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SHEEP CAN BE trained to recognise human faces from photographic portraits – and can even identify the picture of their handler without proper training – according to new research.
The study, conducted by scientists at the University of Cambridge and published in the journal Royal Society: Open Science, is part of a series of tests on sheep to monitor their cognitive abilities.
Because of the relatively large size of their brains and their longevity, sheep are a good animal model for studying neurodegenerative disorders such as Hungtington’s disease. The ability to recognise faces is one of the most important human skills – we recognise familiar faces easily and can identify unfamiliar faces from repeatedly presented images.
Sheep, like other animals such as dogs and monkeys, are social animals and they can recognise other sheep as well as familiar humans. Little was known before this, however, about their overall ability to process faces.
Researchers trained eight sheep to recognise the faces of four celebrities -Barack Obama, Emma Watson, Jake Gyllenhaal and Fiona Bruce – from photographic portraits displayed on computer screens.
This training involved the sheep making decisions as they moved around a specially designed pen.
At one end, they would see two photographs displayed on two computer screens and would receve a reward of food for choosing the photograph of the celebrity, by breaking an infrared beam near the screen.
If they chose the wrong picture, a buzzer would sound and they would not get a reward. Over time, they learned to associate a reward with the celebrity’s photograph.
After training, the sheep were then shown two photos – one of the celebrity and a different face. In this test, sheep correctly chose the learned celebrity eight times out of ten.
Recognising their handlers
In these initial tests, the sheep were shown the faces from the front, but to test how well they recognised the faces, the researchers next showed them the faces at an angle. As expected, the sheep’s performance dropped, but only by about 15% – a figure comparable to that seen when humans perform the task.
Finally, the researchers looked at whether sheep were able to recognise a handler from a photograph without pre-training. The handlers typically spend two hours a day with the sheep and so the sheep are very familiar with them. When a portrait photograph of the handler was interspersed randomly in place of the celebrity, the sheep chose the handler’s photograph over the unfamiliar face seven out of ten times.
During this final task the researchers observed an interesting behaviour. Upon seeing a photographic image of the handler for the first time – in other words, the sheep had never seen an image of this person before – the sheep did a ‘double take’. The sheep checked first the (unfamiliar) face, then the handler’s image, and then unfamiliar face again before making a decision to choose the familiar face, of the handler.
Intelligent, individual animals
“Anyone who has spent time working with sheep will know that they are intelligent, individual animals who are able to recognise their handlers,” says Professor Jenny Morton, who led the study. “We’ve shown with our study that sheep have advanced face-recognition abilities, comparable with those of humans and monkeys.
“Sheep are long-lived and have brains that are similar in size and complexity to those of some monkeys. That means they can be useful models to help us understand disorders of the brain, such as Huntington’s disease, that develop over a long time and affect cognitive abilities. Our study gives us another way to monitor how these abilities change, particularly in sheep who carry the gene mutation that causes Huntington’s disease.”
Professor Morton’s team recently began studying sheep that have been genetically modified to carry the mutation that causes Huntington’s disease.
It is an incurable neurodegenerative disease that typically begins in adulthood. Initially, the disease affects motor coordination, mood, personality and memory, as well as other complex symptoms including impairments in recognising facial emotion. Eventually, patients have difficulty in speech and swallowing, loss of motor function and die at a relatively early age. There is no known cure for the disease, only ways to manage the symptoms.
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“What a bizarre idea,” one TD said….
Anonymously…criticising a strategy designed to prevent such comments and leaks.
Funny to see how upset the journo hacks have got over this. Screaming blue murder because they’ll have to wait till 30 seconds after the meeting to find out what was said.
There’s no enda in sight.. boom.. unlike Enda I’ll get my coat.
Il deal with it after my free vacation to the States ……puh!!
As I predicted, milk it till Paddy’s Day, then bluff it out till the summer recess, Its an old FF trick.
The establishment have no respect for democracy enda is making an absolute mockery of this state our media should be tearing strips off fg at the moment.
@Si Mac Ruairí:
Bizarre is right. He heads off to the White House to meet the new president. Introduces himself and no doubt tells Donald what a great little country it is to business. A week or two after Paddys day Donald phones up to be told “sorry Enda does not work here anymore”. What sort of message is that sending out to the us administration ? Not a very friendly one considering who’s now in charge.
So Enda, will it be after Paddy’s Day this year, or next year?
