This Brain Molecule Decides Which Memories Are Happy—or Terrible
When the brain encodes memories as positive or negative, a small peptide called neurotensin determines which way they will go......»»
Happy Martian New Year!
The Martian new year arrives with the Red Planet’s vernal equinox. Explaining why requires a deep dive into celestial mechanics and Earth’s calendrical history.....»»
Developing Expertise Improves the Brain’s Ability to Concentrate
Expertise bulks up the brain’s ability to think deeply, a skill that may generalize across tasks.....»»
Theoretical model explains the anomalous properties of water in extreme conditions
Water, a molecule essential for life, has unusual properties—known as anomalies—that define its behavior. However, there are still many enigmas about the molecular mechanisms that would explain the anomalies that make the water molecule unique. D.....»»
Fossil teeth suggest a long childhood is the prelude to the evolution of a large brain
Compared to the great apes, humans have an exceptionally long childhood, during which parents, grandparents and other adults contribute to their physical and cognitive development. This is a key developmental period for acquiring all the cognitive sk.....»»
Apple releases Final Cut Pro 11 with spatial video editing, transcribe to captions, and more
As expected, Apple today took the wraps off the next big version of Final Cut Pro, and it comes with a whole host of new features that will surely make video editors happy. Included in Final Cut Pro 11 is support for spatial video editing, transcribe.....»»
Computational method pinpoints how cause-and-effect relationships ebb and flow over time
A new computational method can identify how cause-and-effect relationships ebb and flow over time in dynamic real-life systems such as the brain......»»
Virtual fruity fly model can simulate sensory navigation
All animals, large or small, have to move at an incredible precision to interact with the world. Understanding how the brain controls movement is a fundamental question in neuroscience. For larger animals, this is challenging because of the complexit.....»»
Bioengineered yeast mass produces herbal medicine
Herbal medicine is difficult to produce on an industrial scale. A team of Kobe University bioengineers manipulated the cellular machinery in a species of yeast so that one such molecule can now be produced in a fermenter at unprecedented concentratio.....»»
Happy New Year on Mars
12 November 2024 marks the start of a new year on Mars. At exactly 10:32 CET/09:32 UTC on Earth, the Red Planet begins a new orbit around our sun......»»
Give your brain a workout using music and this EEG wearable
Alphabeats, which uses music to help increase brain performance, has partnered with Muse and will use its EEG headbands to track and monitor improvements......»»
Brainy bumblebees still succumb to the temptations of caffeine and sugar
A bumblebee's brain is smaller than a sesame seed. But it can still accomplish quite a bit......»»
Apple acquires Pixelmator, iOS 18.2 beta 2, Apple movie glasses
Benjamin and Chance discuss Apple’s surprise acquisition of Pixelmator, all the new features and changes in the latest OS betas, and the rumors around Apple’s indecision for the future of wearables on your face. And in Happy Hour Plus, we sp.....»»
How do brains coordinate activity? From fruit flies to monkeys, scientists discover a universal principle
The brain is a marvel of efficiency, honed by thousands of years of evolution so it can adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing world. Yet, despite decades of research, the mystery of how the brain achieves this has remained elusive......»»
Testing thousands of RNA enzymes helps find first "twister ribozyme" in mammals
The "RNA world" hypothesis proposes that the earliest life on Earth may have been based on RNA—a single-stranded molecule similar in many ways to DNA—like some modern viruses. This is because, like DNA, RNA can carry genetic information, but, lik.....»»
Scream star thinks the horror franchise has gotten too violent
All the Scream fans out there who still aren't happy about Ghostface using a shotgun aren't alone......»»
Deep sea rocks suggest oxygen can be made without photosynthesis, deepening the mystery of life
Oxygen, the molecule that supports intelligent life as we know it, is largely made by plants. Whether underwater or on land, they do this by photosynthesizing carbon dioxide. However, a recent study demonstrates that oxygen may be produced without th.....»»
How the Brain Summons Deep Sleep to Speed Healing
A heart attack unleashes immune cells that stimulate neurons in the brain, leading to restorative slumber.....»»
China’s radar killer drone shoots better than AI, humans with new ChatGPT-like brain
China’s radar killer drone shoots better than AI, humans with new ChatGPT-like brain.....»»
New M4 Mac mini, MacBook Pro, and iMac reactions
Benjamin and Chance react to this week’s trio of Apple announcements, with the exciting launch of the newly redesigned M4 Mac mini, and all the changes in the updated M4 MacBook Pro and iMac lineups. And in Happy Hour Plus, we consider how suc.....»»
Much Improved Face Unlock Reported for Pixel 11
Remember Soli on the Pixel 4 lineup (pictured above)? Well if you have fond memories, it is now being reported that Google is bringing something similar to the Pixel 11. In a leak from Google’s chip division, which seems to be full of holes lat.....»»