Researchers at the University of Sussex in Britain have discovered that cats employ a “soliciting purr” to seduce their owners into giving them more attention and food. The study, published in the July 15 edition of Current Biology journal, says the purr proves irresistible because a high-frequency element embedded within it, similar to a cry or meow, subtly triggers a sense of urgency.

The team of Sussex psychologists discovered that cats appear to be exploiting innate tendencies that humans have for nurturing their own offspring. However, in this case the felines subtly bury their “feed me” messages in an otherwise pleasant purr. Lead author Dr Karen McComb initiated the study because her own cat, Pepo, had the knack of consistently waking her up in the mornings with insistent purring.

A small fish found in streams across Europe has a human-like ability to learn, British scientists reported.

The nine-spined stickleback could be the first animal to exhibit a key human social learning strategy that allows it to compare the behaviour of others to its own experience and make choices that lead it to better food supplies.

“Small fish may have small brains but they still have some surprising cognitive abilities,” said Jeremy Kendal of Durham University.

A 14-year-old student from New York has apparently become the youngest person in the world to discover a supernova, the weakest-ever found in a nearby galaxy.

Astronomers have confirmed that the supernova discovered in November last year by Caroline Moore — called SN 2008ha — is a new type of stellar explosion, 1000 times more powerful than a nova but 1000 times less powerful than a supernova.

Astronomers say that it may be the weakest supernova ever seen.

Even though this explosion was a weakling compared to most supernovae, for a short time SN 2008ha was 25 million times brighter than the sun. However, since it is 70 million light years away, it appeared very faint viewed from Earth.

A pea-sized seahorse, caffeine-free coffee and bacteria that live in hairspray were among the top 10 species discovered last year, a committee of scientists said.

The International Institute for Species Exploration at Arizona State University and an international committee of taxonomists – scientists responsible for species exploration and classification -announced the top 10 new species.

The other species on the list include the very tiny (a snake just a slither longer than 4 inches or 104 millimeters), the very long (an insect from Malaysia with an overall length of 22.3 inches or 56.7 centimeters) the very old (a fossilized specimen of the oldest known live-bearing vertebrate) and the very twisted (a snail whose shell twists around four axes).

Rounding out this year’s list are a palm that flowers itself to death, a ghost slug from Wales and a deep blue damselfish.

Archaeologists have discovered the remains of a “lost” medieval village church in Ceredigion, Wales.

According to a report by BBC News, a team from Lampeter University found the 12th Century building after carrying out a geophysical survey, which located it underground in a field.

In the village of Swyddffynnon, near Aberystwyth, it is believed to be Capel y Groes, which was last recorded on the maps of officials in the 1840s.

The church was found by staff and students during a two-week field project last month, but details of their find have only just emerged.

Archeologists have discovered a mysterious burial ritual performed 9,000 years ago in Iran’s Sialk Mound located in the center of the country.

According to a report in Press TV, Iranian and Polish archeologists’ investigations have revealed a specific burial ritual in Sialk Mound.

“In this 9,000-year-old practice, four bodies were burned at a heat of 400 to 700 degrees. The ash and remains of the bodies were then buried in a jar,” said Hassan Fazeli, the director of Iran’s Archeology Research Center.

“Traces of red petals were found in the jar. Archeologists believe red flowers signified life and eternity in ancient Persia,” he added.

“A burial ritual encompassing burning has never been observed in Iran,” he claimed. “It makes the rare discovery of great importance,” he added.

Another body was found next to the foundation of a wall.

Archeologists from Iran, Germany, Britain, Italy and France have been studying the northern mound of Sialk since last week.

The Sialk Mound, located in the city of Kashan, is believed to be the origin of human technology, industry and religious thought in Iran.

ANI