brain

Scientists have demonstrated that nanowire networks can exhibit short- and long-term memory, similar to the human brain. These networks, comprised of highly conductive silver wires covered in plastic and arranged in a mesh-like pattern, mimic the physical structure of the human brain. The team successfully tested the nanowire network’s memory capabilities using a task similar to human psychology experiments. This breakthrough in nanotechnology suggests that non-biological hardware systems could potentially replicate…

Scientists at Johns Hopkins University say they’ve developed a gel-based treatment that might be incredibly effective at treating an often-fatal brain cancer. In a study of mice released this week, the gel in combination with surgery was found to eradicate 100% of glioblastoma tumors. It will take more research and safety testing before we can think of trying out this method in humans, however.Mental Health Apps Are a Privacy NightmareGlioblastoma is the most common form of brain cancer, accounting for around half of all…

Scientists used MRI scans of children with isolated fetal ventriculomegaly and found evidence supporting an association between the condition and autism traits. The study followed two groups of children, those with a normal fetal brain MR assessment and those with isolated ventriculomegaly, and conducted developmental assessments at ages 2 and primary school age. The results could improve family counseling, early identification, and intervention. However, further research is needed to confirm these findings in a larger…

Over the past year or so, generative AI models such as ChatGPT and DALL-E have made it possible to produce vast quantities of apparently human-like, high-quality creative content from a simple series of prompts.Though highly capable – far outperforming humans in big-data pattern recognition tasks in particular – current AI systems are not intelligent in the same way we are. AI systems aren't structured like our brains and don't learn the same way.AI systems also use vast amounts of energy and resources for training…

In my first neuroscience course at Columbia University, I learned about the homunculus. This “little man” is depicted as an upside-down representation of the human body moving from toe to head in a portion of the cerebral cortex that controls movement. Wilder Penfield, the trailblazing Canadian-American neurosurgeon, created the homunculus metaphor after mapping areas of the human brain by using direct electrical stimulation in awake patients in the 1930s. From this work, a nurse working with Penfield created one of…

Indigenous communities in lowland Bolivia, such as the Tsimané and Mosetén, have some of the lowest rates of heart and brain disease due to optimal levels of food consumption and exercise. New research indicates that these communities’ lifestyles, which balance daily exertion and food abundance, contribute to healthy brain aging and reduced risk of disease.Indigenous communities residing in the tropical forests of lowland Bolivia have reported some of the lowest rates of heart disease and brain disease in recorded…

Scientists have discovered a never-before-seen novel signal in the brain. The signal was identified in a study published in January 2020. According to the study, which appeared in the journal Science, the signal was a new form of cell messaging unlike any we had ever detected. Researchers involved in the study found the signal in the brain’s outer cortical cells, and say that it could provide the brain with neurons with another way to carry out their functions. This novel brain signal, they report, could mean…

Talk about a meeting of the minds. In another bid to add some NOx to its sputtering AI development, Google announced late Thursday that it plans to combine its two major AI teams, once kept separate, under one banner called Google DeepMind.Generating Video Via Text? | Future TechThe Google Brain team and DeepMind staff have been separated in areas of expertise and by thousands of miles. The London-based DeepMind is a research laboratory acquired by Google (now Alphabet) in 2014. Itworks on creating neural networks and…

A study conducted by MIT researchers has discovered that a subset of neurons within the mammillary body, specifically in the lateral mammillary body, are most susceptible to neurodegeneration and hyperactivity in Alzheimer’s disease. These neurons, which are part of the memory circuit, show signs of damage that lead to memory impairments. By treating mice with a drug currently used for epilepsy, researchers were able to reverse memory impairments caused by this hyperactivity and neurodegeneration. The mammillary body may…

Alphabet has merged the UK-based DeepMind and US-headquartered Google Brain into a single AI research unit. Imaginatively named “Google DeepMind,” the new group unites two camps that had developed an internal rivalry. “Combining all this talent into one focused team, backed by the computational resources of Google, will significantly accelerate our progress in AI,” said Google CEO Sundar Pichai in a Thursday blog post. The new unit will be led by Demis Hassabis, the co-founder of DeepMind and…