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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Scientists observed sleeping octopuses and saw their brains enter a deep sleep like ours. </li><li>This deep sleep is similar to a dream state in mammals, so octopuses may also dream.</li></ul><ul class="summary-list"></ul><p>You may not have noticed, but when you're <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/matthew-walker-what-happens-to-your-brain-when-you-dream-2018-2">deep in a dream</a> you probably twitch, toss, and turn as your brain shifts to a more active state.</p><p>Turns out, you're not so different from how an octopus sleeps, according to a new <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=0f1d2923f56e4eb6416eaa89c8fede0068c32db9b3c0f23db976a97c4641bb87&amp;postID=649f414d000a9755bd5ca9dd&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nature.com%2Farticles%2Fs41586-023-06203-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> published in the journal Nature on Wednesday.</p><p>For the study, scientists spied on multiple sleeping octopuses. They witnessed brief, recurring cycles where the cephalopods twitched and flashed brilliant rings of color across their pigmented skin.</p><div type="image" title="An octopus in Bonaire, in the Caribbean Sea." height="2438" width="3648" msid="101420148" hostid="261" sizebytes="697220"></div><p>To get an even clearer picture of what was going on, the scientists inserted probes to study the octopuses' brains during this sleep stage as well as other stages of sleep and wakefulness.</p><p>By studying the octopus's brain activity, the team found that these cephalopods have similar active and quiet sleep cycles to us mammals and that certain periods of their active stage resembles rapid eye movement sleep. </p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/rem-sleep">REM sleep is often when humans dream</a>, leading scientists to wonder if octopuses may dream like us.   </p><h2>Octopuses and humans are separated by about 600 million years of evolution</h2><p>The last common ancestor to cephalopods and humans lived some 600 million years ago, according to <a href="https://medium.com/the-envoy/deep-learning-the-remarkable-evolution-of-octopus-intelligence-bc6fcd4c08a2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Medium</a>. Therefore most scientists believe these aquatic animals function very differently from us in most respects. </p><p>But what researchers found in this new study is that the way we sleep is quite similar to an octopus. </p><p>"The fact that two-stage sleep has independently evolved in distantly related creatures, like octopuses, which have large but completely different brain structures from vertebrates, suggests that possessing an active, wake-like stage may be a general feature of complex cognition," Leenoy Meshulam, co-author and theoretical physicist at the University of Washington School of Medicine and the UW Computational Neuroscience Center, told <a href="https://newatlas.com/biology/octopus-dream-rem-sleep-cuttlefish/">New Atlas</a>.</p><p>To understand octopus sleep, the team examined the electrical wave patterns they recorded when the animals were awake and asleep. They found that the patterns were similar when the animals were experiencing REM-like sleep compared to when they were awake and engaged.</p><div type="image" title="A photo on the shortlist for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition: A house-hunting octopus" height="1707" width="2276" msid="101420149" hostid="261" sizebytes="439956"></div><p>That data combined with the changes in their skin color during this sleep stage led the scientists to suggest that the octopuses could be recreating memories of wakefulness while sleeping, aka dreaming. Or, they suggested, it could be them running drills to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/octopus-camouflage-robert-hanlon-2013-9">practice their camouflaging skills while sleeping</a>. </p><p>They can't know for sure whether it's the former or the latter. It is hard to ask an octopus about its sleep quality after all. </p><p>Even so, no matter how alien they may look, studies like this are a good reminder that we may share more similarities than differences.</p>

Scientists see surprising brain activity in sleeping octopuses that could mean they dream like us

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A proposed commercial octopus farm is sparking outrage among experts and animal rights campaigners.</li><li>The farm would slaughter roughly one million octopuses each year by submerging them in icy water.</li></ul><p>A proposed commercial octopus farm in Spain has sparked outrage after a leaked plan suggested that the operator intends to kill up to one million of the animals a year by submerging them, alive, in freezing water.</p><p>Companies have for years strived to produce octopuses at a commercial scale in captivity, citing growing demand and pressure to find more sustainable alternatives to fishing. But critics argue the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/octopus-weirdest-animals-rna-editing-super-powers-2018-5">creatures are far too smart</a> — and capable of feeling pain — to be raised for food in confined quarters.</p><p>The proposed farm at issue would be based in Spain's Canary Islands and run by Nueva Pescanova, a seafood company that boasted in 2019 of having succeeded at not only raising octopuses in captivity but, for the first time, getting them to reproduce.</p><p>"We will continue to research how to continue improving the well-being of the octopuses, studying and replicating their natural habitat, with the expectation to be able to sell aquaculture octopus starting in the year 2023," CEO Ignacio González said at the time.</p><p>But campaigners with Eurogroup for Animals, an activist group, say that documents they obtained — and shared <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-64814781">with the BBC</a> — show that the proposed factory would subject octopuses to torturous conditions and a long, painful death.