Small-brained birds get killed by cars
A new evolutionary pressure may be at work in the avian world
NATURAL selection is a harsh interrogator at the best of times. But if you are a bird, it has an extra question, not asked so forcefully of animals that cannot fly: “is that extra gram of weight really necessary?” Contrary to the insult “bird-brained”, birds are not notably more stupid than mammals, but the pressure to keep organs light applies to the cerebrum as much as it does to anything else.
This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “Small is not beautiful”
Science & technology April 1st 2017
- Elon Musk enters the world of brain-computer interfaces
- Analysing brain signals to let a patient control his arm
- A simple device designed to detect chemical weapons
- Airborne particles cause more than 3m early deaths a year
- Small-brained birds get killed by cars
- Managing supplies of vaccines is a huge problem
From the April 1st 2017 edition
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Elon Musk is causing problems for the Royal Society
His continued membership has led to a high-profile resignation
Deforestation is costing Brazilian farmers millions
Without trees to circulate moisture, the land is getting hotter and drier
Robots can learn new actions faster thanks to AI techniques
They could soon show their moves in settings from car factories to care homes
Scientists are learning why ultra-processed foods are bad for you
A mystery is finally being solved
Scientific publishers are producing more papers than ever
Concerns about some of their business models are building
The two types of human laugh
One is caused by tickling; the other by everything else