Want the Smartest Dog on the Block? Check Out This New Book

I’m one of those people whose jobs have nothing to do with science, but who love science from afar. I could read science articles all day, and in my nerdhood, you can often find me glued to anything to do with science on TV.

But when the going gets tough — say, in an intro to physics class at the local community college — I run to series like Physics for Dummies/Idiots/Pathetic Imbeciles Who Thought Physics at a Local Community College Would be a Mickey Mouse Course. Sadly, sometimes the Dummies-type books are also a bit above my head. And that’s why I’m grateful that I can now shop for a book that’s ostensibly for someone with an even lower tolerance for physics pain: My dog.

Physics professor Chad Orzel’s latest book, How to Teach Relativity to Your Dog, comes out today. It’s a followup to his similarly titled book on physics for dogs. You don’t have to be embarrassed to buy it in a bookstore, if you can still find a bookstore. It’s for your dog, after all. But of course, our little secret is that it’s really for you, and this is one book that really will help elucidate relatively. You might actually start to understand what Einstein came up with all those years ago. That is, your dog might …

If you don’t believe me, maybe you’ll believe the professor himself. Here’s an excerpt from a Q&A on his website:

Why the dog?

Talking to the dog about physics is worthwhile because it can help me see how to explain physics to my human students. Humans all come at the subject with the same set of preconceptions about how the world works, and what “should” happen, and it can be very hard to shake those off. That’s a big barrier to understanding something like quantum physics.

Dogs look at the world in a very different way. To a dog, the world is a neverending source of wonder and amazement. You can walk your dog past the same rock every morning, and every morning, she’ll sniff that rock like she’s never sniffed it before. Dogs are surprised by things we take for granted, and they take in stride things that would leave us completely baffled.

Can you give an example?

Well, take the dog’s bowl, for example. Every now and then, we put scraps from dinner in the bowl when she’s not looking, and she’s become convinced that her bowl is magic– that tasty food just appears in it out of nowhere. She’ll wander over a couple of times a day, and look just to see if anything good has turned up, even when we haven’t been anywhere near the bowl in hours.

This puts her in a better position to understand quantum electrodynamics than many humans.

It does?

Sure. One of the most surprising features of QED, in Feynman’s formulation, is the idea of “virtual particles.” You have an electron that’s moving along, minding its own business, and every now and then, particle-antiparticle pairs just pop into existence for a very short time. They don’t stick around very long, but they have a real and measurable influence on the way electrons interact with each other, and with other particles.

You’re making this up, right?

No, not at all. One set of these interactions is described by a number called the “g-factor” of the electron, and this has been measured to something like fifteen decimal places, and the experimental measurement agrees perfectly with the theoretical prediction. If there weren’t electrons and positrons popping out of nowhere, there’s no way you could get that sort of agreement.

Emmy, the author's dog, is featured prominently in these books

Well, like I said, the dog is perfectly comfortable with the idea of stuff popping into existence out of nowhere. If a great big steak were to suddenly appear on your dining room table, you’d probably be a little perturbed. The dog, on the other hand, would feel it was nothing more than her due.

So she’s perfectly okay with the idea of virtual particles, unlike most humans, who tend to say things like “You’re making this up, right?” She was already convinced that there were bunnies made of cheese popping in and out of the backyard, and just regards QED as a solid theoretical justification for her beliefs.

And this helps humans, how, exactly?

Physics has a reputation as a difficult and unapproachable subject, especially in fields like quantum mechanics, where the predictions of the theory confound our human preconceptions. If you can put aside a few of your usual notions of how the world works, and think about how things look to a dog, some aspects of physics that seem absolutely impossible to accept become a lot more approachable.

I don’t know about you, but I’m going over to Amazon to buy myself —er, Jake, that is — a copy of this book straight away.

View the original article here

The Dog Days of Daytime are at ABC

February 10, 2012 at 4:44 pm

The dog days are not over, especially if the hosts of ABC’s “The View,” “The Chew” and “The Revolution” have anything to say about it. On FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, it’s “Doggie Day in Daytime” on ABC, as Barbara Walters, Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Sherri Shepherd of “The View,” Chefs Mario Batali, Michael Symon and Carla Hall, Clinton Kelly and Daphne Oz of “The Chew” and Ty Pennington, Tim Gunn, Harley Pasternak, Dr. Jennifer Ashton and Dr. Tiffanie Davis Henry of “The Revolution” celebrate man’s best friend.Joy Behar from “The View”

It’s BARK!: “‘The View’s’ 4th Annual Mutt Show presented by Pedigree” (11:00-12:00 p.m., ET), featuring David Frei of the Westminster Kennel Club judging the “Best Mutt in Show” of five viewers’ mutts and another five adoptable mutts from the North Shore Animal League. One winner is awarded a grand prize trophy and another, the Pedigree Dogs Rule Award.

