Taking a look at recent, positive, uplifting, news stories and yarns, from New Zealand and all around the world, to bring a smile and a bit of cheer.
Oldest cave art discovered
Beating the oldest example of human hand painting by 1,100 years, a recent discovery in a cave on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi is a staggering 67,800 years old.
“Professor Adam Brumm of Griffiths University in Australia, who co-led the project, told BBC News, that the latest discovery, published in the journal Nature, adds to the emerging view that there was no awakening for humanity in Europe. Instead, creativity was innate to our species, the evidence for which stretches back to Africa, where we evolved.
“The latest discovery is from a limestone cave called Liang Metanduno on Muna, a small island off south eastern Sulawesi.One fragmentary hand stencil there is overlain by thin mineral crusts that, when analysed, was found to have a minimum age of 67,800 years, making it the oldest reliably dated cave art anywhere in the world.” (Source: “Oldest cave painting of red claw hand could rewrite human creativity timeline,” by Pallab Ghosh, January 21, www.bbc.com).
5 stars – having seen replica cave paintings that are 17,000 years old in Lascaux, France a few years ago – it’s amazing to know that there are examples of early human art that are 50,000 years older than that.
DNA may be in Da Vinci’s work
Scientists attempting to unlock the genius of the original Renaissance man, Leonardo Da Vinci, are hopeful that traces of his DNA might be found in some of his works. Unlike the fictional world of Jurassic Park, there is no mention of trying to recreate him, merely to understand his original abilities as pioneer in so many scientific and artistic fields. As Da Vinci’s mortal remains were lost, there is no way to gather genetic information other than hoping to find some in work he has left behind.
“Leonardo left behind a wealth of paintings, drawings and letters — things he would have touched that may still contain traces of genetic material today.
“’There’s a lot of biological material that comes from the individual that can be tracked to a piece of paper or a canvas that absorbs that,’ said study coauthor Dr. Norberto Gonzalez-Juarbe, assistant professor in the department of cell biology and molecular genetics at the University of Maryland, College Park. ‘And if you cover it with paint, it has like a protective coat on it.’
“Tracking down the artist’s DNA could provide insights into his brilliant capabilities. The team believes that he had unusually high visual acuity, or the ability to see things in a more detailed way than the average person, based on his artwork. Finding out whether Leonardo had a biological advantage is a long-term goal, Lee said. ‘I’m hoping that this study is an important first step towards that.'” (Source: “Genetic clues may be hiding in Leonardo da Vinci’s artwork,” by Ashley Strickland, January 17, www.edition.cnn.com).
5 stars – this study shows the incredible possibilities we have created through science. Total upside!
Cow uses tool to scratch back
For the first time, a cow in Austria has been observed using a tool and this is a big deal. Veronika has an established history of using sticks to scratch her back but until now it was a story passed about by her owners. Now cognitive biologists have been able to see for themselves and they are rather stunned.
“Around 10 years ago Mr Wiegele [Veronika’s owner] noticed that Veronika would occasionally pick up sticks and scratch with them. A friend of his sent phone footage to researchers.
“Prof Alice Auersperg, lead researcher, said: ‘When I saw the footage I immediately thought: this is not just a curious behaviour, this is a scientifically valuable example of a tool used by a species that is traditionally overlooked in relation to its cognitive abilities.’ Flexible tool use is associated with complex cognition and has been seen in chimpanzees, the closest animal to humans.
“Over a series of sessions, the team presented Veronika with a deck brush – a stiff-bristled broom – placed horizontally on the ground. The orientation of the broom, bristle-end to left or right, was randomised. On each occasion, the cow purposefully chose the end appropriate for the area it wished to scratch. Veronika used the broom with broad movements reminiscent of a human sweeping a floor for upper-body scratching, but with more control for sensitive areas such as udder or belly skin. (Source: “Who are you calling bovine? Veronika the cow can use tools,” by Sarah Knapton, January 20, www.stuff.co.nz).
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