Science Daily: Bat calls contain redundant information
UC biologists found that bats are great at small talk while navigating
Science Daily highlighted research on bat echolocation by University of Cincinnati assistant professor Dieter Vanderelst.
Vanderelst and his research partners studied the echoes of Mexican free-tailed bats. They found that echoes received by bats are so simple that a sound file of their calls can be compressed 90% without losing much information. The study was published in the journal PLOS Computational Biology.
The study demonstrates how bats have evolved to rely on redundancy in their navigational “language” to help them stay oriented in their complex three-dimensional world.
“If you can make decisions with little information, everything becomes simpler. That’s nice because you don’t need a lot of complex neural machinery to process and store that information,” said Vanderelst, who holds joint appointments in UC's College of Arts and Sciences and UC's College of Engineering and Applied Science.
UC researchers found that a neural network could glean important information from the echoes of bats even when the calls were digitally compressed by 90%. Illustration/Margaret Weiner/UC Creative + Brand
More UC bat research
A nectar-feeding bat. Photo/Zdeněk Macháček/Unsplash
Related Stories
WVXU: Find your CPAP annoying? UC researchers are working on a...
April 22, 2024
Dr. Liran Oren is leading a research team at the University of Cincinnati developing a VortexPAP machine that takes advantage of vortex airflow technology. A preliminary clinical study with current CPAP users demonstrated that the VortexPAP can deliver the pressure levels that are used in the subjects’ CPAP therapy, but the mask is more comfortable to wear. It has a minimalistic design that is less intrusive and barely touches the patient’s face.
Local 12: Local universities open Taylor Swift courses
April 22, 2024
In the lead up to the release of Taylor Swift's new album, "The Tortured Poets Department," several media outlets covered classes offered at UC that focus on the singer's music and poetry. UC offers three classes that cover the pop icon: a general music course at CCM and two classes at A&S.
UC's record graduating class prepares for next chapter
April 22, 2024
UC will confer degrees to 7,521 degrees to 7,391 students. (Some students are earning multiple degrees.) Both represent new records at UC for a single graduating class dating back two centuries.