On “The Chew” (1:00-2:00 p.m., ET) the hosts cook up some fun and easy recipes while celebrating their “All in the Family” show. Special appearances by Michael Symon’s dog, Ozzie, and the Oz family pooch, Rosie, who test out some of the newest and coolest dog toys.

On “The Revolution,” (2:00-3:00 p.m., ET), Dr. Ashton, joined by her two dogs, leads a segment on dog health and conducts a Q&A with the studio audience, many of whom are seated with their dogs. Gunn unveils the do’s and don’ts of dressing up your dog, and Pennington has the perfect household guide to fixing “dog disasters,” including scratched furniture and torn carpets. Animal activist, model and actress Beth Stern joins the co-hosts to talk about the North Shore Animal League and the importance of adopting pets.

Check your local listings for details.

Be the first to like this post.Entry filed under: In the News. Tags: .

View the original article here

People Giving Up Pets Because They Can’t Afford Them

January 5, 2012 at 5:40 pm

I’ve read several articles in the news about people giving up their pets because of the tight economy. More than 80 dogs have been dropped off at a single shelter in West Virginia. Other shelters have seen a sharp increase in people dropping off pets because they can no longer afford them. And, because of the economic scares, fewer people are adopting pets.

It’s hard to understand giving up a family pet because money’s tight. I’d have to be missing some meals before I could give up my fur-kids.  I know there are situations in which the pet truly cannot remain with its owners, and for them I am deeply sorry. Knowing that adult pets are far more difficult to find homes for - and many of them are put down at shelters - I hope that if there’s no money for pet food, there’s also no money for cell phones, cable television, clothes, bottled water, movies and sweets. If there’s money for that stuff, there’s money for your dog.

The decisions we make in the emotional moments after losing a job or filing for bankruptcy are sometimes life-and-death decisions for our pets, who have no say in the decision making process.

Let’s not toss them aside too quickly.

Before you drop your dog off at a shelter, please think about what it really costs to keep your dog. If you already have a leash, collar and crate, what does it really cost? For a healthy dog, it only costs food and heartworm/flea medication. There may be areas in which you can save money that are often overlooked. Do you mow your own lawn? Do you have bottled water delivery? Can you reduce your cable/satellite or Internet service package? How often do you go to Starbucks?

In other words, are the discretionary things you spend your money on worth your dog’s life?

Our dogs give so much, and they don’t ask for much in return. Let’s at least provide a safe home for them with the people they love.

Be the first to like this post.Entry filed under: In the News. Tags: afford, budget, can't, dogs, drop off, economy, expensive, give up, no longer, owners, pets, shelter, surrender, tight.

View the original article here

Have a Bubbly Weekend!

Woot! It’s almost the weekend!

I love this photo. It’s so Jack Russell terrier! And speaking of JRTs, it will be interesting to see whether Uggie, the Jack Russell who stole the show in the enchanting movie The Artist, will appear on stage with Billy Crystal during the Oscars on Sunday. Word was that they’d be sharing the spotlight during the awards show, but a couple of days ago it was announced that Uggie had not even been invited. Seems like a bad PR move if that’s true, but Uggie won’t care. He’ll be just as happy to watch from the comfort of his living room.

Have a bubbly, fun weekend, either way!

(Photo credit: Connie’s Pixdaus photo page)

View the original article here

Woman’s Dog Chases Away Robber — What Would Your Dog Do?

Would your dog get his hackles up if someone threatened you? (Photo from the Flickr photostream of corsi photo)

So you’re walking down a quiet street one night with your dog. Suddenly someone approaches you, threatening you with a gun, knife, or simply a command to hand over your wallet — or worse.

I’ve occasionally wondered what Jake would do in this situation, since I’ve had to walk him late on plenty of occasions. Sometimes I think he’d wag and wonder what’s going on, smiling as I handed over any valuables. But lately I’ve come to think that if Jake felt my fear, if it “dumped down the leash” as they say in military dog circles, he might do something about it. And 90 pounds of protective yellow Lab is not to be taken lightly.

A fellow San Franciscan found out the answer to this question just after midnight yesterday. She was walking her dog in the Bernal Heights neighborhood when an armed man approached and told her to put up her hands. She did. He took her house and car keys. (She probably had nothing else on her, if she was just taking her dog for a little bathroom stroll.)

