The big story of the day is supposed to be the newly "formal" impeachment inquiry, but...

... look at the "promoted" stories that appear in my Twitter feed from The New York Times.

There's this old one from last April that the Times has promoted quite a bit over the months (perhaps because of the eye-catching expanse of male torso (which can fool the eye before you directly focus on it (for example, this morning, I thought it might be sweet potatoes)):



And then there's this new story... but it's about kitty cats:



I'm sure they know from experience that people click on stuff about pets, especially the age old question is Trump a tyrant, I mean, are dogs better than cats.

Here's the article, "Cats Like People! (Some People, Anyway)/Despite apparent aloofness, cats are social creatures capable of relationships with people, a new study suggests."

Scientists... recruited owners of 79 kittens and 38 adult cats to participate in a “secure base test,” an experiment commonly used to measure bonds that dogs and primates form with caretakers. A similar test is also used for human infants. It is based on the theory that infants form an innate bond with caretakers that manifests as a strong desire to be near that person.

In the experiment, which lasted six minutes, cat and kitten owners entered an unfamiliar room with their animals. After two minutes, the owner left the room, leaving the cat or kitten alone — a potentially stressful experience for the animal. When the owner returned two minutes later, the researchers observed the feline’s response.

About two-thirds of cats and kittens came to greet their owners when they returned, and then went back to exploring the room, periodically returning to their owners. These animals, the researchers concluded, were securely attached to their owners, meaning they viewed them as a safe base in an unfamiliar situation.
Science!

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