[NEWS] Five science links: ancient humans, animal minds, green Asia, generation starships, SN1987A

[rfmcdonald]

• Quanta Magazine notes that the deep learning offered by new artificial intelligences can help pick out traces of non-homo sapiens ancestry in our current gene pool.


• This sensitive article in The Atlantic examines the extent to which consciousness and emotion are ubiquitous in the world of animals.


• NASA notes evidence of the great greening of China and India, associated not only with agriculture in both countries but with the commitment of China to reforestation projects.


• Mashable examines the fundamental brittleness of closed systems that will likely limit the classical generation starship.


• SciTechDaily notes new observations of SN 1987A revealing a much greater prediction of dust than previously believed.