</p><p>In <a href="https://www.eurogroupforanimals.org/files/eurogroupforanimals/2023-03/2023_03_efa_octopus_case_study_en_0.pdf">a report</a> released Thursday, the activist group said that Nueva Pescanova intends to slaughter around one million octopuses each year by submerging them in a freezing "ice slurry." In addition, it criticizes the conditions they will be kept in prior to their slaughter, saying the company intends to cage a solitary creature in dense housing — up to 15 octopuses per cubic meter of water — and subject them to 24-hour periods of light in an effort to speed reproduction.</p><p>"It will inflict unnecessary suffering on these intelligent, sentient and fascinating creatures, which need to explore and engage with the environment as part of their natural behaviour," Elena Lara, research manager at the group Compassion in World Farming, said in a statement.</p><p>Nueva Pescanova did not respond to Insider's request for comment. But in a statement to the BBC, the company said it had high standards that ensure "the correct handling of the animals." In particular, it said, the slaughter of the octopuses "involves proper handling that avoids any pain or suffering to the animal."</p><p>Experts disagree, however, that submerging live animals in freezing water is a pleasant way to go.</p><p>"To kill them with ice would be a slow death," Dr. Peter Tse, who studies octopus cognition at Dartmouth, told the BBC. "It would be very cruel and should not be allowed."</p><p>In an <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1w4KNUY4BWM2GT6_EVmwIxX6VvvSwfpQB/view">open letter</a> last year, before specific details of the proposed factory were released, a group of environmental scientists at New York University who specialize in animal sentience argued that is not possible to humanely raise octopuses in captivity at a commercial scale — and could indeed cause not just pollution, from the release of contaminated waters, but cannibalism in animals that have effectively been driven mad.</p><p>"Beyond environmental and health concerns, octopuses are capable of observational learning, have individual personalities, play, and are capable of problem-solving, deception, and interspecies hunting," the scientists wrote.</p><p><em>Have a news tip? Email this reporter: <a href="mailto:cdavis@insider.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cdavis@insider.com</a></em></p>

A Spanish firm wants to kill one million octopuses a year using 'ice slurry' baths at first-ever factory farm

<ul class="summary-list"><li>There's nothing unusual about having a kink — some evidence suggests half the population has one.</li><li>A few examples of kinks include bondage, impact play aka spanking, discipline, and role play. </li></ul><p>As any pleasure-seeker or social scroller knows, a kink isn't just a knot in your neck. It also refers to your <a href="https://www.insider.com/what-your-sexual-fantasies-say-about-you2020-7">sexual preferences</a>.</p><p>"A kink is a sexual interest that is outside of the ordinary," says certified sex educator Javay Frye-Nekrasova, founder of <a href="https://themillennialsexpert.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Millennial Sexpert</a> and educator with <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?postID=63f8f209930554455b7ed68c&amp;site=in&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lovehoney.com%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lovehoney</a>. </p><p>Of course, what qualifies as ordinary sex — or <a href="https://www.insider.com/pleasure-kink-shame-what-is-vanilla-sex-2021-3">vanilla sex</a> — varies by person, as well as cultural context, and so does what qualifies as <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/sex-relationships/kinky-sex-positions">kinky</a>. </p><p>"It's entirely subjective," Frye-Nekrasova says. Some individuals might say they have a <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/sex-relationships/doggy-style-sex-position">doggy style</a> kink because they like to hit it from the back, for instance. Meanwhile, others might say they're kinky because whips and chains excite them. Still, about <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/289368254_The_Prevalence_of_Paraphilic_Interests_and_Behaviors_in_the_General_Population_A_Provincial_Survey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">half the population</a> reports having interest in at least one non-vanilla sex act. </p><p>Note, however, that a kink is different from a fetish. While a kink expresses an interest in a sexual act, "a fetish is a fixation on an object or body part for sexual gratification," Frye-Nekrasova says. </p><p>To put it simply, a kink is something you do to get turned on, while a fetish is a thing you need to get turned on. </p><p>Semantics of kink versus fetish aside, there's no shortage of things people might be into in the bedroom (or, uh, dungeon). Below, kink educators explain 20 of the most common kinks, outlining why someone might think it's hot and sharing tips for your own sexperiments.  </p><h2>1. Age gap </h2><p>An age-gap kink is a kink for role play where adult-aged folks act out, and are turned on by, fantasies that involve a difference in ages, says sex educator Searah Deysach, owner of <a href="http://www.early2bed.