinals, will face AFC Champions, the Pittsburgh Steelers, in Super Bowl XLIII at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, Florida. Both are the oldest teams in their conference, the Cardinals being the oldest continually run American football club in the U.S. today. The Steelers are the most championed franchise in their conference, while the Cardinals have not seen a championship since 1947, the second longest championship drought in U.S. sports history (second to the Chicago Cubs who have not won a championship since 1908). Both teams have dynamic histories, which should provide for an entertaining matchup.

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Barack Obama Inauguration Ceremony

Famous People

US Capitol

The First Inauguration

George Washington was the first person inaugurated President of the United States. He was sworn into office on April 30, 1798, following the Revolutionary War. Washington’s ceremony set the standard for Inauguration Ceremonies and began the tradition of the Inaugural Address, a speech given by the new President that often serves to inspire and reassure the American people. This ceremony happens every four years and marks the beginning of each new Presidential term.

Barack Obama’s Inauguration

On January 20, 2009 the United States will witness the 56th Presidential Inauguration. Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States, will take his Inaugural Oath and give his Inaugural Speech on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol. This year’s Inauguration Theme commemorates the 200th Anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth with the title: “A New Birth of Freedom”.

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If There Is A Fire, Do You Know How to Stay Safe?

Odds & Ends

firesafety.jpgImagine this - you’re in a room that is quickly filling up with smoke, making it impossible to see. It is dark, hot, loud and scary. While your first instinct might be to hide - don’t! Before a fire has the chance to take place, ask your parents if they have an emergency escape plan. If they don’t - work as a family to create one and practice it at least twice a year! Here is a link to download a tool to help you make your escape plan. Remember, practice makes perfect and could save your life.

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The History of Mahjong

Fun & Games

Origin of Mahjong

MahjongThe traditional game of Mahjong originated in China, specifically in the Shanghai province. Some believe that Mahjong was developed more than 2,500 years ago, yet the earliest evidence of the game dates back to the nineteenth century. The name ‘Mahjong’ roughly translates to “cluttering birds.” It is believed that this name came from the sound the tiles make when they are shuffled.

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The Moon Festival

Myth and Legend

full moon

The annual Autumn Moon Festival is an important Chinese holiday which celebrates the abundance of the Summer harvest. It is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month of the Chinese calendar, when the moon is said to be at its fullest and brightest. The Moon Festival is also commonly referred to as the Mid-Autumn Festival, Lantern Festival & Mooncake Festival. Mooncakes are a Chinese pastry that is traditionally enjoyed while celebrating the festival.

Full Article »


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