A Chow pup ran frightened under a shed and could not be coaxed out, reads an observation recordedduring a total solar eclipse in 1932. The observation is one of hundreds collected during the eclipse that year on the behavior of animals during the rare event. When day suddenly turns to night during the total solar eclipse on Aug. 21, most animalsaside from humans wont have any idea what is transpiring. Some animals, primarily those that reside outside, will notice the change but pets that live indoors likely wont even notice the eclipse.

Once the moon moves between the sun and Earth and briefly blocks the suns light from reaching anything in the path of totality those animals and people in the path will experience night-like conditions. Animals that live outdoors might exhibit slightly different behavior than usual during the eclipse, but its hard to know what to expect.

I think its gonna vary between I would say animal to animal, organism to organism, with the larger animals or larger organisms, except for humans, not really being that affected, Sergio Arispe, an animal biologist and assistant professor at the Oregon State University extension service in eastern Oregon, told International Business Times.

Large grazing animals like cows will likely act normally during the eclipse. Photo: Nicolas Vigier/Flickr

The eclipse will cross14 states in the continental United States, first in Oregon cutting right across the country to South Carolina before it heads out into the Atlantic. The states it will be crossing are full of open space and farmland where livestock and wild animals are staples, but Arispe doesnt think the eclipse will impact them much. When it comes to larger animals, cattle, horses, livestock, sheep, deer Some of these animals are dependent on the sun from a reproductive standpoint, Arispe said, But thats not gonna be detrimental or effected in two minutes. Its gonna be so acute, so miniscule in the life of that animal that its not gonna affect those processes.

But smaller animals might present some out of the ordinary behaviors. In 1932, the United States saw a total solar eclipse just like the one expected next week. But the 1932 eclipse covered parts of the Northeast like Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. During that eclipse the public, game wardens and naturalists all recorded observations about animals and their surroundings and submitted them for a journal article, said Arispe. This journal articlewas published in 1935 entitled Observations on the Behavior of Animals during the Total Solar Eclipse of August 31, 1932, and it can still be accessed online.

The moon eclipses the sun shortly before sunset. Photo: NASA/Bill Ingalls Multiple observations recorded during the eclipse note cricket activity, several observers even said the cricket noises were all they could hear during the eclipse, according to thearticle. Other observers including some beekeepers who noted that as the darkness increased and totality came closer their bees returned to their hives in larger groups and more and more rapidly than usual as if preparing for night time.

Household dogs were reported to exhibit all sorts of different behavior, one person reported that the dog seemed quieter than usual while another observer said their dog acted as it does when its time to turn in at night. The behavior of the dogs was so variable that it doesnt point to one specific behavior. House cats didnt exhibit any odd behavior either, In general no very obvious reaction appears that seems directly attributable to the eclipse, says thearticle.

While the observations are interesting to read through, theyre not exactly any indication of how animals will act this time around, These were individual observations and definitely not science, said Arispe. But if they were observed once, theres a chance they could occur again. I would say these are a few observations but they were observed. So theres a chance they could happen again... Arispe explained, I wouldnt dismiss what has been reported in the past.

But overall theres no particular behavior Arispe is on the lookout for. Honestly, theres no expectation that theres gonna be any behavior that could be measured, Arispe said.

The behaviors of some animals are unpredictable, but there is one species sure to alter its behavior drastically during the eclipse, that species being humans. Its the people thats gonna be effected, this is gonna be unprecedented in the number of people who will be observing and recording, he told IBT.

Safety glasses or a filter should be used to view the solar eclipse directly. Photo: National Parks Service/Flickr

Millions of people are expected to flock to the states where the eclipse will be visible in its totality, some are even spending hundreds or thousands of dollar on flights. That alone is an out-of-the-ordinary behavior. But some of those people also have certain activities planned for during the event. A group of people who believe in a connection between Christianity and marijuana are planning to burn oil in the countrys largest Roman Catholic Church in Washington, D.C., during the eclipse, reported U.S News and World Report. The oil will have THC, or the compound responsible for the high marijuana offers, in it.

Other religious groups like one in South Carolina will hold day-long rituals to relieve themselves of burdens from the past and bless the future. Using the eclipse as a way to sort of cleanse oneself. And guides for eclipse meditation or cleansing have been popping up online in preparation.