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Early to Bed</a>, an education-focused sex shop in Chicago. </p><p>For instance, one partner might play "baby" and put on a diaper, while the other plays "Mommy" or "Daddy" — this dynamic in particular is known as "daddy dominant–baby girl." One partner might also pretend to be a college-aged student, while another pretends to be a professor. </p><p>"It's important to note that an age gap kink involves consenting adults (not children) pretending to be younger than they really are," Deysach says. Any illicit contact or conversations with minors is a felony. </p><h2>2. Bondage</h2><p>Bondage is the B in "<a href="https://www.insider.com/myths-about-bdsm-according-to-kink-specialists-2020-2">BDSM</a>." In full, "the acronym stands for bondage, discipline/dominance, submission/sadism, and masochism," Deysach says. </p><p>At its most distilled, "an individual interested in bondage when they are interested in being restrained or restricted, or restraining or restricting their partner," says Lisa Finn, a sex educator with sex-toy emporium <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?postID=63f8f209930554455b7ed68c&amp;site=in&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.babeland.com%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Babeland</a>. </p><p>Bondage can involve anything from ropes and ribbons to zip-ties and saran wrap, and it may appeal to folks for a variety of reasons. </p><p>"Some people like the aesthetic of a restrained body, others like the sensation of the bondage material on their skin, and others like the way it reinstates power dynamics," Finn says. </p><h2>3. Cock and ball torture</h2><p>Cock and ball torture, sometimes known simply as CBT (not to be confused with <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/mental-health/cognitive-behavioral-therapy">cognitive behavioral therapy</a>), is a fetish marked by the desire to have pain inflicted on your own penis or testicles — or the desire to inflict said pain. </p><p>"This pain can be achieved through pulling, stretching, or even stepping on one's bits," Deysach says. </p><p>CBT may also involve the use of cock cages, urethral sounding, genital flogging, and more, and she says. </p><h2>4. Cuckolding </h2><p>Someone has a <a href="https://www.insider.com/why-conservative-men-are-attracted-to-cuckolding-sex-kinks-2020-9">cuckolding</a> kink when they enjoy watching their partner have sex with other people — either in the same room, or via Facetime or video, Deysach says. </p><p>Historically, the term was used specifically to refer to married men who wanted to watch their wives have sex with other men, but according to Deysach, the term can be applied to folks of any gender, sexuality, or marital status. </p><p>"The thrill of watching your lover have sex with another person is something that folks across the gender spectrum can find exciting and kinky," Deysach says.</p><p>Typically, when someone uses the term cuckold, it implies that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-people-are-turned-on-by-humiliation-2015-3">humiliation</a> is involved, she says. For some people, the act of watching a partner have sex with someone else  — for instance, someone with a larger penis or more sexual skills  — is humiliating, and it's this emotional sensation that turns them on.  </p><p>"But for others it can be a more open term just to refer to the thrill of watching your lover partner with another while you sit on the sidelines," she says. </p><p><strong>Note: </strong>Unlike a <a href="https://www.insider.com/prepare-for-first-threesome-establish-boundaries-group-sex-advice-2021-6">threesome</a>, a cuckolding scene would have one person sitting on the sidelines.</p><h2>5. Discipline </h2><p>According to Finn, discipline is a form of roleplay where certain acts are framed as "corrective" or as "punishment."  </p><p>This kink often involves a more dominant partner setting rules or expectations for a more submissive partner— and if the more submissive partner breaks those rules, there are consequences, Finn says. </p><p>These consequences can include physical acts like spanking or other impact play or mental and emotional acts like humiliation or testing their partner, according to Finn. </p><p>To be super-duper clear: "Disciplinary play is a form of roleplay — it shouldn't actually be used as a way to resolve conflict with real-world repercussions," Finn says. </p><h2>6. Dominance </h2><p>The D in BDSM can also stand for "dominance."</p><p>Dominance is the act of <a href="https://www.insider.com/dominatrix-control-bdsm-heal-sexual-trauma-2023-2">consensually taking control</a> or holding the power in a scene or sexual dynamic with their partner, Finn says. </p><p>While a dominant partner plays the role of "Large and In Charge," the submissive partner should still always have autonomy over the situation, Finn says. For instance, they may negotiate the scene before play and use safewords and gestures throughout. </p><h2>7. Erotic asphyxiation</h2><p>Erotic asphyxiation, AKA breath play, is the act of controlling how much access you have to oxygen for the sake of power, play, and pleasure. </p><p>"When someone is choking you, they could seriously hurt you, even kill you," says sex educator <a href="https://www.zacharyzane.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Zachary Zane</a>, author of "<a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?postID=63f8f209930554455b7ed68c&amp;site=in&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fbookshop.org%2Fp%2Fbooks%2Fboyslut-a-memoir-and-manifesto-zachary-zane%2F18699333%3Fean%3D9781419764714" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boyslut: A Memoir and Manifesto</a>" and sex expert for <a href="https://momentumforhim.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Momentum Intimacy</a>. This involves an element of absolute submission to that partner, he says. </p><p>Many people also enjoy the physical sensations often associated with being deprived of air, such as tingling, a spreading warmth, and quickened heart rate. </p><p>"There's a high many people experience from it when they do finally get a gulp of air," he says.  </p><p><strong>Note: </strong>Erotic asphyxiation can be explored during solo sex, too. Here, the act is known as autoerotic asphyxiation. </p><h2>8. Foot fetish </h2><p>A <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/sex-relationships/foot-fetish">foot fetish</a> is marked by a sexual interest in feet, which can be the entirety of the foot or focused specifically on the toes, arch of the foot, or ankle. </p><p>Some people are turned on by servicing feet, Frye-Nekrasova says, which can be accomplished with a <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/fitness/best-foot-massager">foot massage</a> or at-home pedicure, for instance. Other people are turned on by the idea of doing something "dirty" —  feet, after all, are usually the part of the body that touches the ground and dirt beneath. </p><p>"There are so many ways to incorporate feet into your sex life," Frye-Nekrasova says. Some people like to give a footjob, which is essentially a handjob with your feet, she says. "Meanwhile, other people enjoy the sensation of having their toes sucked, or sucking," she says. </p><p><strong>Quick tip: </strong>Use <a href="https://www.insider.com/how-to-pick-the-best-lube-lubricant-sex-expert-advice-2021-1">lube</a> or <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/beauty/best-body-oil">massage oil</a> while giving a footjob to increase the sensation of slide.</p><h2>9. Hentai</h2><p>"Hentai refers to a specific type of Japanese illustration that often depicts overtly sexual scenes and scenarios," Deysach says. </p><p>A popular porn genre, hentai erotica often features tentacled beings, monsters, and other-worldly creatures. </p><p>"There is often an element of force and control associated with hentai porn," Zane says. For instance, hentai-inspired fantasy could involve an octopus forcing all of its tentacles inside the receiver's hole(s). </p><h2>10. Impact play</h2><p>Impact play is the broad name for sex that involves the use of hands, paddles, whips, flogs, or crops on a partner's meatiest, or most nerve-dense, parts. </p><p>"Impact types of play can involve light playful actions or more serious and painful sensations," Deysach says. Depending on what the consenting parties have agreed to, the impact can be a form of punishment or just delivered as part of sensational play. </p><p>For some people, for instance, a light smack on the bum while riding their partner's dick or <a href="https://www.insider.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-strap-ons-2020-10">dildo</a> is adequate. Meanwhile, someone else might want to be smacked with a paddle hard enough that it leaves marks. </p><p><strong>Important: </strong>"If you do plan on hitting someone, be sure you get educated about doing it safely," Deysach says. </p><h2>11. Knismolagnia</h2><p>The word 'knismolagnia' may bring to mind mystery meat, but it's actually the name for a tickling fetish. </p><p>Folks with this fetish are turned on by the sensation of being tickled by anything from human fingers and feathers, to vibrators or electrical stimulation toys. </p><p>In some instances, the person being tickled is also tied down, but not always, Finn says. </p><p> "A tickling fetish is unique because someone is smiling and laughing while they're being tickled, even though it is uncomfortable and intense. There really isn't any other kink where your body responds to discomfort with a reflexive laugh," Zane says. </p><p>So generally, tickling is considered a more "playful" kink, though it can be very intense.  </p><h2>12. Lactation </h2><p>Being <em>very</em> into a lover's body fluids is quite common — and for some people, <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/parenting/how-is-breast-milk-made">breast milk</a> is one of those fluids. </p><p>"Some people find the miraculousness of the human body's ability to create milk arousing. Other people are turned on by the rarity of the experience, since lactation generally only happens after a baby is born," Frye-Nekrasova says. </p><p>According to Frye-Nekrasova, a lactation kink may also be tied to an age gap or age play kink, where someone feels aroused at the thought of pretending to be a breast-fed baby once again. </p><p><strong>Note: </strong>Lactation kink is separate from a human cow kink, which doesn't just eroticize milk production. This kink also eroticizes the idea of being dehumanized, forcefully impregnated, and used as a milk machine.</p><h2>13. Masochism </h2><p>The M in BDSM and the complement to sadism, "masochism is the act of erotic enjoyment in experiencing pain, humiliation, or intense sensation, " Finn says. </p><p>The mental or physical pain associated with masochism can be delivered by yourself or by a partner, they say. </p><p><strong>Note: </strong>When with a partner, this pain is always delivered consensually. Non-consensual pain is abuse, not BDSM.</p><h2>14. Pregnancy</h2><p>Even though penis-in-vagina intercourse is (usually) required for an individual to become <a href="https://www.insider.com/didnt-know-how-pregnancy-changes-you-until-i-got-pregnant-2022-8">pregnant</a>, there's still stigma around pregnant people being sexual, Deysach says. </p><p>According to Deysach, some people are aroused by that stigma and feel naughty when they're turned on by pregnant folks. </p><p>"Other people might have had a particularly electric sexual experience with someone who was pregnant and now mentally associate pregnancy and hot sex," she says. </p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/what-is-breeding-kink-pregnancy-fetish">Pregnancy kinks</a> can also include the eroticization of lactation, darkened nipples, swollen ankles, or any other signs and symptoms of pregnancy, she says. </p><h2>15. Role play</h2><p>Role play is a common kink that involves pretending to be someone other than who you really are. </p><p>"There are lots of reasons why someone might want to try role playing — for some people, it's as simple as a desire to try something new and infuse a little excitement into their sex life," Deysach says.</p><p>According to Deysach, shedding your day-to-day persona and "becoming" someone else can be a way to let go and enjoy sex more. </p><p>"It can be a thrill and it can be a comfort," Deysach says.