Researchers discovered a new kind of stereo vision by putting tiny 3D glasses on mantises

Researchers at Newcastle University, U.K. believe they've discovered a differently evolved form of stereo vision in mantises. The research team studied the phenomenon in the insects precisely as one would hope - by attaching a pair of tiny 3D glasses to their bug eyes.

The scientists attached a mantis-sized pair of dual-color 3D glasses to the insects' eyes, using beeswax as temporary adhesive. The team then showed video of potential prey, which the mantises lunged at. In that respect, the bugs appeared to approach 3D image processing in much the same way humans do.

But when the insects were shown dot patterns used to test 3D vision in humans, they reacted differently. "Even if the scientists made the two eyes' images completely different," the university writes, describing its findings, "mantises can still match up the places where things are changing. They did so even when humans couldn't."

According to the university, the discovery of stereo vision makes the mantises unique in the insect world. The manner of 3D vision is also different than the variety developed in other animals like monkeys, cats, horses, owls and us. In this version of the trait, the mantises are matching motion perceived between two eyes, rather than the brightness we use.

"We don't know of any other kind of animal that does this," Dr. Vivek Nityananda told TechCrunch. "There's really no other example or precedent we have for this kind of 3D vision." Nityananda adds that this sort of 3D vision has been theorized in the past, but the team believes that this is the first time it's been detected in the animal kingdom.

The scientists believe the system was developed in a way that's much less complex than our version of 3D vision, in order to be processed by the mantises' less complex brains. That, Nityananda says, could be a boon for roboticists looking to implement 3D systems into less complex and lighterweight machines.

"It's a simpler system," he says. "All mantises are doing is detecting the change in the relevant position in both eyes. Detection of change would be much easier to implement [in robotics], versus the more elaborate details in matching the views of two eyes. That would require much less computation power, and you could put that into perhaps a much more lightweight robot or sensor."

Read more: https://techcrunch.com/2018/02/09/researchers-discovered-a-new-kind-of-stereo-vision-by-putting-tiny-3d-glasses-on-mantises/

Ex-Sheriff David Clarke Faces Trial Over Facebook Taunts Against Plane Passenger

Staunch President Donald Trump ally and former Milwaukee County sheriff David Clarke faces trial this month for Facebook taunts against a plane passenger who Clarke thought disrespected him.

Passenger Dan Black filed a civil rights lawsuit against Clarke arguing he violated Black's First Amendment rights with retaliatory Facebook posts on the sheriff's page. Wisconsin U.S. District Judge J.P. Stadtmueller ruled Friday that Clarke's posts could "reasonably be understood as a threat, coercion, or intimidation that punishment … will immediately follow." A jury is now set to hear the case Jan. 22.

Threatening posts appeared on the sheriff's Facebook page after Black, a Milwaukee resident, filed a complaint about his treatment by Clarke when the two men encountered each other on a plane heading from Dallas to Milwaukee early last year. Black shook his head when he recognized Clarke, and Clarke directed deputies to detain Black after landing. Black was met by six deputies and two police dogs, questioned and escorted from the airport, according to an FBI account of the events.

Black filed a civil rights suit against the deputies and Clarke - who was once considered for a post as Trump's deputy secretary of Homeland Security - accusing them of violating his constitutional rights of free speech and due process, and his right against unreasonable seizure. 

Stadtmueller threw out most of Black's claims, and dropped the case against the deputies. The judge ruled that being questioned by deputies did not constitute a "seizure," and that the lack of due process was not the "most egregious official conduct" to "shock the conscience" and therefore did not require a trial.

But Stadtmueller ruled a jury should determine if the Facebook posts constituted intimidation that amounted to retaliation against Black. One of the posts on Clarke's Facebook page said if "Sheriff Clarke were to really harass you, you wouldn't be around to whine about it." Another post said the next time Black or anyone "pulls this stunt on a plane they may get knocked out."

The judge concluded that "Black has raised a triable issue … as to his claim for First Amendment retaliation based on Clarke's Facebook posts."

Details of Black's encounter with Clarke re-emerged in December when an FBI affidavit about the incident was unsealed. The FBI filed the document last March in order to obtain a search warrant to examine Clarke's emails. Agents sought access to the emails via Google after obtaining one in which Clarke apparently instructed a subordinate to post on Facebook about Black. "Link to the complaint," said the email from Clarke's account to a staffer, according to the affidavit. "Sheriff has taken this asshole's complaint under advisement and summarily determined that he can go to hell."

After press reports about the unsealed affidavit, Clarke attacked the media on Twitter, vowing to "punch them in the nose" and "make them taste their own blood." He also posted a meme showing Trump holding a wrestler labeled "CNN" as another wrestler with Clarke's face kicks "CNN."

