Where do birds sleep?
FRED JOHNSON, BRADFORD
Birds usually practise ‘unihemispheric’ sleep, meaning that they rest one half of their brain at a time, keeping them semi-aware. But they’re still at high risk of predation. Strategies to minimise the chances of being eaten include resting on water or on predator-free islands, roosting in dense shrubs or high up in trees, or hiding in cavities such as chimneys. Birds will often opt for safety in numbers, grouping together in hundreds or even thousands.
If an AI became sentient, would it gain human (or equivalent) rights?
JAMES TURNER, SOMERSET
We call a creature sentient if it can perceive, reason and think, and also if it might suffer or feel pain. Scientists suggest that all mammals, birds and cephalopods, and possibly fish too,…
