Dolphins seem to make open-mouthed facial expressions most often while they are visible to a playmate, suggesting such displays may be similar to human smiles. While we often perceive these as a smile, there has been little research on facial communication in dolphins. We're finally realising that many species are To find out more, Elisabetta Palagi at the University of Pisa, Italy, and her colleagues analysed the behaviour of 22 captive bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) at two wildlife parks: Zoomarine Rome in Italy and Planète Sauvage in Port-Saint-Père, France. In 80 hours of footage, the team observed a total of 1288 open-mouth expressions during social play sessions. More than 90 per cent of these events occurred during play between dolphins, with the rest happening during interactions between the dolphins and people.

They're widely considered some of the most charismatic animals in the ocean. Now, it turns out bottlenose dolphins actually'smile' at each other while surfing, chasing and playfighting, according to a new study. Until now, little has been known about how the species - famed for their intelligence and playfulness - interact during playtime. But experts have finally revealed that these dolphins use the'open mouth' facial expression – comparable to a smile – to communicate during social play. The dolphins almost always use the facial expression when they are in their playmate's field of view, the researchers found, and playmates responded by'smiling' back a third of the time.

Dolphins are among the most playful and social animals on Earth, yet we don't know much about how they communicate during games and other more light interactions. New research of captive bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncates) indicates that they use an "open mouth" facial expression similar to a smile to communicate during social play. This expression was most consistently used when a dolphin is in their playmate's field of view and some respond with a similar expression. The findings are detailed in a study published October 2 in the Cell Press journal iScience. For dolphins, play can include acrobatics, surfing, playing with objects, chasing, and playfighting.

Bears can exactly mimic another bear's facial expressions, casting doubt on humans and other primates being the only mammals able to express their emotions. Sun bears have been observed opening their mouths to match their playmates when they are interacting face-to-face. Researchers claim that such facial mimicry has not been seen in primates outside humans and gorillas. Dogs can also use mimic each other to reinforce bonds. In the behavioural study, they found that bears can use facial expressions to communicate with others in a similar way to humans and apes. This'strongly suggests' that other mammals could also perform this complex social skill and, in addition, have a degree of social sensitivity.

The world's smallest bears copy one another's facial expressions as a means of communication. A team at the University of Portsmouth, UK, studied 22 sun bears at the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre in Malaysia. In total, 21 matched the open-mouthed expressions of their playmates during face-to-face interactions. When they were facing each other, 13 bears made the expressions within 1 second of observing a similar expression from their playmate. "Mimicking the facial expressions of others in exact ways is one of the pillars of human communication," says Marina Davila-Ross, who was part of the team.

Back in 1999, I was asked to write a short article for Sm@rt Reseller magazine about the future of computing, because (allegedly) science fiction authors are in the business of contemplating the future. Science fiction authors often consider what might happen "If this goes on--" where technology writers are best at "Here's what we've got." Some of the trends toward convergence seemed obvious to me at the time, so I put down a few thoughts…which turned out to be far more prescient than I expected. But, see, here's the thing: Science fiction authors don't predict the future. It's just that once in a while, something that someone imagines does end up as a fact, and this is why some people think science fiction is a literature of prediction.

Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. The author is a Forbes contributor. The opinions expressed are those of the writer. Since 1984, kids and adults have been following the adventures of a primary-colored robot comprised out of five lion-shaped mecha. Japanese kids called it GoLion, Americans, Voltron.

While merrily chirping, dancing and posing for selfies, a robot named Pepper looks like another expensive toy at a San Francisco mall. But don't dismiss it as mere child's play. Pepper embodies the ambitions of SoftBank Robotics, an Asian joint venture formed by a trio of major technology companies that is aiming to put its personable robots in businesses and homes across the U.S. over the next few years. If the technology advances as Softbank Robotics hopes, Pepper could become a playmate, companion and concierge. It could eventually respond to voice commands to retrieve vital information, make reservations and control home appliances that are connected to the internet.