By this point the dog — whose breed, age, and name were not revealed in any news stories — decided this guy was a problem. He started growling. Police say the robber backed away, and was about to run when the dog bit his leg. The injured robber ran off. He still had the woman’s keys, but at least the incident stopped there.

Good dog, whoever you are!

So it got me to wondering if you have also wondered whether your dog would ever take matters into his own paws in this kind of situation — or if any of your dogs have ever actually acted on your behalf. Let us know! I’m sure there are some dogs who would lick a bad guy to death, but I’ll bet there are many who would really be there if need be.

View the original article here

Let’s Talk: What Do You Think of This Anti-HSUS Ad That Ran During the Oscars?

The anti-HSUS group found an effective way to get attention during the Oscars

The Academy Awards always comes with some interesting commercials, but if you were watching the Oscars on Sunday in the D.C. area, you may have seen a rather startling one. The ad attacked the Humane Society of the United States, saying it spends less than one penny out of every donated dollar on animal shelters. It tells viewers instead to support their own local shelter instead.

The ad opens with a blaring siren and an emphatic voice announcing “Consumer Protection Alert!,” which alone is a bit startling. It’s only 30 seconds, so you can watch it for yourself here.

Wow, well that sure might make some donors question why they’re spending $19 per month to save shelter animals, as the heartbreaking HSUS commercials like this one request viewers to do:

Who would attack the HSUS on these grounds, and why? According to Mother Jones:

The group behind the ad is the Center for Consumer Freedom, a creation of the Washington PR guru Rick Berman, who runs an array of corporate-funded front groups targeting public-interest outfits, unions, and other organizations that pose a threat to the bottom line of Berman’s clients…

According to the Center for Consumer Freedom’s 2010 tax filing, the group set aside about $1 million to set up its anti-Humane Society website, Humane Watch. Berman has created a separate group with the oddly similar-sounding name, the Humane Society for Shelter Pets. Its website snarks at the Humane Society for failing to provide more money for animal shelters.

Berman’s group openly acknowledges that it is supported by restaurants and other food companies … So why would a group funded by the food industry group go after the Humane Society? Both the Humane Society and the Center for Consumer Freedom seem to agree this is not about lost puppies. Rather, it’s about the Humane Society’s success in altering laws and regulations dealing with animal cruelty, which can sometimes increase the cost of doing business.

The HSUS fought back fast. According to Humane Watch:

We knew our ad during Sunday’s Academy Awards would ruffle some feathers, but HSUS replied yesterday with an especially vicious attack. Though our ad ran in only the D.C. area, HSUS put out a national alert that it was launching a new fundraising campaign — to stop our so-called “campaign for cruelty.”

So let’s get this straight: Our ad asked people who want to help shelter pets to donate to their local pet shelter. And, somehow, that’s a “campaign for cruelty”? If that doesn’t sum up how paranoid and demagogic HSUS is, we don’t know what does.

“…nowhere in HSUS’s fevered response does it mention supporting local shelters! Wethinks HSUS doth protest too much—and in fact, it’s a bit funny that HSUS unwittingly revealed its true motive: factory fundraising. Unfortunately, we’re outgunned here. Our annual budget is less than what HSUS puts into its pension plan. We haven’t mastered the art of deception and inflammatory Orwellian rhetoric like its CEO Wayne Pacelle, and we don’t have untold millions to pump into misleading marketing.

So we need your help. Here’s what you can do:

1. Donate supplies or money to your local pet shelter.

2. Write to the editor of your local newspaper or magazine, asking readers to give locally, and telling them how HSUS gives only 1 percent of its money to local shelters. (If you want more talking points, read this.)

3. If you run a blog, write about how inhumane HSUS is to shelter advocates.

4. Spread the word to your friends on Facebook and Twitter.

We’re not intimidated by HSUS’s smear tactics and attempts to stifle the truth. Sunshine is the best disinfectant. Together, we can expose HSUS and help groups that truly walk the walk.

And here’s what HSUS’s CEO and president Wayne Pacelle says about the campaign in his blog:

Your HSUS is under attack because of our work to prevent cruelty to all animals, and we need your help. That’s why today I am launching the “HSUS Fund to Stop Rick Berman’s Campaign for Cruelty,” and I hope you will join me. Whenever he does his worst, we need to do our best in response. So will you join me today and donate $25, $50, or even $100 to help animals in the name of Rick Berman? We’ll put the money to good use. We’ll take the fight straight to his shadowy paymasters and show them that attacking the cause of animal protection will backfire big-time as a business strategy. I’m making the first donation of $500.