@D H: enda’s leadership is gone,,enda’s dignity is gone,,enda’s soul is gone,,we are left with an empty vessel and this enda empty vessel makes more noise,,that’s all enda is noise,,as useful as a toothless comb
Like the leech he is…parasitic and difficult to remove
Called it. He will play on Paddy’s and when he becomes a record breaker. This has nothing to do with the outrage about McCabe. Just jockeying for position within the party and that has become the narrative.
Hilarious how it’s being spun that Fitzer is out of the running now ….She should be out of a job for jaysus sake.
there was a time ff supporters would have been all over fg for this type of rubbish, sadly we have become a one “party” dail, well done all in ff/fg ya yellow bellied snivelling twits
cannot wait now for election time, will they go half’s on the posters?
“statesman” is a distant memory yet will be used and abused when this ff/fg crowd eventually swap turns “leading” the “party”
no amount of spin or yarn can deny there is literally no backbone in ff/fg if Kenny can scare them
@Enda Ireland: I don’t see meeting Trump will go well for Enda, shamrock is not what Trump is looking for. Trump will be looking for Shannon as a US service base.
It’s OK Bobby. Just like Kenny, FG are yesterday’s ( idiot ) men and women like that idiot Mitchell O’Conner, Regina Doherty, and the make whips that populate the parliamentary party !
Regina…..united we stand, and united you’ll fall, as soon as your bed bugs pull the plug……
Trump could, and might him without salt and send him home with a flee in his ear. On the other hand Trump might keep him as one of his ” Yes Men” , although I’m sure Trump has more COP that that
@Chris Kirk: Do you really think Trump even knows where Shannon is?
They shouldn’t be on their phones at all during a meeting. Leaders questions, each time there are some TDs on their phones it actually looks awful.
@Catherine Mc: FGs Regina Doherty is the one of the worst at it.
That’s for sure, plus some of them looking as if there having forty winks.
Is it not simple manners to have phones off during a meeting? Mind you, if these are work phones, they aren’t personal property – but there are always some who think it’s acceptable to keep a laptop here, a phone there, a painting, a house that goes with the job…
That is what most people would think, that being said there not like the rest of us plebs !
There’s not a hope in hell I hand my phone over to one of that lot. You’d never know who they’d leak the information stored on it to… or that they wouldn’t use the opportunity to install god knows what on it… All calls and texts suddenly being CC’d to Blue Shirt HQ… Stopping leaks my hoop.. good chance they’re trying to find who’s leaking….
The leaks are real, the news is fake!
@John Smith: After observing many of your contributions to this site John it appears to me that you are a stooge, a chump, a sucker and well many other synonyms attributed to someone who has been easily duped.
The only thing fake about the fake news moniker is that it is fake to those of a particular persuasion to the rest of the sane population its merely a story from one source – and anyone with half a brain knows that to get to the essence of truth one must acquire more sources to present a rounded version of the event. It’s why court cases usually have more than one witness to an event – its why we don’t just have one newspaper one news channel and one reporter – the irony is that the people who believe in fake news of course usually only trust one source that corroborates their world view. Its like members of say Sinn Féin who only read an phoblacht for their news decrying the Irish Times or whatever as being biased against them… now knowing members of SF that is not wholly the case. So John in a rather long-winded riposte i’m suggesting that those who accuse news sources of being fake – usually garner their news sources from one outlet (which only solidifies their world view). Can i suggest that in this wonderful era of the internet that you read the two sides to a story – and then make a judgement?
@ForKent: He’s only looking for attention and you gave it to him!
@Aaron Roche:Hmm perhaps… apropos of nothing I have a hankering for some tayto all of a sudden. Some subliminal message must be contained in this thread somewhere.
@ForKent: He should go to NKRP, only one news outlet and all good.
“One TD told the party…” – Anonymously…that refused to take part in a strategy to prevent leaks.
What an absolute joke of a party. Their minions were on here recently giving out about how the shinners elected Michelle O’Neill and now look at the absolute childish antics of the party that is supposed to be running the country. How can they claim to be running the government when they are stabbing each other in the back, jostling for power and looking over their shoulders every day? Say what you like about SF but they had a new NI leader in a few days, no messing and straight down to business of fighting an election. FG on the other hand will be at this stupidity for at least another 2 months.
No, it was straight down to the provo commemoration to tell everyone how she personally knew the terrorists and that they were great lads. Saw her cousin was done for fuel laundering there as well. What a breath of fresh air and a new outlook for the party.
LOL!
So thats the best the trolls have on the woman…
“But but but, her cousin”
Ah bless, its the little terrier coming out to bark.
