Tech & Science Animals Octopus When there’s no real estate in the safe part of town, you might just have to try to make it in the dangerous part. This philosophy is not lost on octopuses, who move to dangerous areas at the risk of losing their babies. Scientists at The Field Museum, the University of Akron and the University of Alaska Fairbanks have discovered hundreds of unidentified pink octopuses, and yes, that is the correct plural, at a hot undersea rock crack near Costa Rica. They had sought shelter there to lay there eggs, but at some point the warm currents became unbearable. The scientists could tell that the animals were stressed, and it didn’t appear that any of the embryos in their eggs had developed at all. 17 octopods in congregate on the sediment free surface of Dorado Outcrop, 16 are in the brooding posture. Phil Torres, Dr. Geoff Wheat Normally, octopuses find nice, cool cracks to stay in while brooding. Living in such … [Read more...] about ‘Suicidal’ Octopus Moms Gather at Hostile Undersea Rock to Lay Eggs that Die in Heat
Octopus
London’s Octopus Ventures raises $280 million to expand its seed and early stage investing
Octopus Ventures announced that it has raised an additional $280 million, bringing its total assets up to $1.2 billion as it continues to pursue international expansion of its early stage investment strategy. Founded just over a decade ago, Octopus has backed 89 startups through 199 funding rounds. That includes 16 new companies over the past year. From its base in London, the firm has opened branches in New York, Shanghai, and Singapore. “We’ve always believed that the most talented and ambitious entrepreneurs choose their backers, and not the other way around,” said Octopus Ventures CEO Alliott Cole, in a statement. “The U.K.’s entrepreneurial network has evolved rapidly over the past 11 years, and the resources we now have at our disposal will better equip us to support the tech disruptors of the future. The pipeline of high potential, fast-growth businesses has never been so strong, and we are excited about the seed and early stage ventures … [Read more...] about London’s Octopus Ventures raises $280 million to expand its seed and early stage investing
A new soft bot mimics octopuses and inchworms to climb walls
PHOENIX — Soft robots really get around. Some jump, others swim or crawl on the ground (SN Online: 12/13/16). Now, one can even scale walls. Inspired by an octopus’s suckers, researchers have constructed an inchwormlike robot that uses a pair of suction cups to scoot around vertical surfaces. The bot can clamber across rough and smooth terrain, aboveground and underwater, carrying up to five times its own weight. This kind of free-climbing machine, described April 3 at the Materials Research Society spring meeting, could one day help conduct surveillance or inspect buildings and bridges. Some rigid metal bots are designed to climb walls, too. But those machines are clunkier, more expensive and liable to break if they fall. Soft robots are relatively cheap to make and are lightweight and resilient, so there’s less risk involved with them losing their grip. The new robot is made of silicone rubber — a choice material for building soft, flexible, … [Read more...] about A new soft bot mimics octopuses and inchworms to climb walls
Legendary Viking crystals, and how to put an octopus to sleep
A millennium ago, Viking navigators may have used crystals known as “sunstones” to navigate between Norway and Greenland. Sarah Crespi talks with Online News Editor David Grimm about how one might use a crystal to figure out where they are. Sarah also interviews freelancer Danna Staaf about her piece on sedating cephalopods. Until recently, researchers working with octopuses and squids faced the dilemma of not knowing whether the animals were truly sedated or whether only their ability to respond had been suppressed. This week’s episode was edited by Podigy. Listen to previous podcasts. [Image: Nicholas Roerich, Guests from Overseas; Music: Jeffrey Cook] … [Read more...] about Legendary Viking crystals, and how to put an octopus to sleep
How to put an octopus to sleep—and make cephalopod research more humane
By Danna StaafApr. 4, 2018 , 2:00 PM "You're doing your surgery, but you don't know if the animal still feels it and you've just stolen its ability to respond," says biologist Robyn Crook of San Francisco State University (SFSU) in California. Until recently, researchers working with octopuses, squids, and other cephalopods routinely faced this dilemma, an ethical and, in some cases, legal challenge to studying these intelligent creatures in the laboratory. But Crook has now shown that both ordinary alcohol and magnesium chloride are effective anesthetics—crucial information for scientists pursuing cephalopod research. Cephalopods might not seem to be ideal laboratory animals. They're exclusively marine, so a complex seawater system is needed to keep them alive, and they're disinclined to stay put—octopuses can escape through minuscule holes, while squids may jet right out of their tanks. But their unique biology and behavior have made them indispensable to researchers in … [Read more...] about How to put an octopus to sleep—and make cephalopod research more humane