The Secrets of Elephant Trunks

On this week’s news update…

Smiling Robot

A smiling robot…

Megadrought

A megadrought affects the United States…

Elephant Trunks

And the secrets of elephant trunks.

First up…

Happy, sad, surprised—every day, we use different facial expressions to communicate how we are feeling.

Humans learn the importance of different expressions through a process called “facial mimicry,” where infants learn to copy the expressions of their parents.

facial mimicry

And now, with robots being used in more everyday situations, it is becoming important for them to learn social skills too.

This will allow humans to interact with robots in a more comfortable, natural way.

Enter EVA, a blue-faced robot that scientists have engineered to mirror human expressions!

Her flexible rubber face is controlled by small motors that pull on the material to produce different movements.

EVA can produce a wide range of expressions.

When a camera records the face of a human interacting with her, she recognizes the human’s facial movements and reacts with similar expressions.

EVA might sometimes look a little creepy, but scientists aim to improve robots’ facial expressions as they build more advanced models in the future.

Up next…

In the 1930s, vast areas of North America were hit by severe drought.

Oklahoma, 1937

Nicknamed the “Dust Bowl,” the drought turned farmland to dust and forced thousands of people to leave their homes.

Now, almost a century later, the United States is again being affected by severe drought.

Stretching from New Mexico to California, the “megadrought” is affecting 94 percent of the land across the Western United States.

megadrought

With climate change contributing to patterns of dry, hot weather, levels of rainfall have decreased dramatically, causing water levels to drop and vegetation to dry up.

These extremely dry conditions have also increased the risk of forest fires starting.

With the drought likely to continue, measures can be taken to avoid the impacts of past droughts, as well as helping residents live more comfortably in dry, hot conditions.

For example, using water more efficiently will help maintain supplies and allow farmers to continue growing crops, and planting trees across cities will provide shade, helping people stay cool as they go about their daily lives.

And finally…

It’s Animal Watch!

Elephant trunks are a wonder of nature!

Elephants use their distinctive noses for a wide range of tasks, including collecting food from trees, mud baths, and communicating with one another.

Researchers have now discovered that elephant trunks have a hidden function: the ability to suck up food!

Filming an elephant as it gobbled up various snacks, researchers observed the trunk using suction to inhale small pieces of food, much like how a vacuum cleaner sucks up dust.

The elephant was also recorded using its suction powers to grab a fragile tortilla chip without breaking it.

Researchers also monitored the trunk of a thirsty elephant as it enjoyed a drink, and discovered that elephants can store extra water in their trunks, which they can then use later in the day!

That’s all for this week—we’ll see you next time!