Researchers in Hungary have confirmed something many dog owners have long suspected: that canines understand our feelings.

Using a Magnetic Resonance Scanner, or MRI，scientists found that when it comes to emotions，dogs' brains are similar to those of humans.Dogs are usually not relaxed in a lab environment, but with a little petting and lots of treats they can be trained to sit still even in an MRI scanner.That's how researchers in Hungary's ELTE University were able to get images of their brains at work.

Research fellow Attila Andics says it helped them better understand the dogs' relationship with humans.“We have known for a long time that dogs and humans share similar social environment, but now our results show that dogs and humans also have similar brain mechanisms (大脑机制) to process social information，”said Andics.

After training 11 dogs to stay motionless while their brains were scanned, the researchers checked their neurological (神经系统的) responses to about 200 emotionally significant sounds, from whining and crying to playful barking and laughing.They then compared the responses from human subjects.They found striking similarities.

Andics says it opens new possibilities for research.“It establishes a foundation of a new branch of comparative neuroscience, because until now it was not possible to measure the brain activities of a non－primate(非人灵长类动物) and the primate brain in a single experiment，” said Andics.

And what that tells ordinary dog owners, the Hungarian scientists say，is to treat your canine companions as friends，not mere animals, because they evidently understand human feelings.

If you sit at a beach and stare at the stars, you can see the sky suddenly light up and then the water turn a beautiful, electric blue. What you are seeing is a natural phenomenon known as bioluminescence(生物发光). Bioluminescence is a process by which sea creatures give out light from their bodies. Trying to catch sight of this phenomenon has in fact become a tourist attraction in places like New Zealand.

Bioluminescence is shown by many organisms, such as specific kinds of fish, squid, jellyfish, as well as fireflies. The light is caused by a chemical reaction involving a molecule(分子) called luciferin that reacts with oxygen to produce light from within an animal's body.

Animals can choose the amount and the color of the light depending on whether they are running away from predators(捕食者), attracting a possible mate, or hunting. The colors are typically a bright blue or green--- this is because colors that have shorter wavelengths such as blue and green travel easily through the water.

In the waters off the coast of New Zealand, plankton(浮游生物) produces neon-blue when it senses the presence of smaller fish that eat it. Its light causes the waves to shine, the water to flash, and the fish to swim away as they swim through the ocean.

It is important to research before visiting as bioluminescence is not guaranteed. The animals have a built-in sense of time that allows them to only shine in darkness. Also, wet weather increases the chance of bioluminescence taking place, as the water from the cloud provides nutrients that help stimulate the algae(藻类植物).

On the other hand, too much wind can cause the organisms to sink and swim away in different directions. During the day, red tides and little pockets of algae are indicators that there might be a bioluminescent show later.

Bioluminescent waves are truly one of the most unique and beautiful sights to see. They remind us of the many foreign creatures that live on our planet and our responsibility to protect them for future generations.

Back in November 2019, Alessandra Mascaro, a volunteer working at the Ozouga Chimpanzee Project in Loango National Park, Gabon. West Africa, saw something she couldn’t quite believe — one of the chimpanzees named Suzee noticed her son Sia had hurt his foot. After seemingly thinking about the best course of action, she then quickly took an insect out of the air, licked it and applied it to the wound.

Mascaro documented the whole touching moment on film and showed her supervisor. Prof Simone Pika, a cognitive biologist based at Osnabrück University. The Ozouga team then set about monitoring the chimpanzees in the park to look for other examples of the behaviour. Over the following 15 months they found 76 incidences of the chimpanzees applying insects to wounds on themselves or other group members.

While animals such as bears, elephants and bees have previously been observed applying ‘medicines’ to themselves, this study marks the first time that animal have been seen treating the wounds of others. The act of applying an insect to treat another’s wounds is a clear example of prosocial behavior, which means that rather than acting purely for one’s own survival the chimpanzees are acting in the interests of others. This echoes the acts of sympathy displayed by human beings.

“This is, for me, especially breathtaking because so many people doubt prosocial abilities in other animal. Suddenly we have a species where we really see individuals caring for others,” Pika said.

The team now aims to identify the insects being used by the chimpanzees and investigate who is applying insects to whom to establish whether the behaviour is based on a social class. “Studying chimpanzees in their natural environments is crucial to shed light on our own cognitive evolution,” said Pika. “We need to still put much more effort into studying and protecting them and also protecting their natural habitats.”