David Clarke/Twitter

When Twitter users filed complaints about the threatening nature of Clarke's tweets, Twitter temporarily froze his account until two of the tweets were removed.

Clarke, who infamously called on citizens to take up "pitchforks and torches" and hit the streets because the system was rigged against then-candidate Trump, spoke at the Republican National Convention. He resigned last August following a number of troubling deaths in Milwaukee County jails.

RELATED COVERAGE

• Trump Booster David Clarke Threatens To Make Media 'Taste Their Own Blood'
• FBI Affidavit Details Ex-Sheriff David Clarke's Intimidation Of Fellow Passenger
• Sheriff David Clarke, A Controversial Trump Favorite, Resigns His Post
• Sheriff David Clarke Sued By Family Of Man Who Died Of Thirst Inside His Jail
• Sheriff David Clarke, Who Runs Jail Where 4 People Died, Says He's Going To Work For DHS
• Sheriff David Clarke Reportedly Rescinds Acceptance Of Homeland Security Post

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/david-clarke-facebook-taunts-trial_us_5a515d3be4b003133ec85026

Fire crews chop up sofa to rescue kitten

Image copyright PA

Image caption Cocoa the kitten got stuck after crawling under the sofa, fire crews said.

Firefighters chopped up a sofa to rescue a kitten after it got its head stuck in the seat.

Crews from North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service used hacksaws and bolt cutters to free 12-week-old Cocoa, who was "wriggling around in panic".

The cat's owner Emma Clark, from Tadcaster, said: "Without them she absolutely would not be here."

Station manager Bob Hoskins said: "Cats up trees is a common one, but a cat in a sofa is a first.

"It's a very rare occurrence, and fortunately on this occasion it all turned out ok."

The kitten was "making quite a lot of noise" but was not injured, he added.

Related Topics

• North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service
• Tadcaster
• Cats

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-42507618

Woman Finds Fox In Her Cat's Bed And Is Totally Shocked By How It Behaves

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night and had the creepy feeling that something was wrong?

Most people are afraid of finding intruders in their homes, but for this woman from London, England, the fear became real when she noticed an unexpected guest in her kitchen one early morning. Meloney Blayze had recently gotten up at 4 a.m. to let her cat, George, outside through the kitchen window before going back to sleep. But when she woke up later and made her way back to the room, she realized something had made itself at home in the cat's bed - and it definitely wasn't George.

"When I came downstairs, and walked passed the kitchen into the bathroom, I did a double take as in the kitchen window I could see a pair of huge ears," she said. "I thought, 'hmm, those are not the cat's ears,' and I turned the light on to look at what was in the cat's bed – and it was a fox."

Facebook / Arknewsonline

George was less than pleased when he came back, but despite his hiss-filled protests, the fox didn't budge. "He was very tame. He did not want to leave," Blayze said, adding that he didn't seem to be frightened at all. She had to tilt the bed toward the window to finally coax the friendly animal out.

Facebook / Linda Ikeji's Blog

(via BoredPanda)

Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/surprise-visitor/

Nick Jonas Wants To Find Forever Homes For These Adorable Rescue Puppies

Pop star Nick Jonas joined "Late Show" host Stephen Colbert in trying to find homes for rescue puppies on Wednesday.

Jonas and Colbert told flattering lies about the adorable dogs from New York's North Shore Animal League in a bid to get them adopted in time for the holidays.

"Vixen knows all the important commands, including 'sit,' 'stay' and 'keep the car running while I rob this bank,'" Jonas joked about one pup described as a "hound mix."

Check out the other little lies they told for the greater good above.

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Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/nick-jonas-late-show-puppies_us_5a325904e4b091ca26859453

Oklahoma high school teacher, student allegedly file for license to wed

A teacher was fired from her position at Davis High School after she and a teen student reportedly filed for a marriage license.  (Facebook)

A high school teacher in Oklahoma was fired Thursday after she and her 16-year-old student allegedly applied for a marriage license, the New York Post reported.

Cassandra White and the teen reportedly went to the Cleveland County Courthouse on Wednesday to file for the license. The following day, administrators at Davis High School dismissed the teacher, they announced in a statement.

"The district is currently cooperating with law enforcement in the investigation of these allegations," the school said, according to KTEN. "The teacher in question is no longer employed by Davis Schools."

PIPE BOMB EXPLOSION UNDER PRINCIPAL'S JEEP PROMPTS RAID AT SCIENCE TEACHER'S HOUSE

The Davis Police Department began investigating rumors of an alleged inappropriate teacher-student relationship, which surfaced around Dec. 1, Police Chief Dan Cooper told KFOR. Authorities reportedly went to the courthouse on Thursday after learning of the filing.

Court records obtained by KFOR reportedly showed that the teen's father signed permission to allow the marriage. Parental consent is a requirement under state law for anyone under the age of 16 who wants to marry, the outlet said.