Did you miss me cupcake? I’ve been busy watching amateur hour in Merrion street as your beloved fine gael tears itself apart like a bowl of particularly appetising chicken wings.
Good boy. Fetch!
@Charlie Wrex: That the best you have?
Oh, how the mediocre have fallen.
@For Connolly: Pray tell how does a bowl of chicken wings tear itself apart – i have to assume that the chicken was dead upon its re-incarnation as an appetising entré?
@ForKent: Zombie chickens perhaps? As a recent convert to the walking dead it could be one explanation i had not factored in.
Poor little terrier, will charlie not entertain your deflections? Lol. I must say its reassuring to note the shinners in the north havent changed. Equally, your devotion to them is endearing. lol
@Charlie Wrex: Jaysus Charlie you’re sounding like Arlene Foster. O’Neill hasn’t any personal provo baggage so point the finger at Gerry or her family in a desperate attempt to deflect a new generation of republicans. As for commemorations doesn’t FG and FF politicians go to those every year to commemorate people who carried out the same acts of violence as the provos did? While you are on about cousins why don’t you ask a Fine Gael member who Gay Mitchells cousin is? People are responsible for themselves and not for their families but if you are that desperate then carry on.
@ForKent: “Pray tell how does a bowl of chicken wings tear itself apart ”
They’re FG wings, they hire overpaid ‘handlers’ to do the job for them.
Of course i am Brian. Cult members generally view any criticism as a mortal threat. See the terriers swift response for details. Lol
@Charlie Wrex: If I’m a ‘cult member’ who views ‘cirticism as a mortal threat’, how come I am the first one to criticise Sinn Fein on positions I don’t agree with them on?
I asked your twin diarmuid this as well, no answer was forthcoming.
Glad you see the DUP as a cult Charles. They can’t seem to separate their rabid religious bigotry from their politics as Foster is pointing out every day. At as recent 15 minute press conference to launch their policies she mentioned Adams no less than 12 times! Even the press are now mocking her desperation to deflect from the RHI scandal and their living in the past.
Yeah i saw the reports. She needs to be escorted to a safe space urgently.
You criticise sf jamming as part of your modus operandi, so you can write things like ‘if I love Sinn Fein so much, why can I disagree with so vehemently about the price of turnips’. Classic deflectionism and whataboutery. Keep up the good work from parnell street though, your paymasters will be happy with you.
LOL!
Oh, look, its another ne of the interchangable FG troll accounts.
Any chance diarmuid can put in an appearance as well? Larry and Mo, but no Curly, doesn’t really cut it.
@For Connolly: Oh look, doing overtime in Parnell Square. Good lad.
“Poor little Terrier, will CHARLIE not entertain your…”
Did they just accidentally post from their @Charlie Wrex account while meaning to post from their second troll account?
Lmfao…I love it when trolls can’t keep their accounts straight and embarrass themselves.
@Bryan Kelly: Completely missed that! Nice catch.
So charlie wrex/fifijamming/diarmuid are one and the same person are they?
They sure have a habit of popping up at exactly the same time
Like i said earlier. AMATEUR HOUR IN MERRION STREET LOL!!
@ FC
Don’t forget he also mutates into Leo Lowe or Paddy Lyons depending on how depressed he’s feeling.
@Stephen murphy: If she was a puppet she would have just been installed but she was actually elected by her peers within the party. If they didn’t want her then they could have asked for someone else. The point is that the shinners could see that MMcG was about to bow out, they looked for a replacement, found one that suited the role and duly elcted her into her present position. She certainly is besting the hell out of the DUP at the moment as well.
FG on the other hand knew that Kenny’s days were numbered and if they didn’t they only had to look at the last issue of Phoenix magazine who predicted Kenny’s demise with the headline line”Beware the Ides of March” . They now have a leadership crisis that has the party in turmoil and everyone concentrating on their own personal priorities rather than doing the job that they are supposed to be doing and that is running the country.
The difference between the 2 parties is that SF seem to plan for the future whereas FG just waits for the crap to hit the fan and then try to bluster through it. Leaving out policies and political ideology aside SF certainly looks like a party better suited to planning ahead than FG.
Sorry jamming, you’re wrong. Again.
@FifiJamming: From the above I take it FG are really worried about SF and the next election. Interesting…..
Make no mistake about it.. it’s secret meetings like this one where the next leader is chosen…and they rebuke other parties for not choosing a leader in a transparent fashion.