</p><h2>16. Sensation play</h2><p>Sensation play is the broad name for types of touch that involve stimulating your nerve endings in unique ways. </p><p>Sensation play can be done by experimenting with different temperatures — for instance, with <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/home/best-places-to-buy-candles">candles</a>, wax, or ice cubes, Finn says. </p><p>It can also be explored by teasing your nerves with tools like Wartenberg wheels, feather ticklers, or electrical stimulation wands, they say. </p><h2>17. Tentacles</h2><p>A tentacle kink refers to someone being turned on by the idea of being penetrated or otherwise sexually engaging with tentacles or creatures that have tentacles, Deysach says. </p><p>For some people, the eroticism comes from the slipperiness or the tactile idea of a tentacle, she says. </p><p>"For others the tentacle fantasy is connected to fantasies of being restrained by or being 'forced' into sexual situations by an otherworldly creature," she says.</p><p><strong>Note: </strong>As a quick scroll through retailers like Early To Bed, <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?postID=63f8f209930554455b7ed68c&amp;site=in&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.goodvibes.com%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored nofollow sponsored">Good Vibrations</a>, or Babeland will make clear, the sex toy industry is exploding right now with dildos shaped like tentacles. "This kink seems to be on the rise as more toys designed to help people explore the kink become available," says Deysach. </p><h2>18. Urethral sounding </h2><p>"Sounding is a sexual practice of inserting metal rods into the urethra," says sociologist and clinical sexologist Sarah Melancon with <a href="http://sextoycollective.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Sex Toy Collective</a>. </p><p><strong>Medical term: </strong>The urethra is the tube that drains urine from the bladder to outside of the body. </p><p>While urethral sounding can be performed on anyone with a urethra, it's most commonly performed on the penis. The head of the penis is incredibly nerve-dense, and stimulating those nerves through urethral stimulation can be pleasurable for some people. </p><p>Plus, if you go deep enough you can touch the prostate, which may, in some cases, lead to a prostate orgasm. </p><h2>19. Voyeurism </h2><p>Voyeurism is a fetish where you get sexual gratification by watching other people engage in sex. It's considered a complement to exhibitionism, where you find it arousing to have sex while other people watch. </p><p>Ethically and legally speaking, this kink can get tricky. "Folks spying on others without consent is a crime," Deysach says. </p><p>However, it's possible to set up consensual scenarios where you observe others having sex, she says. Consensual voyeurism could include attending sex parties, kink festivals, hiring a cam girl, or paying multiple sex workers. </p><h2>20. Wax play</h2><p>Sure, you've heard of lighting candles to set a mood — but wax play goes beyond creating an ambiance. Wax play is a type of sensation play that involves dripping wax onto your partner, or having it dripped onto you. </p><p>Some people are into wax play because it feels like dancing with danger, others are into it because the heat of the wax feels erotic when juxtaposed to the cool air of the bedroom. </p><h2>Insider's takeaway</h2><p>Sex, no matter where it falls on the vanilla to kinky spectrum, is designed to bring pleasure — and that holds true whether sex is solo, partnered, or multi-partnered. </p><p>Adding elements of kink can be a wonderful way to infuse even more pleasure, intimacy, and spice into your sexy time.</p><p>Just be sure you and any potential partner(s) you're exploring your kinks with prioritize consent, <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/sex-relationships/how-important-is-sex-in-a-relationship">communication</a>, and education over all else. "Before you try any kink, it's best to educate yourself on how to explore that kink safely," Finn says.</p><p>In a partnered setting, you also want to communicate about your individual limits and boundaries before getting down and dirty. Then, communicate from start to fireworks, they say. Communication, after all, is a prerequisite for pleasure.</p>

20 common sexual kinks, according to sex educators, and why it's totally normal to have a kink

<p style="text-align: justify;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/briangratwicke/4892304294/in/photolist-8sjkC3-kGNJp-HEcTH-7snbUC-pvkw3C-oQVTif-gCvto-kHLFNK-5CMCUi-8dhDwV-5ftrUG-586Lda-a7nAGd-d2xD39-nGoMa-pv5obu-puhcUe-fzcYbq-hjVe9-pMxG16-k18UdV-hvHyw-5bCEFw-7CuXmY-qLwafu-72dFYQ-7Jdsr8-67MZJf-8eYHjD-5NKpTR-aU4k6H-k2iUhh-dXzVhb-2AomF1-6NZrjM-87KuRU-2P7xvn-8whtFm-pmP2U9-7BopYv-97YNm1-224FFi-2SSgHH-8CUd4a-9ouCw-ag9Mdm-9rk1Ec-9SW7vH-qmFFXM-RgoD2">Brian Gratwicke on Flickr</a></span></p><p class="caption"> Octopuses can out-think humans on some things. </p></div><p></p></div></div>What is the smartest species in the world? You might think it's humans by a long shot, but the reality is a lot more complicated.</p><p>Frans de Waal, a primatologist at Emory University, has a new book out called "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Are-Smart-Enough-Know-Animals/dp/0393246183/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8"><span>Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are?</span></a>" and in it he gives hundreds of examples of surprising intelligence from non-human species, including many instances where other animals appear to be smarter than we are.</p><p>Chimpanzees, for instance, can easily beat humans at recalling a set of numbers that was displayed for a fraction of a second.</p><p>Octopuses can learn to open pill bottles protected by childproof caps, which many humans can't figure out on their own.