Human Quirks

Octopuses given mood drug 'ecstasy' reveal genetic link to evolution of social behaviors in humans

By studying the genome of a kind of octopus not known for its friendliness toward its peers, then testing its behavioral reaction to a popular mood-altering drug called MDMA or 'ecstasy,' scientists say they have found preliminary evidence of an evolutionary link between the social behaviors of the sea creature and humans, species separated by 500 million years on the evolutionary tree.

via Science Daily

Odd Creatures

Octopuses given mood drug 'ecstasy' reveal genetic link to evolution of social behaviors in humans

By studying the genome of a kind of octopus not known for its friendliness toward its peers, then testing its behavioral reaction to a popular mood-altering drug called MDMA or 'ecstasy,' scientists say they have found preliminary evidence of an evolutionary link between the social behaviors of the sea creature and humans, species separated by 500 million years on the evolutionary tree.

via Science Daily

Bizarre Things

Ancient Mars had right conditions for underground life, new research suggests

A new study shows that the breakdown of water molecules trapped in ancient Martian rocks likely produced enough chemical energy to sustain microorganisms for hundreds of millions of years beneath the Red Planet's surface.

via Science Daily

Weird World

Beyond deep fakes: Transforming video content into another video's style, automatically

Researchers have devised a way to automatically transform the content of one video into the style of another, making it possible to transfer the facial expressions of comedian John Oliver to those of a cartoon character, or to make a daffodil bloom in much the same way a hibiscus would.

via Science Daily