How the "noise" in our brain influences our behavior
The brain's neural activity is irregular, changing from one moment to the next. To date, this apparent 'noise' has been thought to be due to random natural variations or measurement error. However, researchers have shown that this neural variability.....»»
Magnetic avalanche triggered by quantum effects: "Barkhausen noise" detected for first time
Iron screws and other so-called ferromagnetic materials are made up of atoms with electrons that act like little magnets. Normally, the orientations of the magnets are aligned within one region of the material but are not aligned from one region to t.....»»
Sawfish are spinning, and dying, in Florida waters as rescue effort begins
Endangered smalltooth sawfish, marine creatures virtually unchanged for millions of years, are exhibiting erratic spinning behavior and dying in unusual numbers in Florida waters. Federal and state wildlife agencies are beginning an effort to rescue.....»»
Comprehensive study explores influence of gene expression on primate brain evolution
An interdisciplinary team of researchers led by biologists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst recently published the results of a first-of-its-kind study investigating the links between gene expression and brain evolution across 18 primate sp.....»»
Study finds wild nematode worms learn to avoid harmful bacteria—and their offspring inherit this knowledge
The nematode worm C. elegans will stay away from dangerous bacteria in its environment when exposed to certain bacterial RNAs—and can transmit that learned behavior to future generations. A team led by Coleen Murphy at Princeton University report t.....»»
Venmo antitrust lawsuit against Apple dismissed, with small asterisk
An antitrust lawsuit against Apple brought by Venmo has been dismissed, the judge finding that there was no evidence of anticompetitive behavior. The Paypal-owned app company has, however, been given one final chance to make its case – though th.....»»
Organoids research identifies factor involved in brain expansion in humans
What makes us human? According to neurobiologists it is our neocortex. This outer layer of the brain is rich in neurons and lets us do abstract thinking, create art, and speak complex languages. An international team led by Dr. Mareike Albert at the.....»»
Solar eclipse could scramble bird behavior
On April 8, the shadow of a total solar eclipse will race across North America. At the same time, researchers from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and partners will be hurrying to measure the impact of daytime darkness on the movements of birds, bats,.....»»
Behavior of ant queens found to be shaped by their social environments
The queens in colonies of social insects, such as ants, bees, and wasps, are considered the veritable embodiment of specialization in the animal kingdom......»»
How did nervous systems, with their incredible complexity, evolve across different species?
New research supported by the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute's Interdisciplinary Postdoctoral Scholars program zeroes in on the surprising observation that many genes found in brain cells and synapses—the points of communication between neurons—.....»»
Qualcomm unveils S5 Gen 3 Sound platform with "almost 50x more AI power"
There's a better DAC for 24-bit/48kHz over Bluetooth LE Audio and a 40% lower noise floor, too......»»
Caller ID of the sea: Novel method of simultaneous acoustic tagging provides insight into whale communication
For researchers studying the acoustic behavior of whales, distinguishing which animal is vocalizing is like a teacher trying to figure out which student responded first when the entire class is calling out the answer. This is because many of the tech.....»»
Your brain can reveal if you"re right wing—plus three other things it tells us about your politics
A few years ago, the leader of Mexico's PRI party told the New York Times that he, "would stick to tried and trusted campaign tools, like polls and political intuition," and rely on "the old-fashioned way" to win the country's election......»»
Are You Noise Sensitive? Here"s How to Tell
Every person has a different idea of what makes noise “loud,” but there are some things we all can do to turn the volume down a little......»»
Dogs’ brain activity shows they recognize the names of objects
Their reaction to the person naming an object might have masked signs of recognition. Enlarge / Wired for science! (credit: Marianna Boros, Eötvös Loránd University) Needle, a cheerful miniature schnauzer I had as a k.....»»
Breakthrough in light manipulation: Unveiling novel finite barrier bound states
Exploring wave propagation and localization in various media has been a core focus in optics and acoustics. Specifically, in photonics and phononics, scientists have been dedicated to understanding and controlling the behavior of light and sound wave.....»»
Why You Hear Voices in Your White Noise Machine
If you've ever heard music, voices, or other sounds while trying to sleep with a white noise machine running, you're not losing your mind. Here's what's going on......»»
Apple turns to Google for iOS 18 AI features, new AirPods with noise canceling, anti-reflective iPad screens
Benjamin and Chance react to the news that Apple is partnering with Google to use their Gemini models to power some AI features coming in iOS 18. Also, there’s more details about the two new AirPods models set to debut later this year. There’s al.....»»
In a first, evolutionary biologists have identified a gene that influences visual preferences in tropical butterflies
Tropical Heliconius butterflies are well known for the bright color patterns on their wings. These striking color patterns not only scare off predators—the butterflies are poisonous and are distasteful to birds—but are also important signals duri.....»»
Two keys needed to crack three locks for better engineered blood vessels
Blood vessels engineered from stem cells could help solve several research and clinical problems, from potentially providing a more comprehensive platform to screen if drug candidates can cross from the blood stream into the brain to developing lab-g.....»»
Harnessing computational intelligence for 3D modeling of maize canopies
Understanding the structure of crop canopies is essential for optimizing crop production as it significantly influences resource utilization efficiency, yield and stress resistance. While research has integrated canopy studies into various agricultur.....»»