bonobos

A new analysis of behavioral traditions practiced by African chimpanzees supports the idea that the animals learn about such activities from others, possibly from newcomers to established communities. Chimps thus exhibit cultural diversity, even if it falls short of the human cultural spectrum, say Stephen J. Lycett of the University of Liverpool, England, and his colleagues. http://louiscjcsheehan.blogspot.com

Researchers have noted 39 behaviors, varying among seven African chimp communities, that they propose as cultural acts (SN: 6/19/99, p. 388). These behaviors revolve around tool use, foraging techniques, and grooming methods. Critics argue that genetic characteristics of different chimp communities, not culturally based learning, may foster distinctive behavioral styles.

Lycett's team examined chimp traditions using cladistics, a technique previously employed to identify branching evolutionary relationships among fossil organisms, spoken languages, and even ancient stone arrowheads. The method involved comparing chimp behaviors with those already reported for closely related bonobos, or pygmy chimps. The researchers defined behaviors shared by chimps and bonobos as having been precursors of those unique to chimps.

Branching patterns of related behaviors appeared in each chimp community and in sets of communities from either eastern or western Africa, the researchers report in the Nov. 6 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. These localized connections among behaviors arose via cultural transmission, they posit. http://louiscjcsheehan.blogspot.com

In contrast, no behavioral pattern was common to eastern and western African chimps. The absence of continentwide structure suggests that no link exists between genetic and cultural differences among chimps.

Cultural traditions spread relatively slowly as female chimps emigrate to nearby groups at sexual maturity, the scientists propose. Female newcomers may also abandon traditions from their native groups in favor of approaches taken by their new comrades, they note. http://louiscjcsheehan.blogspot.com

dma

Since the onset of the new media explosion, the newspaper industry has been experiencing one of the slowest (and most discussed) demises in recent history. http://louis_j_sheehan.today.com But according to new research out of Saga University in Japan, old newspapers could be a crucial ingredient in recovering gold and other precious metals from the rising flood of industrial waste brought on by discarded cell phones, laptops, TVs, and other consumer devices. http://louis_j_sheehan.today.com

To test their theory, the research team crushed and washed old newspapers, combined the resulting mush with a chlorine compound, then treated the chlorinated paper with dimethylamine (DMA) and formaldehyde to create a “DMA-paper gel,” which they dried into a powder.

After testing the gel’s ability to absorb the metals in a standard industrial sample (which consisted of old metallic components dissolved in hydrochloric acid), the team found that the gel sucked out over 90 percent of the sample’s gold, platinum and palladium. Even better, the gel was fully reusable afterwards.

Given that we’re tossing around 35 million PCs into landfills, with over three billion cell phones waiting to be discarded, the recycling and reduction of industrial waste is no small environmental issue, and a solution as simple and efficient as old newspapers could be a boon for environmentalists. Which is something even Sam Zell can feel good about.

late

May 12, Thursday. Late last night, Mr. Byington, a newspaper correspondent, called at my house. He left General Grant’s headquarters at 8 A.M. yesterday. http://louis1j1sheehan1esquire.wordpress.com Reports hard fighting on Tuesday, but represents our troops to have had the best of it. General Robinson, severely wounded, arrived in Washington. http://louis1j1sheehan1esquire.wordpress.com

Secretary Chase sends me a letter that the Treasury is unwilling to pay bills drawn abroad in coin, and wishes the Department to buy coin and pay the bills independent of the Treasury. In other words, the Treasury Department declines to meet government obligations as heretofore. It is incapable of discharging its fiscal duties, is no longer to be a fiscal but a brokerage establishment for borrowing money and issuing a baseless, fictitious paper currency. These are the inglorious results of the schemes and speculations of our financier, and the end is not yet. There will be a general breakdown under this management.