geekosystem

Researchers at Michigan State University have confirmed that a two-headed bull shark discovered in 2011 is, in fact, exactly what it appears to be -- one shark with two heads, and not a pair of conjoined twin sharks. I mean, I guess I thought we could tell that just by looking at how freaky it is, but hey, good to know, right?

A team at Michigan State University has made some upgrades to their robotic fish project. The robot is now called Grace, or "Gliding Robotic ACE" after its new ability to glide for long distances using minimal energy. Besides the swimming and gliding, Grace also has an array of sensors used to measure the quality, temperature, and other information about the water in which it swims.

If you don't think of "being exceedingly reasonable about scheduling matters" as a trait generally shown by big cats who chase down and eat small, fluffy things, you're not alone. A group of tigers in Nepal, however, is demonstrating a degree of tact and diplomacy not usually seen in quarter-ton feline killing machines. The tigers of Nepal's Chitwan National Park have changed from their normal daytime feeding habits to make their living as nocturnal predators, seemingly in the interest of avoiding conflict with the humans who call the area home and share many of the same roads and trails used by tigers.

Researchers from Michigan State University have found a wrinkle in how hyenas use their noses that might have implications for how we understand the sense of smell in many other animals as well. Like most species of dogs, hyenas use scent as their primary sense -- it's how they find prey, how they look for mates, and how they communicate with one another. New research published this month in the journal Scientific Reports shows that hyenas from different clans appear to have different colonies of bacteria living in their scent glands. The study marks the first time that widely different communities of odor-causing bacteria have been found in the same species, and could offer insight on how animals communicate by smell.

According to new research by Michigan State University, both boys and girls who play video games tend to be more creative, whether or not the games are violent. MSU researchers surveyed 491 middle school students regarding how frequently they used different forms of technology, and measured their creativity with a widely used Torrance Test of Creativity Figural. The test included creativity exercises one may remember from writing classes, such as being tasked with drawing an interesting picture from a prompt, giving it a title, then writing about it. The study found that the boys and girls preferred different types of games. Unsurprisingly, the boys played games more than the girls and gravitated more toward violent and sports games, whereas the girls gravitated more toward games focused on interaction with others (human and nonhuman). Regardless of the type of technology use in which the children participated, the study found that only video game interaction increased levels of creativity, and it didn't matter what type of game was being played. So next time you're playing video games instead of doing some kind of project, you can now rationally tell yourself it is to enhance your creative juices to ensure a better final product.

I have often considered myself to be a lover of animals, but there are some creatures on this Earth that, frankly, I could do without. Leeches, bedbugs, mosquitos, intestinal parasites, all of these just seem unnecessary. Not least of these is, of course, the sea lamprey. While it's true evolution has seen fit to make lamprey's singularly adapted to their lifestyle, that doesn't make them any less creepy. With that in mind, hearing that Michigan State University has developed an effective lamprey repellent is satisfying. Especially given how much damage this invasive species has done to the Great Lakes. Seeing an entire tub of writhing, terrified lampreys is, however, just gross. So I posted it for you. You're welcome. Oh, and don't worry: There's an underwater view as well.