James
Can you please tell me where FG have rebuked any other party for how they choose their leader.
Evidence?????
Colm Brophy, after another of Endas gaffes this time suggesting a FG/SF collation, said: “God knows Fianna Fáil have their faults, but they are a modern DEMOCRATIC party; Sinn Féin is NOT. As long as that remain the case they should not be in government.”…. That’s just the first thing Google threw up… Go on…tell us “what he meant to say”, how “he’s being taken out of context” or how it’s “fake news”…
They know better than to trust politicians.
It gets worse!!!
The best paid primary school teacher in the world is going to retire.
It’s because they are all rats trying to grab power! Can’t believe we have rats who can keep their mouths shut in government.
They could also attempt to identify the rat within the party, or are they so dysfunctional that they’re all at it.
It would be easier to find the one who isn’t leaking to the media.
@Adrian: A rat, or a whistleblower and which is it?
Edna can stay as long as he likes. He’s a first class clown who’s reputation is in ruins. He wants to be the longest serving Taoiseach for FG in history. He can have that and his dictatorship will also be part of his history. Along with Maurice McCabe and whatever dirt comes out when he’s gone. He’s no leader and has just put the tin hat on his history page. As for clapping him? His fellow FG members better be ready to bear the brunt of his fecking history when the election comes. They will be sorry for his lovely history.
A joke …
Ah they really don’t want everyone to know just how bad the publicity seeking back stabber’s act in private…Heard they have also been talk of confiscating paper and pencil , so know one slips a note under the door..
Do they think taking phones from people will stop leaks? Are they so thick they will have forgotten anything to ‘leak’ by the time the meeting has finished?
So minimum unit alcohol prices- good. Being unable to access your phone whilst carrying out your duties and obligations to the the electorate- bad? Nanny state-ism should only apply to the little people.
@Link: and legal to have a few and drive home. Ross didn’t add that to his new legislation.
They’re ones to talk
Jesus will we ever be rid of him
Fu(k off enda
Did the doggies get treats before the meeting
Then again it might be a good idea to confiscate phones before entering the Dáil chamber. Then they might take notice of what’s going on atherosclerosis than playing candy crush. Who else is allowed play with a phone at work.
Very Charlie Haughey that
Lies and all
Why is the Patricks Day trip treated like an event requiring great concentration and minimal disruption? Does it take Enda 3 weeks of mental preparation to hand over a bowl of shamrocks? Something is seriously wrong if something so empty and ceremonial is the critical government event which everything must pivot around.
@Rochelle: It’s just an excuse for Enda to drag this out as long as possible. It’s our feckin country, not Enda’s toy to play with as he likes! I’m up for wheeling a guillotine down to Leinster House and lining these arseholes up.
@Rochelle: “Does it take Enda 3 weeks of mental preparation to hand over a bowl of shamrocks” Yes sadly….
Don’t they all have expensive phones
Haha and?
And the guys that lost there seats in the last election claimed there new phones before the election we the voters are the fools for voting for them
The masters of deflection and deception strike again. This had SFA to do with kenny. It was to take the heat & outrage off the Maurice McCabe cluster of ****.
Remember Kenny , Noonan are school teachers lol
FG aka Frankfurt’s Gestapo following the old East Germany Stasi control orders. Blueshirts must have got hints off their boss Mekel was a member of the old East German communist party.
An ovation?! For what? More fool those who gave him one! Sooner he bites the bullet and stops delaying the inevitable the better. Plus he’s not going to visit the White House in my name!
How is it nanny state surely a parliamentary part meeting is a private affair. Nothing to do with the state.
@ed w: Well to a point but as ‘the state’ pays their wages (the parliamentary party that is) – there is an argument for suggesting that it is not wholly a private affair – considering that they are doing the job as outlined in their job description and what they are paid for. I’m being facetious of course.
Pot, kettle, black
Have you tried Cillit Bang?
Selfish P€/(&. Always thinking about what more they can get. Flying first class to the states sure why would he go.
Shades of Putin.
Enda is a Joke. No work being done in government as election looms. Sure let him fall on his sword after he visits Trump. That visit is a poisoned chalice anyway.
Fobbed off by the grey porridge Enda Kenny. No real answer and avoiding all the questions as usual… Easily pleased as usual to keep the status quo I guess.
So Enda turned up at a meeting and read a magnificent speech that someone else had written for him.
Well done Enda.
Prolonging the wait again. Such a game player MR Kenny is.. Slow clap..