Some states in the path of totality have issuedwarnings that smoking marijuana is still illegal during the eclipse. The Wyoming Association of Sheriffs and Chiefs of Police posted a press release online warning that Wyomings laws around marijuana would be strongly enforced during the eclipse. Meanwhile smoke shops in Oregon, where the drug is legal, are gearing up for a spike in marijuana sales, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting.

Some people are planning activities a bit more eccentric than smoking while viewing the eclipse. Last week, an ad on Craigslist appeared in the Activity Partners section of the site posted by a self-identifying 40-year-old man. He was seeking a woman to conceive with during the eclipse but the ad has since been removed from the site.

All of these acts are far more out of the ordinary than a dog barking or hiding, crickets chirping or bees rushing to their hives. When it comes to animal behavior during the eclipse, humans are actually most likely to to go the extra mile, sometimes literally, and act different than usual.

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Will The Solar Eclipse Cause Strange Changes In Animal, Human Behavior? - International Business Times

Photo: Photos.com

Q. Im fascinated to see studies (such as Horses Ask Humans for Help With Unsolvable Tasks,) on horses possibly trying to communicate with humansits rather like scientists trying to tell us the world is flat when we can see perfectly well it isnt!

Most of the problem equine behaviors result from blinkered or ignorant humans not understanding what horses are desperately trying to tell them. For instance, Im bucking because the saddle pinches, Im kicking because you havent noticed Im saying youre hurting me, Im chewing my stable because Im sick to death of being cooped up, etc. My very hairy Minis push their heads at me only when they need their eyes cleaned; they and my horse vocally communicate using the same intonations as humans do; they complain if I dont feed them at the usual time. And my horse understands pointing directions to a fair extent.

My last horse got put in a different stable for a day, where the water basin was filled with rotting months-old crud. When I found him and opened the door, he grabbed the shoulder of my jacket and dragged me over to the corner in front of the basin to show me and indicate he was disgusted, very annoyed, and desperately thirsty. He drank nearly two buckets of fresh water when I offered it. How can any sensible person suggest that horses might be trying to tell us things?

All creatures who evolved to live in social groups must have the ability to communicate and often, if not always, between species. Prey animals know when predators are not interested in hunting them, they learn other species predatory calls, and many species will adopt and raise different species young and manage to communicate well enough. The more I see of this kind of scientific research, the less respect I have for the researchers, who must not be very observant or animal-orientated to doubt the obvious.

Gill Evans, via e-mail

A. I certainly can relate to your exasperation with researchers investigating a question that, to you, seems so obviously already known to anyone paying attention. Over my long career in horse research, I very often have been similarly frustrated when asked, wheres the scientific evidence? on topics in horse management and behavior that seemed to be obvious facts requiring no peer-reviewed scientific research to back them up. And there have been times it led to research that demonstrated the exact opposite of what I thought was the no-brainer interpretation.

The way scientific knowledge advances is to actually start with what seems like the most basic questions, formulate and then test hypotheses such as this, and report the results for further scientific scrutiny and refinement. In the case of interpreting animal behavior in terms of communication and the underlying cognitive processes, I can guarantee you that, as you say, not everyone sees the same thing, and the interpretations that seem just as obvious to individual observers vary widely. And without scientific knowledge, there is no way to know which interpretation among the many is correct. These different interpretations in scientific terms are essentially untested conflicting hypotheses.

I personally have come to realize that it is becoming more and more important to better understand equine cognition, particularly as it relates to horse-horse and horse-human behavioral interactions. Its not just trivial information, since our interpretation of a horses behavior and complexity of cognition and motivation often has welfare/safety implications both for the animal and for us. So these basic studies on equine cognition and communication, as silly as they may seem to you, really do need to be done. And the results need to be carefully scrutinized and scientifically refined for decades to come. I am looking forward to reading the full scientific report from the study you mentioned when it comes out. No doubt it will generate a lot of discussion among behavioral scientists, with most likely disagreement concerning the adequacy of the methods, the interpretation of results, and the validity of the conclusion. This is especially the case for a very new science such as this. That discussion/disagreement will hopefully stimulate further research.

Sue M. McDonnell, PhD, is a certified applied animal behaviorist and the founding head of the equine behavior program at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Veterinary Medicine. She is also the author of numerous books and articles about horse behavior and management.

