by Barbara J King

For fun, I'm reading up on unusually-themed science centers. One of my favorites is the Duke Canine Cognition Center (DCCC), directed by evolutionary anthropologist Brian Hare.

One DCCC study showed that dogs are more closely attuned to human gestures than are chimpanzees (see the video clips). Another, in progress, asks about the formation of trust in dog-human relationships.

What's especially cool is that the subject dogs are recruited from families in the local community. The dogs show up, solve cognitive puzzles, then return home. DCCC's approach is an excellent model for rigorous yet humane observational research on our companion animals.

—You can connect with Barbara on Twitter.