Barometer | 14 September 2017

Selfie-worth

The animal rights charity Peta dropped a case claiming that a macaque which took its own photo was entitled to the royalties, rather than the camera owner (but only after the photographer agreed to donate a quarter of the royalties to animal charities).
— The idea of animal property rights was advanced by Australian philosopher John Hadley in the Journal of Social Philosophy in 2005. He suggested animals be granted rights over territories and human guardians appointed to represent them in court.
— There are issues still to be reconciled, however: what of non-territorial animals, and those which dispute each other’s territories? Would cats be expected to resolve differences in court rather than yowling at each other?

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Stephen Daisley

Could this photo cost Mark Carney victory in Canada’s election?

Apple introduced its iPhone 8 at $1,000 (£760). Who owns a smartphone in the UK?

Source: Ofcom

Baby booze

A Bristol University study analysing data from other research said there was little evidence that light drinking in pregnancy (up to four units a week) can damage a baby. How many women in various European countries drink during pregnancy?

Source: Norwegian Institute of Public Health/University of Oslo

Tunnel visions

The government published proposals for a 1.8 mile tunnel near Stonehenge. This saga is almost as old as the stones themselves:

1993 John Major’s government first proposes tunnel for A303.
1995 Conference of transport and heritage interests urges a 2.5-mile bored tunnel. Government proposes instead a cheaper ‘cut and cover’ tunnel.
1999 Labour government drops the scheme on grounds of costs.
2002 Government revives scheme, this time with 1.3-mile bored tunnel.
2004 £3 million inquiry approves scheme.
2005 It is dropped again on cost grounds.
2006 New plans include possible bypass with a surface route to the north.
2007 Scheme dropped again.
2013 George Osborne revives tunnel plan.