Why are minor chords sad and major chords happy?
If you watch a TV show or movie, it’s obvious that music has the power to make people happy or sad. But how exactly does that work? Studies have been done on the correlation between minor and major chords and emotions. Some results indicate a neurological connection while others show a cultural or experienced-based link.
https://www.sciencefocus.com/science/why-are-minor-chords-sad-and-major-chords-happy
Google Adds Pollen, air quality, and solar to Maps
While we work to reduce climate change, we also have to develop new ways to sustain a healthy environment. Three new APIs from Google Maps Platform make it easy for developers to map solar, air quality, and pollen information for use in creating tools to lessen the impact of the changing climate.
https://blog.google/products/maps/google-maps-apis-environment-sustainability/
https://www.popsci.com/technology/google-maps-pollen-api/
Birds’ problem-solving skills linked to song complexity
A new study persuasively shows that, in a large range of bird species, the ability to learn complex new songs is associated with problem-solving, which is one aspect of intelligence. But other learned behaviors, like associative learning or learning from contact with objects in your environment (like we learn not to touch a hot stove) seem completely unrelated.
https://arstechnica.com/science/2023/09/birds-problem-solving-skills-linked-to-song-complexity/
Shedding Light on Untouchable Sea Creatures
In the depths of the oceans, there are some mysterious sea creatures that are so fragile they turn into lumps of jelly when scientists try and collect them. Kakani Katija, a scientist at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, found a way to use lasers to study how these creatures function without having to touch or destroy them.
https://www.newyorker.com/science/elements/shedding-light-on-untouchable-sea-creatures
Dogs sniff out COVID more effectively than tests
If you’ve ever walked a dog, you know they have a super-powered sense of smell. But can they detect COVID better than our science-based tests? A recent review in the Journal of Osteopathic Medicine includes studies from more than 400 scientists indicating trained dogs may be “as effective or more effective” than our current COVID testing. That deserves a treat!
https://www.futurity.org/dogs-smell-covid-19-2963202/