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The moment Teddy and Al became pals for life. Enjoy this heartwarming installment of Teddy’s Teachable Moments entitled, “New Study Proves that Dog and Human Hearts Beat Together” A new study shows that not only do both human and canine heart rates get lower when we’re together, but our heart rhythms actually synchronize. Using heart rate monitors on three human subjects and their canine companions, researchers separated the pairs for a time, then reunited them, recording heart rate data all the while. The results? When reunited, humans and dogs showed immediate relaxation. Of course, we already knew that. While science has shown that humans benefit from their bond with a companion animal, the new data shows that the dog also experiences a relaxation benefit. Plus, now we know that our bond with our dogs is so strong, our hearts actually beat together. The Hearts Aligned study is part of a larger campaign called Pet Positives, which explores the many ways animals improve our quality of life. A Big Thank You to Kiki Kane for helping Teddy with this thread @ https://lnkd.in/e6k4Z4VD #TeddysFanPage

The Forced Swim Test (FST) has been a topic of increasing public concern around the world, and questions continue to be raised about the test’s scientific validity and the adverse effects it has on animal welfare. In the test, a rodent is placed in a cylinder of water, from which it cannot stand or escape, for up to 15 minutes. During this time, the rodent tries to swim or escape from the vessel, and then it floats and becomes immobile. Researchers have attributed the more passive floating posture with “despair” and depressive-like behaviors, assuming that the animal has lost hope to escape its environment. However, there are other reasonable explanations for this behavior. The rodent may be adapting to its environment, coping with stress, or simply doing what it needs to do to survive. As a result of these and other limitations of the test, a growing number of pharmaceutical companies, universities, and funding agencies around the world have agreed to stop conducting or permitting FST experiments. NAVS was pleased to see the following article critique the FST but was equally disappointed to learn here of the “sinking platform test,” which was designed to measure “persistence” in animal models. According to the article, in this test “a mouse learns it can get out of a water tank by climbing onto one of several platforms, but then finds that they sink when it steps onto them. Researchers measure how long it keeps searching for a stable platform before abandoning the strategy.” Why is this type of research acceptable, and what are we really learning from this? Studies like this reiterate why it is so important for NAVS and other like-minded organizations to advocate on behalf of animals and to support smarter science that does not harm them. Join us in our mission to end animal tests like the Forced Swim Test. Learn more at navs.org. https://lnkd.in/gpiR6Sp7

Did you know that millions of animals, including cats, frogs, and pigs, are still commonly dissected in science classrooms? It’s a practice that is cruel, wasteful, and unnecessary. We need your help to end these outdated exercises with a special gift today, as the new school year gets underway. Animalearn, a program of AAVS, works every day to help teachers and school administrators discover the lasting benefits of humane science education. Non-animal alternatives to dissection are: 🐸 Effective for learning. A 2022 study published in American Biology Teacher showed that 95% of students learned just as well—and in most cases, better—when using non-animal alternatives compared to animal dissection. 😻 Safer for students and teachers. When performing traditional dissection exercises, students may be exposed to preservatives derived from formaldehyde, as well as dangerous instruments like scalpels. 🐷 Innovative new tools. Virtual reality, for example, “holds great utility in science education by engaging students in science topics that may be otherwise inaccessible to them in the real world,” according to Professor Rebecca Hite at Texas Tech University. That is why Animalearn’s unique FREE lending library, The Science Bank, offers hundreds of innovative life science education products, including comprehensive online learning resources for both in-person and remote teaching. Seeing is believing! https://lnkd.in/gw-9qzDG #animalrights #school #schools #education #crueltyfree #cruelty #compassion #ourcommunity #kids #children #childdevelopment #freelibrary #educationaltechnology

Uncover new insights into the longevity and cognitive health of small dogs in my latest article, "Small Dogs and Dementia: Don’t Call Your Small Dog Old." This six minute read provides the highlights from new research about how size, breed, and owner attitude can affect our pups' mental aging. And, it provides invaluable strategies for maintaining our small dogs' mental agility. A must-read for pet owners and professionals in veterinary and animal care sectors. 🐕🦺🧠 #VeterinaryMedicine #AnimalHealth #PetCare #CognitiveHealth #SmallDogs

So so so incredible.

The Broken Food System: A Call for Action Our food system is undeniably broken. Despite increasing awareness, we find ourselves facing dire challenges that threaten both our planet and our health. Over 80% of all arable land is dedicated to producing animal feed and oils, an allocation that starkly highlights the inefficiencies and unsustainability of our current practices. Simultaneously, we waste enough food to feed the entire African continent, showcasing a glaring contradiction in resource distribution. Biodiversity, both on land and in our oceans, is being depleted at an alarming rate, a consequence of industrial agricultural practices and overfishing. Coupled with this, rising global temperatures exacerbate environmental degradation, further threatening food security. Malnutrition, surprisingly the leading cause of death not just in the global south but also increasingly in the global north, underscores the paradox of our food system: abundance marred by poor nutrition. Central to many of these challenges is animal production. Last week's panel discussion underscored the urgent need for a more sustainable food system, focusing on the concept of a complementary protein shift. This shift emphasizes diversifying our protein sources beyond animal products to include plant-based and cultivated alternatives. The solutions exist, yet progress is hindered by polarization and political interests. A recent example is Italy’s ban on cultivated meat, driven by misinformation and special interest groups. This ban stifles innovation and the potential for more sustainable food options. Despite these obstacles, there are promising developments. Plant-based fish and other innovative protein sources present viable solutions for today and tomorrow. Our goal must be to extend this conversation beyond niche circles and engage the broader public. True collaboration and a profound shift in thinking are imperative if we genuinely want to create a positive impact for the future. In conclusion, the path to a sustainable food system is fraught with challenges but also ripe with opportunities. By embracing innovation and fostering collaboration, we can rebuild our food system into one that nourishes both people and the planet. A big thanks to my fellow travelers Francesca Gallelli Benedetta Caputi Roberta Gigante Stefano Lattanzi and a big thanks to Felippe Fontanelli and the Talent Garden team ;)