But the move is in violation of school conduct policies, according to KTEN. "Romantic or sexual" relationships between school officials and students, even those who are 18, will result in "a violation and suspension or termination for the employee," the outlet said, citing the school district's sexual harassment of students policy.

OKLAHOMA VET SAYS HE PULLED 21 PACIFIERS FROM DOG'S STOMACH

"Any sexual affiliation between teachers and students under the age of 18 may constitute a crime under state and federal law," the policy said.

It is not yet clear if the alleged relationship was sexual in nature and no arrests or charges have been filed, KFOR reported. But White could reportedly face rape charges if authorities find evidence that the pair had intercourse. State law prohibits teachers and students in the same district from having sexual relationships, KFOR noted.

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Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/12/15/oklahoma-high-school-teacher-student-allegedly-file-for-license-to-wed.html

Instagram lets you Archive and Highlight your favorite expired Stories

Instagram is copying Snapchat's Memories feature and going a step further, letting you create a permanent home to show off formerly ephemeral content. Rolling out globally today on iOS and Android, Instagram Stories will now automatically Archive your Stories to a private part of your profile when they disappear 24 hours after being posted.

You'll then be able to create Stories Highlights, which are named collections of your past Stories that show up in a new horizontal bar across the top of your profile. You could make Highlights of a specific vacation, all your selfies, or the cutest dogs you've seen, while brands will surely use it to highlight different product lines and ad campaigns.

"As more and more people adopt Stories, we realized that the profile has become less and less representative of you and your life" an Instagram spokesperson tells me. "And yet the profile is one of the top destinations on Instagram – it's a powerful space for self-expression and feeling closer to others. But up until now there was no way to keep your favorite stories or add them to your profile – we wanted to fix that."

There are three important value-adds to these features

Save Your Work – Archive and Highlights could make investing time in creating Stories feel less wasteful. It might have seemed silly going through the work of shooting Stories and jazzing them up with captions and stickers if they'd disappear the next day. This could make Stories appeal to older demographics whose friends might not be so addicted to Instagram that they open to watch Stories every single day. Highlights will surely be well utilized by brands who pour resources into shooting Stories, and now can create product or campaign specific collections.

Preserve Your Storage – Now you won't have to worry about expending your phone's storage space by downloading your old Stories. Instead, Instagram will save them in the cloud, where you can privately view, publicly share, or re-download them later. For younger users on older phones with limited space, that could be a life saver.

Expressing Your Identity – Instagram has never before let you share without that content being visible on the homescreen to your followers. That meant it could feel like you were spamming friends if you wanted to share niche content, deterring content creation. Stories Highlights will let you exhibit the different angles of yourself. You could create a Highlight of just your cat, your food, your favorite art, or your professional life.

TechCrunch broke the news of Instagram launching an Archive feature for your permanent feed posts in December which was designed to let people temporarily or permanently hide their past feed posts in order to deter people from impulsively deleting content they later want back.

Instagram Stories Archive and Highlights one-up Snapchat Memories, which only lets your repost old clips to your current Story. There's still no permanent content on your Snapchat profile. Rather than forcing ephemerality, Instagram is making it optional to appeal to a wider audience. It's a similar choice to YouTube with its new Stories product Reels, which also don't expire after 24 hours.

Archive so you never lose your Stories

Archive will be activated automatically for everyone soon, and you'll get a notification when it opens to you with the option to turn it off. Stories clips are saved in the same quality you uploaded them at. You can find the Archive on your Profile and switch between the Stories Archive and Posts Archive. Archived posts appear in reverse chronological order with date stamps for clarity. You can't download your entire Archive at once, but instead will have to download individual clips. Archived posts can be reshared to Highlights, Direct Messages, the feed, or downloaded and then pushed to your current Story.

Users were often already downloading their Stories before they expired, but often might forget, causing them to lose their content. Now they don't have to think about it.

Highlight your quirks or your products

To create a Highlight, tap New on the left side of your profile, choose Stories from your archive, choose a cover image for the Highlight, and name it. That Highlight will appear as a Stories-style bubble atop the profile and play like one big Story when tapped by one of your followers. They'll remain visible unless you delete them, and you can remove clips but not reorder them.

You can add up to 100 photos or videos to a Story Highlight, and there's no limit to how many Highlights you can create. Similarly, if you add more than 100 clips to your current Story, the first one will be removed and added to your Archive. And if you don't want any trace of your old Stories available privately to you, you can opt out and turn off Stories Archive.

Together, these features could further encourage Instagram Stories' 300 million users to post more about a wider variety of content, knowing it doesn't have to disappear.

Read more: https://techcrunch.com/2017/12/05/instagram-stories-highlights/