</p><p>Dogs and horses, among many species that spend time around humans, are able to recognize body language queues that are lost on us.</p><p>Many species can do stuff we can't even imagine: bats that map out space with echolocation; birds that figure out the complex mechanics of flight and landing; and ticks that identify passing mammals by the smell of butyric acid.</p><p>In fact, every species' operating system is finely tuned to do what it needs to do, which makes intelligence comparisons across species rather pointless.</p><p>"It seems highly unfair to ask if a squirrel can count to ten if counting is not really what a squirrel's life is about," de Waal writes. "The squirrel is very good at retrieving nuts, though, and some birds are absolute experts .... That we can't compete with squirrels and nutcrackers on this task - I even forget where I parked my car - is irrelevant, since our species does not need this kind of memory for survival the way forest animals braving a freezing winter do."</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/peter-trimming/8209851522/in/photolist-dvtCQb-eAmj62-4NFZ53-5nGnAm-nC6R9m-79S6j3-e1gnTq-96qWxa-97eQxV-ndiYba-4WT7YL-nvZGKV-xaJQC-ndxh37-8WPpgj-fq3oDY-eGN3Ch-aFSfdT-5kMgxP-4oh5u-egWbTM-5QbjgA-dCDh8D-aBCYyV-4Dd55e-4EQXZh-qHTAqv-5oDmJh-KyW2P-ag5XrD-5fTC6n-2EPNeR-ei21Z7-3ez5sd-4ZMZ7W-8N9FbU-dhij6y-G1kdee-6Zt3g-bmKTyf-9Hbs3m-ETYKb-6pqGfJ-bWzC5w-6N3kyo-rReAfY-deumq-5C2bLM-Ldmw6-JTLvr">Peter Trimming/Flickr</a></span></p><p class="caption"> Squirrels can out-think humans on other things. </p></div><p></p></div></div>When people have tried to analyze animal cognition, they have tended to focus on a strictly human definition of intelligence and frequently bungled the experiment.</p><p>De Waal talks at length about the spotted history of the field, describing experiments where researchers wrongly concluded that non-human primates don't recognize faces and that elephants don't use tools or recognize reflections. He points to a whole series of flawed cognition tests that gave human babies clear advantages over ape babies. He criticizes supposed tests of dog intelligence that really just showed what breeds were best at following orders. And countless more cases of bad <keyword id="41551" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="science">science</keyword> over the centuries.</p><p>In some cases, what's striking is how similar other species are to humans.</p><p>Take chimpanzees, which share 99% of their DNA with humans. De Waal describes a female chimp named Kuif who learned to feed an adopted baby chimp with a bottle and knew to withdraw the bottle when the baby needed to burp. Still more impressive was how Kuif, every time she was called into a separate area for feeding, would first take the time to visit the alpha male, the alpha female, and several friends, waking them up if they were sleeping, and giving them a farewell kiss.</p><p>Dandy, a young male chimp described by de Waal, was smart enough not to reveal finding some buried grapefruits while in the company of larger males. Hours later he ran back unaccompanied to eat them alone.</p><p>Grande, another chimp, would sit quietly when unable to reach a banana hung from the ceiling, until in moments of inspiration she would spring up and try a new technique for reaching the banana: connecting sticks to create a longer tool or stacking boxes to climb higher.</p><p>Chimps show almost human levels of cognitive complexity in these actions. And again there are areas where chimp thinking surpasses human thinking - among them short-term recall and perhaps some kinds of social awareness.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Andrew Bernard</span></p><p class="caption">Chimps think like humans in many ways.</p></div><p></p></div></div>De Waal says we're at the beginning of a new scientific age that recognizes the complexity of animal cognition.</p><p>"Almost every week there is a new finding regarding sophisticated animal cognition, often with compelling videos to back it up," he writes. "We hear that rats may regret their own decisions, that crows manufacture tools, that octopuses recognize human faces, and that special neurons allow monkeys to learn from each other's mistakes. We speak openly about culture in animals and about their empathy and friendships. Nothing is off limits anymore, not even the rationality that was once considered humanity's trademark."</p><p>With this breakthrough may come not only a better understanding of the world around us but also an emerging debate about animal rights. Notably, some groups have argued for granting legal rights to chimps - with a judge in Argentina recently <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/argentina-judge-says-chimpanzee-poor-conditions-has-rights-and-should-be-freed-from-zoo-a7402606.html"><span>granting them to a captive chimpanzee called Cecelia</span></a>.</p><p>De Waal says he supports better treatment for animals, but he also warns against giving legal rights to only a limited set of species that meet our standards of intelligence.</p><p>"I find it a very difficult topic to say that an elephant deserves certain rights or a chimpanzee deserves certain rights and a mouse doesn't or a dog doesn't," <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08584jt"><span>he told BBC 4</span></a>. "I don't know where you draw the lines or how you draw the lines."</p>     <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-lands-falcon-9-rocket-first-time-2017">SpaceX just completed a flawless rocket landing - here's the incredible footage</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="QzOXF3ODE6EKQFKBMuvbRB_utwJzn94y" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

Animals are much smarter than people realize, scientist says