We’ll dedicate half the donations for our work against puppy mills, and the other half will boost our efforts to combat factory farming abuses. Your contributions will fund the undercover investigations, litigation, corporate campaigns, and the other work that Berman and his paymasters so desperately hope to stop.

CBS’ 60 Minutes investigated him years ago and dubbed him Dr. Evil. He’s like a bad penny ? he turns up opportunistically as a corporate hireling to take on any number of common-sense ideas, whether it’s attempts to rein in drunken driving, to place limits on smoking, or to combat animal cruelty …

It’s high time to send these animal abusers a message and to make the name “Rick Berman” do something to help animals, something real. By donating to The HSUS for this new fund, you can help us expose those who make money from mistreatment of animals.

Donate here to our HSUS Fund to Stop Rick Berman’s Campaign for Cruelty, and we’ll keep you posted on how your donations in Rick’s name are helping animals. As I said, I’m kicking things off with a $500 donation, and other members of our executive team at HSUS are chipping in another $2,500. I know with your help we will reach our goal of $250,000 — that’s $125,000 to help pets, and another $125,000 to take on factory farming abuses, all thanks to Rick Berman.

Did the HSUS make lemonade out of lemons, or is the group going to sour some donors by its reaction to the ad?

Well it does sound like HSUS acted pretty fast to find a way to make lemonade out of lemons, but I wonder if this tactic of raising money in this way will sour some people who think they’re taking advantage of the situation just a little too much?

Okay, readers — I don’t know about you, but I’m a bit confused. I need to do a lot more research to know just what’s going on here. I’ve heard for some time about the HSUS donations to shelters being abysmal despite its sometimes very frequent TV pleas for money for shelter animals, but I didn’t check it out for myself.

So I ask you: Is the HSUS being attacked unfairly, or do you smell a scam? Or does it even matter if 99 percent of its donations doesn’t go to shelters? Does Humane Watch have a valid point, or is it just trying to keep life for farm animals from getting too cozy and thereby increasing restaurant prices? I’ll bet some of you can shed some light on this situation. Let’s talk! (I’ll mostly listen.)

View the original article here

Dogs Attack Minivan in Pursuit of Cat

Updated 8:30 a.m. Feb. 28 with information from Adam Morck, who wrote to us hours after the original article came out with some clarifications.

When an Alabama couple came out of their home to find their minivan with its bumper torn apart and blood, scratch marks, and dents all over the exterior, they were stunned. They’d been packing for a fishing trip, and now it looked like a madman had set upon their vehicle.

“I saw the Dodge symbol [lying on the ground] and then turned and looked and saw the carnage,” said Emily Morck, on FoxToledo.

“We thought maybe a disgruntled former employee of mine might’ve done something crazy,” Adam Morck said.

They called 911. Adam Morck said investigators checked out all the damage, including some odd paw prints and bite marks. “[The investigator] looked up like a deer caught in the headlights and said, ‘Guys, I think a dog did this.” According to animal control, the perpetrators were two dogs, and they were after at least one of the Morcks’ cats, who was hiding under the van’s hood.

That cat ran away and hasn’t been seen since the Saturday night incident. The couple’s other cat ran up a tree and stayed there. When firefighters showed up to help get him down, he just went higher up the tree.

Adam Morck, who contacted Dogster to fill us in on the details, says animal control told him the the dogs who attacked were a pair of escaped pit bull-mastiffs who broke free from their owners when left tied up by a rope at the nearby hospital. “There was a white one which remains at large, and a red-brown one which they hit with a tranq gun, but he ran away unfazed and they didn’t catch him. The police have not yet given us their names, but once the dogs are captured we will be requesting DNA samples to validate the dogs and make sure appropriate parties are held responsible,” he wrote.

“The pit bulls were human shy and wearing sharp pointed collars, so animal control suspects they were captive bred fighting dogs — which would explain why they’d be capable of doing the damage they did while going after my cat. I have seen a ‘busted’ fighting dog farm years ago, and these poor animals are kept on the brink of starvation at all times to keep them lean and rabidlike at all times.”

He hopes the owners come forward, help find their dogs, and take responsibility. “My primary concern is that no human or other animals are harmed while these now wild dogs are running loose in downtown Foley,” Morck wrote.

Poor kitties. It’s a sad situation all the way around. If the story is as the animal control staffers tell it, the dogs probably weren’t in the the best of circumstances either.

I originally wrote the story thinking it was the couple’s own pooch who did something odd, and it was a semi-lighthearted “ha-ha, dogs are accused of eating homework, now they’re accused of eating minivans” post. But now that I have the facts, it’s no longer amusing.

View the original article here