Aug. 17: AROUND THE WORLD
- Posted by CERC India
- Posted in August
JAPAN
Your dog can tell when someone is being rude
Turns out canines are a better judge of character than one would have thought. Experts say dogs have a similar capacity to detect negativity in humans as infants do. A study, published in Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, has found that dogs can sense bad behaviour in humans.
For the study, researchers set up an encounter in which a dog watched his owner attempt to open a container. In a series of three trials, an actor would either help the owner open the container, respond neutrally or refuse to help the owner. Then, he would offer a treat to the dog. The dog was less likely to accept a treat when the actor behaved rudely and refused to help the owner.
SOUTH PACIFIC
This country has banned junk food imports
Torba, a group of islands in Vanuatu in the South Pacific, has decided to ban imported junk food. The objective is to combat lifestyle diseases and to ensure sustained health and wellness of its citizens, according to www.guardian.com.
Rice, biscuits, sweets and tinned fish are among the items that are considered ‘junk’ as they are low in nutritional value. The island nation has a variety of locally grown organic produce such as fresh fruits, vegetables and seafood. Local leaders here are pressing for the tourism industry to offer only locally grown produce to visitors and tourists as well.
USA
Apple sued over FaceTime’s role in car crash
An American couple is suing Apple, claiming that the tech giant’s FaceTime video chat app distracted a driver who rammed his vehicle into their car, killing their five-year-old daughter.
The lawsuit claims that Apple failed “to warn users that the product was likely to be dangerous when used or misusedâ€, according to news reports. The couple is suing Apple for damages saying the company failed to install and implement a “safer, alternative design†for FaceTime that would have prevented the driver from using the app while travelling at high speed.
CANADA
Play an instrument? You probably react faster
University of Montreal has conducted a research which shows that musicians have faster reaction time than non-musicians. This has implications for preventing some effects of aging. The study compared the reaction times of 16 musicians and 19 non-musicians. The participants sat in a quiet, well-lit room with one hand on a computer mouse and the index finger of the other on a small box that vibrated intermittently. They were told to click on the mouse when they heard a sound from the speakers in front of them, or when the box vibrated, or when both happened.
The researchers found faster reaction times with musicians. As reaction times get slower as people get older, the study suggests that learning to play music could help the elderly stay alert.