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>perfectlab/Shutterstock</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>A large new study has found a link between taking antidepressants and a 5% increase in body weight.</strong></li><li><strong>Some antidepressants were associated with a larger risk than others. </strong></li><li><strong>Other factors like age and sex didn't affect the results.</strong></li><li><strong>The authors said it is important people don't stop taking their medication if they are worrying about the side effects. </strong></li><li><strong>They added that alternative treatments such as group cognitive behavioural therapy may be preferable for people with milder depression.</strong></li></ul><p><br />Scientific studies have shown how being <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20194822" target="_blank" rel="noopener">obese can increase the risk of developing depression,</a> and how depression can be a predictor for developing obesity.</p><p>People who are obese are about <a href="https://www.everydayhealth.com/depression/depression-and-obesity.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">25% more likely to experience a mood disorder</a> like depression than the rest of the population - with poor self image, low self esteem and social isolation all likely to be factors.</p><p>According to a new study <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/361/bmj.k1951" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published in The BMJ</a>, the use of antidepressants could form another link between depression and obesity.</p><p><a href="https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/antidepressants/side-effects/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The National Health Service</a> lists some of the common side effects of antidepressants on its website, which include headaches, bad sleep, nausea, and weight gain. Several studies have examined the association between taking antidepressants and gaining weight, but some have had <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0165032784900314" target="_blank" rel="noopener">relatively small sample sizes</a>, and others <a href="http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/21062615" target="_blank" rel="noopener">insufficient reliable information</a>.</p><p>In the new study, a UK based research team, led by Rafael Gafoor at King's College London, analysed the body weight and body mass measurements of about 300,000 adults. Their body mass index (BMI) had been recorded at least three times by a doctor between 2004 and 2014.</p><p>Then, the team grouped participants according to their BMI, from normal weight to severely obese, and whether or not they were on antidepressants. They monitored them over the next 10 years, while accounting for other factors like age, diseases, and whether they smoked or took drugs, which could all affect weight gain.</p><p>Results showed that participants who were prescribed antidepressants during the first year were 21% more likely to have a 5% increase in weight over the next 10 years. The greatest risk appeared to be in the second and third years of antidepressant treatment, and remained higher for six years after first taking the drugs.</p><p>The absolute risk for weight gain with antidepressant use was 9.8 per 100 person years, meaning for every 59 people taking antidepressants, one extra person would gain at least 5% of their original body weight over the course of the study, compared to the rest of the population.</p><p>Factors like age, sex, and whether participants had health problems like diabetes or cancer didn't have much of an impact on the results.</p><p>Some antidepressant drugs were more associated with weight gain than others. For example, mirtazapine and citalopram had a 50% and 26% higher risk of gaining 5% more weight respectively.</p><p>Despite having a large sample size, there are some caveats to the study. As it was observational, it cannot be said that antidepressants definitely cause weight gain. Also, people who had chronic illnesses may go to the doctor more often, meaning their BMI data could be more consistent. Additionally, there's no guarantee people were taking their antidepressant medication as directed.</p><p>Depression in itself can also cause weight gain because people sometimes aren't as motivated to exercise or eat well.</p><p>The researchers concluded that the widespread use of antidepressants "may be contributing to long term increased weight gain at a population level," and this should be considered when people start taking them. It's better to be aware of the risks than to stop taking your medication as a result of undesirable side effects.</p><p>"It's important to stress that no patients should stop taking their medication and that if they have any concerns they should speak with their doctor or pharmacist," Gafoor said.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/octopus-weirdest-animals-rna-editing-super-powers-2018-5">Octopuses are officially the weirdest animals on Earth</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

Taking antidepressants could be linked to weight gain, according to a new study - and some drugs heighten the risk more than others