Why do they need their phones during a meeting? I see one TD commented that it was ‘nanny state tactics’ well if they act like children – running to tell tales then they are in obvious need of a ‘nanny’!
One way round the floor please for the last walz
That’s over 3 weeks away – not enough time for him to sort?
(St.) Paddy wants to know first!!!!
FG voters must be so proud.
Enda go now what are you at trying to break an Irish record for the longest fool trying to lead our country what a joke go
Added extra being… It’s gonna bury the McCabe scandal for a few months.. probably until the summer hols… so that’s that until September at least. Plenty of time for files to go missing etc….
This silly wee Fu–er should have been fuc-ed under a bus, he has the country in a mess and his big ego is all he thinks about, how badly do they need a free holiday that the country comes second to this boll- cks leave the stage even your own party did not want you
” effectively and conclusively” and Enda in the same sentence. Well I never……
So that’s the leadership, (I use that word very loosely), trolley situation, homelessness, Gerry Mc Cabe & his family all swept under the carpet….
Then how can we call Enda to tell him, we were paid too much?
So, he’s going nowhere then!
If they didn’t act like kids on their phones this might notice come up. Frightening to see leaders of the state been chastised over misuse of their phones.
All the blue shirts afraid of Kenny says a lot for the next leader
A simple button hole recording Device could leak the whole gig!
Enda kicks the can down the road again. And they bought it. Go now and take a few of them with u.
Shame someone wouldn’t kick Enda down the road…
Hang on, hang on, hang on.
I have no interest in defending Fine Gael but they should be entitled to privacy the same as everybody else.
If nobody has any interest in recording the discussion, what’s the problem?
I’m sure somebody will be looking at the 20 phones on a table and if somebody rings, they can get you.
@Tom Burke: Fg will probably set Tusla on any TD that leaks anything from the meeting. They have form for it.
@Tom Burke: Governments are not entitled to privacy when they make decisions that affecrt peoples taxes and public services/
@Tom Burke: they were entitled till the children went public.
Suppose it’s reflecting a lack of trust and integrity that people in the party can’t hold the line and feel compelled to go on solo runs. Must be frustrating for party leadership to be explaining Whatsapp leaks… doubt it’s an exclusive Fine Gael problem.
Seems people generally can’t be trusted to do what their asked without seeing it as ‘Nanny’ stuff. Would be nice if they weren’t throwing their toys out of the pram all the same..
They don’t even trust each other.enda will not go.
Playing for time.
Wonder did Noel Rock have a change of underwear in his office and send an underling out to Dunnes. In fairness to Enda – he’s good for the auld put down when dealing with the children. Not a peep from Farell or Deering either. Little boys in short pants
Keep an eye on the water charges commission !!!
Whoever leads FG into the next Election will be Tanaiste to Michael Martin. There must be some God awful scandal concerning politicians relating to the McCabe affair, that they are all so intent on keeping a lid on. FF do not want other options to materialise. Put your money on a FF/FG Coalition being inevitable. The TD’s know this and know how the swing vote has worked so far, gains for FF will be losses for FG. Scamble for survival. Deflection from real issues.
This TD might want to get his facts straight about what a nanny State is. It is where the law is overreaching and controlling. A political party, one which members are free to leave, cannot be a nanny State because (duh!) it is not a State.
Unless he’s suggesting that Kenny is trying to make the surrendering of phones law.
another tall story from our great leader Enda he might push till the next budget, it looks like two ways of getting rid of him Silver bullet or steek through the heart!
… G
Pure torture. If they really believe that Varadkar is Judas, can we follow through with the rest of the story with the one he betrayed?
“Over 200,000 jobs have been created since 2012,” the statement said. ”
Many didnt go to Irish nationals.
So the circus continues all just to feed Endas ego
Edna had his say. Let’s see is Leo a lion or a mouse now. Leo all talk but no action. Then again what else could you expect from the likes of him. Roll on Ends.
Great picture of our leader. Worth all the photography fees.
‘Taoiseach deserved the respect he got’ – Coveney ,there you go lads that’s how out of touch one of the next most likely Taoisigh is
Love him or Loathe him he’s some operator -he puts Charlie in the shade in how to evade the scalpel. Leo and Simon Will do well to learn his tricks.
I predicted this outcome about 10 days ago, the only difference was I said Enda would be nailed to the doors of Leinster house on Good Friday. He’s out to break all FG records to make the History books. He’s not gone yet guys!
“One of the boys” That is how politics work here?
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