Humans are surprisingly bad at predicting aggressive interactions between humans, dogs and monkeys. This new study by the DogStudies research group at the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, revealed that while we are better than chance at assessing social interactions, we struggle to identify aggressive behavior in both dogs and humans. One possible explanation for this is that we may be biased to assume good intentions from these species, so we interpret their actions as playful. 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
