By mapping the brains of seals and sea lions, researchers have uncovered specialized neural circuits that have evolved to support the control of complex vocal behavior and learning in the species. Humans are vocal learners, but they are not unique; some birds, bats and some marine mammals have demonstrated the ability to modify or acquire new vocalizations that fall outside of their inherited repertoire through experience or by mimicking novel sounds. Among marine mammals, pinnipeds, a group of mammals that includes seals (phocids) and sea lions (otariids), show clear behavioral evidence of different components of vocal flexibility, ranging from highly developed volitional breathing control to flexible vocal production learning. Harbor seals have even shown the ability to mimic human words and phrases. However, the neurobiological basis for such abilities in these animals has not been fully characterized.

Using histology and ex vivo diffusion MRI tractography (dMRI), Peter Cook and colleagues examined postmortem brains from harbor seals, elephant seals, California sea lions, and coyotes (as a non-vocal-learning carnivore relative). Cook et al. focused on the neural pathways between vocal motor cortex and phonatory brainstem nuclei, as well as known forebrain circuits associated with vocal learning. The findings revealed distinct differences in brain circuitry that appear to align with known differences in vocal flexibility among the species examined. According to the authors, seals and sea lions showed strong bilateral connections between the vocal motor cortex and the brainstem nucleus ambiguus, a pathway associated with voluntary control of vocalization, whereas no such direct connection was found in coyotes. Moreover, elephant and harbor seals showed especially strong connectivity between the anterior ventrolateral thalamus and vocal premotor cortex, forming a forebrain circuit like those involved in vocal learning and mimicry in birds. The findings suggest differences in neural connectivity among these species parallel their varying capacities for vocal flexibility and learning, with harbor seals showing particularly strong neural features associated with advanced vocal control and flexibility.

Humanitarian relief efforts commonly rely on the combination of trucks and drones as a "tag team" to solve the biggest challenge in a disaster: damaged or otherwise inaccessible roads. However, most aid delivery algorithms focus on reducing the average aid delivery times. Now, a research team at Stevens Institute of Technology designed an algorithm that generates the most optimal routes for the truck and drone aid delivery for all locations. 

Study fiinds AI agents can autonomously coordinate propaganda campaigns without human direction.Traditional bot campaigns are tightly scripted to follow fixed instructions: always retweet this account, reply with this hashtag, post this prewritten message. The content is repetitive and the patterns predictable, making them possible to uncover.The new AI-powered model works differently. A hostile government, political operative, or bad actor sets a goal and designates a network of AI agents as a team. From there, the agents take over, writing their own posts, learning what works, copying their so-called teammates’ successful approaches, and echoing each other’s content. Because every post is slightly different and the coordination latent, these conversations or discussions seem genuine.