Curious Kids: Why do dolphins jump out of the water?

Katharina J. Peters, University of Wollongong Why do dolphins jump out of the water?Charlize, age 8, MelbourneHave you ever seen images of dolphins jumping out of the waves and performing impressive acrobatics in the air? Or maybe you’ve seen it in real life? When a dolphin jumps, it can launch its whole body out of the water. While it looks like fun, it must also be hard work! So, why do dolphins jump out of the water? There are several possible reasons. Let’s jump in and explore them.To stay in touch Dolphins are social animals and live in groups. But it’s hard to see long distances underwater. So, they use the power of sound to stay in contact with each other. Sound travels much farther underwater than through the air. When dolphins jump, the slap of the landing makes a loud noise, and would be heard some distance away. Some species, such as spinner dolphins, use jumping to communicate their location to other group members, especially at night. This helps them keep track of each other. As an aside, spinner dolphins are very skilled jumpers. As the name suggests, they spin up to seven times in the air before landing back in the water! Spinner dolphins are the acrobats of the sea. The need for speed Have you ever tried to walk underwater? You will have felt how hard it is. That’s...
Read More........

How math and impatient driving inspired student's award-winning startup

UWM PhD student Joel Roberts is the founder of Shepherd Traffic, a company that uses computer vision, geometry and smart algorithms to capture more detailed and accurate traffic data than what’s currently available. (UWM Photo/Laura Otto)Joel Roberts really hates sitting at red lights – especially the ones that hold you hostage while not a single car passes in the cross-direction.“Sitting in traffic bothers me,” said Roberts, a PhD student in civil engineering at UWM. “So, getting drivers through intersections efficiently is interesting to math guys like myself because it’s basically an optimization problem.”Now, that everyday frustration has fueled something bigger: an award-winning startup.Roberts is the founder of Shepherd Traffic, a company that uses computer vision, geometry and smart algorithms to capture more detailed and accurate traffic data than what’s currently available. The idea is to let the computer do the watching – and the counting.When traffic management professionals need to time a light or redesign roads, the initial data they need are object counts and classifications, which you can take from videos.His pitch for the company beat out top student innovators from across Wisconsin to win the $2,500 grand prize at the WiSys Big Idea Pitch Competition.Smarter intersections, less waitingTraffic lights usually run...
Read More........