TGR 01.15.18. Phoenix Rising: 'Fire Birds' & Canine Kindred

This week on The Gralien Report, we kick off the program on this Martin Luther King Jr. day remembering the civil rights leader, before moving into news of astronomical oddities, and strange sounds that are being reported throughout the southeastern United States. We also spend a moment looking at the latest (supposed) lead in the never-ending conspiracy of D.B. Cooper, before turning our attention to strange things that have been brought before judges in courtrooms… how do you get legal help if you’ve been sold a haunted house?

Then in the second hour, we turn our attention toward the remarkable discovery of birds of prey in Australia which, long revered as “fire birds” in sacred ritual traditions, actually do carry small amounts of burning brush across distances to start brushfires elsewhere, using the fire to their advantage by driving out potential prey. This is a remarkable first, as it represents the first known use of fire by non-humans. Turning our attention over to “man’s best friend,” dogs have shown a remarkable ability to excel at communication with humans, even beating chimps in studies that involve use of human gestures to communicate with the two species. But what if AI in the future were to make it so that your family pooch could actually speak to you? We look at this, and more, on this week’s edition of The Gralien Report.