https://lnkd.in/eBkqD6jP It breaks my heart to see the videos of the horrific conditions pigs are kept in. They are actually very intelligent and clean creatures, but forced to live in their own filth. They are kept in crates that dig into them, unable to move, driven mad and have no room so often squash their babies. They are neglected and many baby pigs die. They are repeatedly impregnated until they are used up and then sent to slaughter. The baby pigs have their teeth cut and tails cut! And without anaesthetic! The babies are slaughtered, throats slit, or head smashed on cement floor, or smashed over the head with a hammer. I watched a video of a tiny baby shaking uncontrollably with fear, forced to walk towards where his brothers and sisters were being killed. Pigs are smarter than dogs, they have the same level of intelligence as a 3 year old human child. They are affectionate and gentle creatures. My heart aches knowing the horrors farmed animals face every day 😢 Not only do we not have to eat animals, we can live healthier lives without eating them and it's better for the planet, due to the environmental damage animal agriculture causes. Most grew up eating meat. If you ever fancy something "meaty", a burger, bacon, chicken, beef, there's so many plant based alternatives now, it's never been easier to go vegan. The only thing governments, farmers, supermarkets do in response to this is pretend that this is not going on all over the country and is actually normal on farms. Pretend they're shocked, pretend this is not the high standards they expect from workers, pretend they will sort this out, pretend their industry is not the definition of cruelty. Desensitized workers suffer psychological issues and commit furthers acts of cruelty to the animals in their care, like kicking and throwing gates at them. But the truth is, much of the horror we saw in this video is what routinely happens to pigs on farms and is perfectly LEGAL. A lot of this is legal cruelty. And those poor pigs sufferings bleeding and prolapsed uteruses and baby pigs with infections from having their teeth cut out and tails cut off, that is all the result of what is done to them LEGALLY and is STANDARD practice on farms. To all those who eat pigs, THIS IS YOUR PORK, YOUR BACON. You are paying for this cruelty. We are far removed from our "food" and lie to ourselves that we are not responsible.

On the 26th and 27th August 2023, my friends and I participated in SUTD's What The Hack 2023. It was our first hackathon and honestly we did not expect much, but we emerged finalist in our category: AI-enabled Internet-of-Things! I would like to thank my teammates: Ignatius Lee,Pang Brian,Tay Chi Kian and Lim Weizhe Our device uses a custom lens connected to a ESP32 Camera module and a plant disease database. Users can scan their plants and the device will help to detect symptoms that correspond to various plant diseases. From there, mitigating measures will then be listed out for the user. The device can be connected to our dataset via the internet. The device can also be attached to smart-glasses to free up the hands of gardeners. We aim to promote this device for usage in precision farming. This is because current methods of identifying diseased plants are heavily reliant on human observation, often resulting in the wastage of good plants due to human error and inaccuracies. With the implementation of our device, farmers will be able to differentiate healthy plants from diseased plants with higher accuracy.This will result in an increase in environmental performance and yields. This also results in the reduction of eco-waste and farming costs. github: https://lnkd.in/gmNSqmi6 (github.com) devpost: https://lnkd.in/gdw--rwj

https://lnkd.in/d7hvt_mt 🌟 Lessons from Animal School 🌈 🔍 Have you ever wondered why some children thrive in traditional school settings, while others struggle to find their footing? 🤔 Let me share with you an old video I recently rewatched called "Animal School" that sheds light on this very topic. 📺 🦉 The video beautifully portrays a school filled with animals that were all destined to be great flyers. The school, however, taught them only one way to fly - the "traditional" way. But what unfolded was utterly fascinating! 💡 🌟 The valuable lesson this video teaches us is that every child is unique and special in their own way, and our education systems should reflect and support this diversity. 🌍 As parents, educators, and professionals, it's our responsibility to foster an environment where each child can flourish based on their unique strengths and talents. 🌱 🙌 This reminds us that we must nurture individuality and provide children with the opportunities to explore and develop their own curiosity and unique skills, rather than solely focusing on a narrow set of standardised abilities. 🌠 🌈 Imagine a world where all students are encouraged to embrace their differences and where all educational institutions adjust their approach to cater to individual learning styles. In this world, we would witness the emergence of a generation of confident and empowered individuals who are full of diverse talents and abilities. 💪 📚 Let's always strive to create educational settings that embrace the individual, diversity, promote inclusivity, and celebrate every child's unique abilities. 🎉 🤝 I invite you to watch the "Animal School" video.🌟 #Education #DiversityMatters #InclusiveEducation #Empowerment #UniqueTalents #AnimalSchool #individualitymatters

Animal studies is a viable discipline at universities around the world, and more and more religious bodies are, haltingly perhaps, paying attention to humans’ responsibilities to other beings. Today’s guest, Lisa Kemmerer, PhD, is an authority in both fields. The Harvard alum and longtime professor in animal studies heads the non-profit, Tapestry, to bring religious bodies up to speed on issues affecting God’s other creatures. Kemmerer’s books include Eating Earth, Animals and World Religions, Animals and Christianity, and Vegan Ethics: AMORE: 5 Reasons to Choose Vegan. Listen now on your favorite streaming platform.