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Studying the Obvious - TheHorse.com

The number one reason you should deal with that toxic person at work? Counterintuitively, says Joseph Grenny, business social scientist at VitalSmarts, you should do it because you deserve it. While some think confronting a toxic person is about sacrificing for the team or the greater cause, Grenny says its really about being responsible for your wellbeing and emotional health.

Being around people who are dysfunctional is a huge drain on our quality of life, says Grenny.

Grenny, co-author of Crucial Conversations, has seen it all when it comes to toxic co-workers: the conniving team member, the boss who bullies employees, the co-worker who always plays the victim.

If you have never worked with a toxic person, Grenny says to consider yourself lucky. While theres not a clinical definition for a toxic person, it could be someone who bullies, spreads gossip or is consistently negative. When someones behavior creates misery for others at work, chances are that person is toxic.

Group dysfunction

The problem usually isnt the toxic person, though. The problem often stems from the dozen people around the toxic person who enable the behavior to continue. Basically, toxic behavior continues in the workplace when theres active cooperation from people who think theyre victimsbut who are actually enablers.

The most important thing to remember is that youre responsible for your own boundaries, Grenny says. You have to decide what the effect is on you.

Sometimes toxicity is a passive-aggressive boss, for example. Grenny says he once sat down with a CEO for a coaching session. The CEO started going through his employee list. When he got to certain names, he told Grenny he wished he could fire them based on poor performance.

It struck me as oddbecause he can do that, Grenny says.

And yet, the CEO hadnt taken action. He spent years only wishing he could fire these employees, and instead punished them in other ways: He wouldnt make eye contact with themin meetings. He often cut them off when they spoke. Or he rolled his eyes while the employees had the floor.

This passive-aggressive approach sent a message in the team that created enormous conflict, says Grenny. Its surprising how many CEOs Ive worked with who run incredibly functional teams, but who dont deal with accountability.

Were all broken

Some people act out their drama on other people but arent self-aware enough to notice. The first thing you can do is increase their realization by providing a high-accountability environment in the office. The second thing? Admit we all need help sometimes.

All of us are broken. All of us are toxic at different times in different relationships. The best we can do where others will address their own brokenness is to hold boundaries with them, and also work on our own brokenness.

Grenny says the ideal workplace is an environment of vulnerable self-improvement. Being around emotionally healthy people offers rewards because everyone is constantly practicing personal reflection.

Its intoxicating, he says. It inspires everyone around them.

One of the most influential things Grenny learned in the last 30 years is this: The vast majority of human behavior problems dont stem from ability or motivation problems. Thats a huge insight, he says, because we tend to tell ourselves that someone knows what theyre doing when they misbehave. But its usually because the person doesnt possess the skill set to improve.

Most of us dont realize we need additional skills and cant fathom what they would be. High-accountability environments help people learn boundaries.

Speaking up

Grennys watched this boundary situation play out dozens of times, and he says when someone in a subordinate position holds their toxic boss accountable, they arent fired as often as you think.

It works far more often that it fails and it is remarkable to watch.

He once saw a doctor say something abusive to a nurse. Later, the nurse approached the doctor and asked if he had time to talk. She quoted his words and said she felt disrespected. She then asked for the doctors commitment that he wouldnt do it again. The nurse wasnt angry or hostile, just firm and clear.

And he looked like a whooped schoolboy. Rather than puffing up and invoking his position, he muttered an apology, and I never saw him behave impatiently toward [the nurse] again. Interestingly, he continued to behave inappropriately with other nurses who didnt hold boundaries around him, says Grenny.

Overall, if a toxic work situation doesnt improve, its time to reassess.

You have to make a decision. Whats more important: a steady paycheck or the quality of your life?

Im interviewing for a new job. How can I tell if a toxic culture exists at a company?Ask inappropriate questions to find out if its a good trust environment. I might say: What is one of the biggest growth areas for your boss? What do you have to do around here to get fired? When someone gets let down with someone else, what happens here? Ask about personally uncomfortable things. Poke the culture a little bit and see their reaction. Do they smile and answer easily? Or do they shift their eyes right and left before they answer? Joseph Grenny, VitalSmarts

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Finding the Antidote: How to neutralize the toxic member of your team - Utah Business