Sheep Like Smiles Say Researchers: ‘I Only Have Eyes For Ewe’

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cambridgeshire/3796017.stm

This does open up the possibility that they have much richer emotional lives than we would give them credit for
- Dr Keith Kendrick

...believe their finding may offer valuable insights into autism, schizophrenia and a rare disorder called prosopagnosis which leaves the sufferer unable to recognise faces.

:D

Ever wonder how these researchers convinced somebody to fund this study? LOL

yeah, well...
a couple of months ago, i read about a group of danish scientists who were going to subject a sow (female pig?) to pesticides, to see if the baby pigs (piglets? am too lazy today to get my swedish-englsh dictionary out) would be born with schizophrenia...
it'll be kinda interesting to know just *how* the scinetists are going to diagnose the piglets with that disorder, since the main diagnostic tool for this disorder is "patient interview"...
:D

Ever wonder how these researchers convinced somebody to fund this study? LOL
I should have read the article before posting this statement. This is actually a very valuable study, whose results could give insights leading to further understanding and research.

It's just that my brother and I have this ongoing joke that started when he made a comment about my chances of getting federal funding for a research project.

You gotta admit, "Sheep Like Smiles Say Researchers" hardly does the study justice.

hope I didn't offend with my off the cuff comment.

erinj

yes, i *know* this is a valuable study!
:)
it's just that i pictured these scientists trying to get the funding for this study - wonder how they presented their theories to their boss?!
:D

LOL Gabriela,

Great minds think alike! . And here I thought I had offfended you by making that comment. LOL I was afraid maybe you had a serious interest in the matter. My last post was my apology just in case you did.

But I see your mind works like mine does. ( be worried....be very worried....) because that's the exact picture I conjured up when I read it!

When I did follow the link to read the article one paragraph said:

Three years ago, the team found sheep could recognise 50 individual sheep faces and remember them for two years.

So, for over 700 days it was some scientist's job to show a sheep pictures of other sheep and look for signs of recognition in the 1st sheep's face?

While out on the boat,there were a couple of flies roosting on the ceiling inside the cabin. I wondered out loud how the flies can land upside down on the ceiling, I mean, what do they do? Approach the ceiling a mach speed, then do 1/2 an inverted loop? My brother said "You Know, I bet you could get a federal grant to find out". (a couple of his friends are research scientists) Ever since then, headlines like the one you posted make me laugh.

Anyway, glad to know there's someone out there who finds humor in these things too.

erinj