Can we talk to the animals? The ethics of using machine learning to decode animal communication - Topoi There is currently much scientific and public interest in using machine learning to uncover the meaning of animal signals, which could ultimately lead to two-way communication systems between humans and other animals. This paper examines the research ethics that should govern this line of inquiry, and explores the transformative implications if scientists are successful at creating translations between animal signals and human language. We argue that the scientific and philosophical literature on animal communication systems warrants the attempt to engage in these translation projects, and describe the current state of the art of the research. While the ability to translate animal signals has many possible benefits, these come alongside no small number of risks to animal communities. We enumerate the risks that exist in the development of these models in order to help scientists avoid them. Looking ahead, we argue that successful two-way communication with animals would both reveal an existing moral landscape and create a new one. Any successful two-way communication system would require radical translation of animal signals, which in turn entails that animals are rational beings who live in normative communities. Furthermore, the creation of these communicative systems also gives rise to new responsibilities and new demands. As researchers work to transform our social relationships with animals, they must also take on the responsibility to prepare humanity for the challenges that will arise in this novel multi-species landscape.

"Can we talk to the animals? The ethics of using machine learning to decode animal communication" https://doi.org/10.1007/s11245-026-10409-2 - I'm pleased that someone finally wrote a clear and complete ethical consideration of this emerging topic! #bioacoustics

Man says sausage roll in red kite photo was made by mother-in-law A man believes he has the answer to where a red kite got hold of the savoury snack in Banbury.

Breaking news:
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Great to see so many avocet and black winged stilt stilt beside our velodyssee cycle tour through France at the Daviaux reserve near le barre de Monts

Out now in Methods in Ecology and Evolution: Accounting for spatial interactions in the upscaling of ecosystem services. Led by Lari Boesing. A how to guide to upscaling ES, particularly those driven by the movement of matter and mobile organisms besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Secret of hedgehog hearing discovered at far beyond human range Researchers played a sountrack to hedgehogs to identify the frequency of sounds they can hear

Scientists have discovered hedgehogs may be communicating at frequencies up to 85 kHz.

Set an AudioMoth to a sample rate of 192 kHz or higher and you can try listening in!
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

The last 3 were found on threads, probably Ai. The first group were made using Ai at my request along a similar theme.

I see the revision of the uk currency as an opportunity to show to the world how we really care for nature

Tardigrades

How about a frog?

Taken from the current issue of Private Eye, if anyone's interested.

Aber Malltraeth estuary was looking superb today — huge numbers of waders and ducks, with godwits, sanderlings, curlews and dunlin all over the place. Quite sublime, if a bit cold.

Avian Panpipes - British Ornithologists' Union An evolutionary novelty

Birds and their panpipes!

bou.org.uk/avian-panpip...

Bird nests support a diverse, dynamic and distinctive macroarthropod community on the forest floor Nests built by vertebrates, such as birds and mammals, constitute diverse microhabitats that are inhabited by many arthropod taxa and represent important hubs of local biodiversity. Compared to leaf...

New paper! Bird nests (Wood Warblers) are hubs of invertebrate biodiversity on forest floor, hosting more species/individuals than leaf litter. Probably due to heat & food detritus. Losing Wood Warblers = ecological networks lost. #ornithology
resjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

"A dog was seen by a member of staff at Old Sulehay in Northamptonshire attacking and killing a woodcock."

lot of love for the guy who thinks it's in Dorset

Erm. I dunno. 4.5 billion years of planetary evolution, and our big innovation is giving the biggest fossil-fuel powers the nukes and asking them to save the climate. Bold move!

It’s simply repeating what trump did to Harvard, they will do this to other university’s if they seize power. Nothing democratic about them.

Reform UK threatens to cut funding for Welsh university after debating society bans party from campus

want to go to Bangor University' said nobody ever. Especially if Bangor University is stripped of government funding and student loan facilities by @reformparty_uk Is that "in line with your values,' poppets?

This is pretty menacing.

Sarah Pochin wrote to Bangor's university student run debating society requesting that she attend to "answer questions from students."

When they said "no" Reform rolled all it's tanks onto the lawns and said they'll cut funding to the entire university if they win.

Inside the Russian-backed project to turn pigeons into 300-mile bio-drones A Kremlin-backed neurotechnology company has been working on creating pigeon drones that could end up being used in warfare

Just when you think modern warfare can’t get more grotesque: Kremlin-linked researchers are experimenting with turning pigeons into long-range bio-drones. This is what ‘innovation’ looks like without ethics.

Tracking the #phenology ⏰ of #riverine #insect 🦟 🐜 communities using #eDNA 🧬🌐🌍.

Out now by Eva Cereghetti et al. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

a🧵/1/4

Tree diversity is changing across tropical Andean and Amazonian forests in response to global change - Nature Ecology & Evolution This study examines long-term changes in species richness across tropical forests in the Andes and Amazon. Hotter, drier and more seasonal forests in the eastern and southern Amazon are losing species...

Hotter, drier and more seasonal forests in the eastern and southern Amazon are losing species, while Northern Andean forests are accumulating species, acting as a refuge for those that are climate-displaced 🧪 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

I wasn’t aware that ‘pinky toe’ had entered osteological terminology, but a fascinating paper nonetheless.

What Americans Lose If Their National Center for Atmospheric Research Is Dismantled - Eos Five ways dismantling NCAR will cost the American people, and two ways to save it.

eos.org/opinions/wha...

Precision ecology for targeted conservation action - Nature Ecology & Evolution The fields of medicine and marketing use large data volumes and computational power to target individuals. This Perspective argues that applied ecologists should draw on such approaches to provide dec...

Meta-analysis is ubiquitous in ecology, but it is poor at determining which conservation interventions work in which contexts

That’s why we’ve developed Precision Ecology, using methods developed in, eg, medicine to inform precise, data-informed conservation

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

And we're only scratching the surface of species interactions, even for familiar European species.
E.g. Who knew that ants use the heat in Wood Warbler nests to rear their own young?
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Or that bison create nest sites for Marsh Tits & flycatchers?
doi.org/10.3161/0001...

If only Batman could simply throw a net over them at their next meeting…

marsh tit, www.garthpeacock.co.uk

Very pleased to share #OpenAccess paper, which we think is important to understand woodland bird declines and impact of forestry on native ancient woodland in Britain.
nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/... #ornithology @ukceh.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social @mizpas.bsky.social
🧵1/n