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Big health</span></p><p class="caption">Big Health cofounders Peter Hames and Colin Espie.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Big Health, a <keyword id="6354868" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="UK">UK</keyword> digital health startup that's aiming to reduce worldwide consumption of pills and potions, has raised $12 million (£9.15 million) to grow its company and build new apps and products that improve people's mental health.</p><p>Founded in East London in 2010, Big Health is best known for its Sleepio app, which is designed to help people get to sleep using cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) techniques.</p><p>The company expanded to the US a year ago and Sleepio has now been deployed to over 750,000 employees at companies including LinkedIn and Comcast.</p><p>The latest funding round in Big Health was led by London-based venture capital firm Octopus Ventures, which has also invested in healthy snack startup Graze and gym chain GymBox. Other investors included Kaiser Permanente Ventures, returning investor Index Ventures, Sean Duffy (CEO of Omada Health), and JamJar Investments, the UK-based investment fund of the Innocent drinks founders. They join existing investors Esther Dyson and former Google Ventures partner Peter Read.</p><p>Peter Hames, cofounder and CEO of Big Health, said in a statement: "This new investment allows us to push on towards our goal of helping millions back to good mental health, by growing the number of companies we work with and evolving our products to help address an ever-wider range of mental health issues.</p><p>"But we'll only achieve this goal - and firmly establish a new 'digital medicine' industry - by remaining committed to evidence-based solutions that deliver real outcomes for users."</p><p>The company has published 14 academic papers of its own and claims that its products are built off the back of "trailblazing" scientific research.</p><p>Professor Colin Espie, cofounder and chief medical officer of Big Health, said in a statement: "We openly encourage independent investigators to evaluate our products and publish their findings. We believe an ethical approach to creating health solutions should be a critical value, not an inconvenience."</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/pokemon-go-releases-update-fixes-annoying-problems-2016-7">'Pokémon Go' just released an update that fixes its most annoying problems</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="NybDNwNDE6mv_K6iFX5pyXBmgtlRhHJD" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

A startup with an app that helps people get to sleep has raised &#163;9 million

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>George Marks / Getty</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>One of life's most conflict-inducing situations arises when two people are trying to decide where to eat.</p><p>Luckily, confused and hangry diners may find some wisdom from an unlikely source: computer science.</p><p>According to Brian Christian, co-author of "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Algorithms-Live-Computer-Science-Decisions/dp/1627790365/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1467297523&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=algorithms+to+live+by&amp;tag=TIsafetynet-20">Algorithms to Live By: The Computer Science of Human Decisions</a><span>," choosing where to eat comes down to a tradeoff known as the "explore/exploit" problem: Do you explore new options, or do you exploit (or savor) the familiar ones?</span></p><p>"The chance of discovering new things is the greatest at the beginning of a process," he tells Tech Insider, "and the value of just going with the best thing we know about is highest at the end of the process."</p><p>In other words, the decision of where to eat comes down to numbers.</p><p><span>The clearest example of this problem in computer science is the practice of A/B testing, a strategy many digital companies use to figure out which ad experiences or user interfaces people find most engaging. In A/B testing, a certain portion of users will get a familiar experience, while the other group will get a new one. </span></p><p><span>It's up to the company to decide just what that ratio of new and old will be. </span><span>If they strike the wrong balance for too long - say, favoring the old ad experience over the new for months on end - that could mean missing out on millions of dollars in revenue. </span></p><p><span>Borrowing from that world, Christian argues that t</span>he way to maximize your gustatory happiness is by conducting smart A/B testing.</p><p>If it's your first day in a new city, everything is new. You have a 100% chance of eating somewhere you've never eaten before. At the other extreme, if it's your last day before moving away, you don't stand anything to gain from trying a new place you'll never get to visit again. So you should just go to that cozy spot on your corner that crumbles your soup crackers just so.</p><p>In between those poles, Christian recommends people take a zoomed-out view of their plans. You don't need to get existential or anything, but if you know you probably will be in that town or city for a few more years, you still have plenty of time to visit your favorite places. If you have just six months left, you might want to lean on the old haunts more often, as that time doesn't leave you with as much cushion for the inevitable duds.</p><p>In both cases, Christian says, "your willingness to spend energy trying new things should depend on how much time you feel like you have left to enjoy those things."</p><p>That approach doesn't just apply to restaurants - A/B testing shows up in many different contexts and on many different scales. According to Christian, college freshmen should make different decisions than college seniors, and children should make different decisions than their grandparents.</p><p>With that distinction, however, youths may do well to take their elders' advice when it comes to matters of experience.</p><p>"When your grandfather tells you which restaurants are good, you should listen," write Christian and his co-author, cognitive scientist Tom Griffiths. Think of all the A/B testing he's done over the years. "These are pearls gleaned from decades of searching."</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/watch-us-eat-live-octopus-2016-6">We ate live octopus at this NYC restaurant - and it was exhilarating</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="RjY3c2NDE6HEluaLQ1cJhkkkmWeBbgJL" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

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A startup with an app that helps people get to sleep has raised £9 million