dancing

It was kind of the natural progression, right? This Manoi Go robot kit from Japan already has a head start, going from a headstand straight into the splits all by itself.

[YouTube via Boing Boing Gadgets, GetRobo]

Previously, it was believed that dancing was unique to humans. Now, two separate studies have shown that parrots have the ability to bob their heads and tap their feet to a number of different beats, proving that humans aren't the only ones with rhythm. One of the birds studied even has a favorite song: "Everybody" by the Backstreet Boys.

At this year’s AAAS meetings, scientists will be given the opportunity to express their research through interpretive dance. The idea is to "shatter a few stereotypes about stuffy, lab-bound researchers." If past years’ scientist/media parties have taught me anything, it’s that these scientists are as uninhibited as they are uncoordinated on the dance floor. If ever there was a reason for us to take a video camera to AAAS, this would be it.

After the jump, check out the entry videos of the four research groups who’ll receive professional choreography help to present their dances at the meetings. My favorite is “Resolving pathways of functional coupling in human hemoglobin using quantitative low temperature isoelectric focusing of asymmetric mutant hybrids”, but “The role of vitamin D in beta cell function” gets high points for entertainment.