Sound Play Birds, Like Humans,


Sing Just Because They Can


Animal researchers like Gisela Kaplan, Ph.D., and Irene Pepperberg, Ph.D., have determined that birds not only sing to communicate daily needs, many engage in sound play, most often when they’re alone, but sometimes also when humans are present.


Some species continually improvise their singing with new elements, phrases and sequences, reports Kaplan, a professor at the Research Centre for Neuroscience and Animal Behaviour at the University of New England, Australia. Nightingales and canaries are among the avian virtuosos, reinventing their repertoire in each successive season, while the brown thrasher may hold the record at close to 2,000 song types. Nightingales, she notes, organize their compositions according to rules of con- struction similar to the way humans use syntax. These birds even create distinctive phrases that identify them as individuals. Kaplan’s own recordings of Australian magpies reveal how the bird’s voice


moves across four octaves, varies its phrasing between staccato and legato, and embellishes sequences with vibrato, trills or deep overtones. More, it will close a completed song with a signature phrase, in much the same way that a painter initials a finished canvas.


Entrance Exam College Applicants Leverage


their Creativity


Tufts University, in Medford, Massachu- setts, now invites prospective students to submit an optional, one-minute personal video to supplement their admissions application. The purpose is to discern the student’s creative side, which they may also display by way of an essay or by creating something using a single 8½-by-11-inch sheet of paper.


Mental Videos Daydreams Have Everyday Benefits


Scientific interest in daydreaming was kicked off a decade ago, when Marcus Ra- ichle, a neurologist and professor with Washington University in St. Louis, discov- ered that several parts of the brain become unusually active metabolically when the brain is thought to be idling. His findings further showed that daydreaming is the mind’s default mode... and that’s not a bad thing. Today, researchers know that daydream content pretty much maps onto people’s everyday goals, aspirations and appre- hensions, rather than being exotic meanderings. For the average person, daydreaming typically represents a kind of mental rehearsal, maintain- ing the brain in a state of readiness to respond. As pioneering psychologist Jerome Singer pointed out, “You can engage in trial action with- out any consequences. Such fantasies may fulfill a psychic need.” In Psychology Today, author Josie Glau-


siusz reports that daydreaming seems to be an essential human activity. Daydreams help us gen- erate our sense of self, hone social skills and serve as a font of creativity for those who pay attention to them, all of which make us feel vibrant, aware and engaged with life.


Find videos at YouTube.com, search Tufts Admissions Videos.


Prized Junto The Creativity


Foundation Taps Top Talents


Two 21st cen- tury awards, sponsored by The Creativity Foundation, an- nually recognize current and poten- tial contributors to innovative thinking and applied creativity. The Creativity Laureate Prize honors the most gifted thinkers and catalysts in all areas of human endeavor—the arts, sciences, humanities, technology and public service. The Legacy Prize salutes students who show great promise and dedication in their chosen field of public service.


For details see Creativity-Found.org. September 2010 13


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