It’s a wild plan, but these conservationists are hoping it will work: they are using decoys made of cement to try and convince endangered African penguins to start a new colony. BirdLife South Africa is testing the decoys near Stony Point, a mainland colony of the island-nesting penguins, in an attempt to give the species a better chance of survival. With the population down from millions to just 25,000 breeding pairs, the decoys could be the key to saving the species. Read full article here
Oddities
Why Do Modern Pop Songs Have So Many Credited Writers?
The music industry has changed dramatically over the last few decades – with the number of songwriters credited on number one hits more than doubling. This is due to a combination of factors, including money, the computer and a changing definition of what songwriting is. For example, if The Beatles’ classic “I Feel Fine” was released today, it would likely have four writers credited instead of two, due to the influence of producers, samples and interpolations. With the rise of lawsuits, artists now preemptively add songwriter credits to their songs, even if the similarities between their song and the source material are coincidental. It all goes to show that the music industry is becoming more complex and competitive. Read full article here
Merv
March 29, 2023
