Reconstructing how mice see the world (possibly). Fascinating.

To add: the Clumber is listed by the RKC under their Breed Watch Category 2 which lists particular points of concern for certain breeds at risk from extremes of conformation. Quite what “special attention “ Bruin’s obvious ectropion elicited from the judges is anyone’s guess.

Crufts 2026: Clumber spaniel named Bruin wins best in show Handler Lee Cox said Bruin was the

That this poor creature is somehow deemed the pinnacle of ‘dog’ is just depressing. Shocking ectropion, terrible dental conformation, and obese (by the look of it). When it comes to canine welfare, the RKC aren’t even pretending anymore.

Twenty-five years ago: the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the UK 22 February 2001: How the Guardian first covered the national crisis that unfolded as a result of the virus that spreads like wildfire

I’ve never been completely able to shake the feeling of utter horror I experienced after performing my first contiguous cull during the outbreak; over 400 healthy sheep - including newborn lambs - killed, methodically, one after the other. I don’t think any of us came out the other side unscathed.

Well, this makes me very happy

Getting ever closer to bridging classical and quantum. This is exciting.

Allow Moments of Peace and Joy Following the Venerable Buddhist monks and their dog

Sarah Chauncey @sarahchauncey.com has a beautiful post about the Venerable Buddhist monks who are walking for peace, and the dog who is walking alongside them.
counterintuitiveguide.substack.com/p/allow-mome...

Small gestures, big impact: changing how laboratory mice are handled - Swiss 3RCC Every day, in laboratories across Switzerland, mice are picked up, moved, weighed or examined. These small actions happen thousands of times, and for a long time, hardly anyone questioned how they wer...

Not my work world any more but I still enjoy seeing the implementation of meaningful changes gathering pace in the animal research world.

Four million salmon died prematurely at Tasmanian fish farms in 2025, government data reveals Death toll sparks calls for companies to be fined under animal welfare legislation over mass fish deaths

“We are essentially at the stage where the waters in south-eastern Tasmania aren’t fit for purpose for salmon” — marine ecologist Prof Stewart Frusher

▶️ www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

COMPASS Guidelines for Conducting Welfare-Focused Research into Behaviour Modification of Animals

www.mdpi.com/3674682

You can’t spot an aggressive dog just from its looks or breed. Genetic testing could better predict which dogs will bite.

👉 Read the full story: theconversation.com/austral...

Human emotional odours influence horses’ behaviour and physiology Olfaction is the most widespread sensory modality animals use to communicate, yet much remains to be discovered about its role. While most studies focused on intraspecific interactions and reproductio...

Like dogs, horses might be able to smell our fear.

CCDS is often missed in older dogs, particularly in the early stages when interventions might be most effective. Good to finally see some consensus guidelines for this common, debilitating condition.

A lot of findings in this new paper, but one is the inevitable doom of traditional peer review:
1) AI creates a flood of papers, both good & bad
2) Paper complexity, a key screen and signal of quality for human work, is actually a signal of low quality for AI
There's no plan for what comes next.

Why your AI companion is not your friend First, tech companies usurped the meaning of ‘friends’ and ‘connection’ — now they are coming for ‘companionship’

Late to this but a beautiful piece of writing from @martinsandbu.ft.com

www.ft.com/content/f365...

Hen cages and pig farrowing crates to be outlawed in England Humane slaughter requirements for farmed fish and end to puppy farming also in new package of animal welfare laws

Will require careful implementation of suitable alternatives to ensure welfare but this is important progress.

A call for CARE in animal behaviour: an holistic ethical research framework Despite increasing awareness of animal welfare, there are vast discrepancies between legal protections and recommended practices for different species…

2026. A call for CARE in animal behaviour: an holistic ethical research framework. [Consult, Approve, Research and Evaluate framework] via @asab.org cc @asabeducation.bsky.social - www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Do prawns feel pain? Why scientists are urging a rethink of Australia’s favoured festive food Studies show crustaceans can learn, remember, solve problems and form relationships

Interesting article on the possibility of pain in prawns and how these animals are treated in farming and fisheries #crustacean #animalwelfare
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/d...

Transfer to a naturalistic setting restructures fear responses in laboratory mice Zipple et al. show that transferring laboratory mice to naturalistic outdoor enclosures prevents and even reverses a canonical anxiety phenotype in rodents. The findings underscore the value of studyi...

We really need to rethink how we use animal models in neuroscience

Who owns your chicken? We’ve mapped the corporate power behind the world’s favourite meat The global appetite for factory farmed chicken was deliberately engineered by an industry searching for ‘efficiency’.

The global appetite for factory farmed chicken was deliberately engineered by an industry searching for ‘efficiency’.

Seeing both sides: dogs’ eyes reveal valence-sensitive shifts between emotional states Abstract. Left-right asymmetries in behaviour, reflecting underlying asymmetries in brain activity, can serve as indirect markers of internal states. Howev

I’ve got some issues with the big interpretive overreach - particularly considering several obvious weak points in the design - but this is kinda interesting all the same

Should Australia establish an independent body to investigate scientific misconduct? We asked 5 experts

Scientific misconduct can waste public funds and harm human health. But views differ about the best way to tackle it.

Map of Scotland showing location of road gritter. Most names are puns.Bear Chills, sled Zeppelin, credence clear road survival, thistle gritter through

It's the season to appreciate the names of Scottish road gritters ❄️
#Scotland #Christmas

The Reith lectures are always worth a listen. This year’s series doesn’t disappoint.