The wild science of how Geronimo the alpaca captured our hearts

  • 📰 WIRED
  • ⏱ Reading Time:
  • 46 sec. here
  • 2 min. at publisher
  • 📊 Quality Score:
  • News: 22%
  • Publisher: 51%

United States Headlines News

United States Latest News,United States Headlines

It’s science. If an animal looks like a baby, we swoon. Blame your biological drivers. Via WiredUK

at Downing Street. Why? Blame our own biological drivers. “If an animal looks like a baby we swoon,” explains Robin Dunbar, anthropologist and emeritus professor of evolutionary psychology at the University of Oxford. “It’s features like big eyes and a high forehead, meaning the eyes are in the centre of the face. You can see this in the design of teddy bear faces. They started out very bear-like, then became baby-like in shape over time.

The instinct to nurture varies from person to person. But it comes back to evolution. “Ultimately, a maternal instinct is much more crucial than a paternal one,” Dunbar explains. “Human babies are born 12 months premature compared to babies of other apes. They have an utter lack of responsiveness over the first year and mothers have the huge burden of lactation. It means something is needed to ensure the mother keeps coming back to tend to the baby.

It’s then that the rational, decision-making part of the brain – the prefrontal cortex – becomes hijacked. Instead, the brain’s emotional centre, the amygdala, takes the steering wheel, directing our thoughts away from logic and towards desire: we want to save Geronimo. “One of the most striking things is that I’d love for him to live,” says Grace Lordan, associate professor in behavioural science at London School of Economics and author of.

 

Thank you for your comment. Your comment will be published after being reviewed.
Please try again later.
We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more:

 /  🏆 555. in US

United States Latest News, United States Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Science Reveals How Red Meat Harms the HeartRed-meat lovers may raise their risk of heart disease through a chain of events that plays out in the gut, a new study suggests. What about the benefits from eating these rich in nutrition from eating red meats ? Too much of everything is bad Insightful
Source: WebMD - 🏆 709. / 51 Read more »

James Webb Space Telescope’s fuel expected to last more than 10 yearsIt’ll allow more support for science operation, NASA says Where is a gas station when you need it 😝 This is great news! I’m so excited to see what we learn from James Webb 😁 More than *5 years.
Source: verge - 🏆 94. / 67 Read more »

Omicron escapes the majority of existing SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodiesNature research paper: Omicron escapes the majority of existing SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies Какая практическая польза в публикации результатов имитации кипучей деятельности. Ни для одного штамма нет проблем с профилями нейтрализующих антител специфичных для каждого конкретного зараженного. И при правильном протоколе лечения 0% смертей и госпитализаций без вакцин. Fantastico 😬 Who died ?
Source: Nature - 🏆 64. / 68 Read more »

Broadly neutralizing antibodies overcome SARS-CoV-2 Omicron antigenic shiftNature research paper: Broadly neutralizing antibodies overcome SARS-CoV-2 Omicron antigenic shift ... a MSG to the Richest People in the World: I don't want to DIE... and You? Can you do anything for me... and for You? This is the first choice; MARS is a second choice. ⛲ IMMORTALITY FIRST! World Awareness Campaign. LuigiGiordanoTelegram
Source: Nature - 🏆 64. / 68 Read more »

CDC cuts COVID-19 isolation guidance down to 5 days amid Omicron surgeThe agency says science shows the majority of transmission 'occurs early in the course of illness.' It is clear that people need stimulus checks because the virus has disrupted their lives. 💰 It's all about the money... Frontline workers are just tools for this administration to balance their books... 😂😂😂😂😂 trust the science!!
Source: CBSNews - 🏆 87. / 68 Read more »

Rocket scientists aren't any smarter than the rest of us, science saysIt's really not rocket science. That sounds alarming seeing what rockets can do. But they sure know a lot more about rockets 😏 Funny
Source: SPACEdotcom - 🏆 92. / 67 Read more »