Scientists tie social behavior to activity in specific brain circuit
A particular brain circuit has been linked by researchers to mammals' tendency to interact socially. Stimulating this circuit -- one among millions in the brain -- instantly increases a mouse's...
View ArticleResearchers track short-term memory in near real time
University of Oregon researchers have tapped the rhythm of memories as they occur in near real time in the human brain. Using electroencephalogram (EEG) electrodes attached to the scalps of 25 student...
View ArticleThe FAA has grounded all commercial delivery drones
If you've been waiting breathlessly for the day when you could get a new gizmo from Amazon or some piping hot food delivered directly to you by autonomous drone, you may need to put your plans on hold...
View ArticleThe cultural evolution of mind reading
We use “theory of mind” or “mind reading” to understand our own thoughts and feelings and those of other agents. Mind reading has been a focus of philosophical interest for centuries and of intensive...
View ArticleNew device allows brain to bypass spinal cord, move paralyzed limbs
For the first time ever, a paralyzed man can move his fingers and hand with his own thoughts thanks to an innovative partnership between The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and Battelle....
View ArticleFirst medical X-ray scanner heads for space station
MAKE no bones about it: the International Space Station is about to get its first medical X-ray scanner. Astronauts will use the device to study the effects on rodents of extended periods of time spent...
View ArticleNeural sweet talk: Taste metaphors emotionally engage the brain
So accustomed are we to metaphors related to taste that when we hear a kind smile described as "sweet," or a resentful comment as "bitter," we most likely don't even think of those words as metaphors....
View ArticleIs it possible to build an artificial superintelligence without fully...
The technological singularity requires the creation of an artificial superintelligence (ASI). But does that ASI need to be modelled on the human brain, or is it even necessary to be able to fully...
View ArticleFirst quantum transmission sent through space
Worried about keeping secrets? Here's a quantum of solace. The first quantum transmission to go via space paves the way for ultra-secure communications satellites. Secret encryption keys transmitted...
View ArticleCardiac pacemaker powered by body's own muscles developed
Over the past few decades, cardiac pacemaker technology has improved to the point that pacemakers have become a commonplace medical implant that have helped improve or save the lives of many millions...
View ArticleThe Next Generation Of Robots Will Be Very Emotional, Very Social
We are entering a new era of technological connectivity. We already have ‘smart products’, ‘wearable devices’ and ‘the Internet of Things’. Now we have robots, too. Actually, this is not new either....
View ArticleNASA's Robot Astronaut Inspiring Tech Advances Here on Earth
A humanoid robot aboard the International Space Station is inspiring technology that could be useful to both astronauts and people on Earth. NASA's Robonaut 2, which arrived at the orbiting lab in...
View ArticleThe Immortalists: New doc explores the radical life extension movement
What if you knew of the greatest tragedy in human history, one that’s been ongoing since the dawn of life itself, and what if nobody would even believe that it was happening? That seems to be the...
View ArticleOptogenetics: Noninvasive brain control using Jaws, a light-sensitive protein
Noninvasive brain control is big news because the new light-sensitive protein enables simpler, more powerful optogenetics, which is a technology that allows scientists to control brain activity by...
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Crowdsourcing could help robots learn new tasks faster
If robots are going to work alongside humans, the machines are going to need to swallow their pride and learn to ask for help. At least, that’s the thinking of computer scientists at the University of...
View ArticleNASA to launch satellite to track carbon pollution
Washington (AFP) - The US space agency is to launch on Tuesday a satellite that tracks atmospheric carbon dioxide, a leading greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. The launch of the...
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3D-printed composite is lighter than wood and stiffer than concrete
Reseachers at Harvard University have developed a way to 3D-print a cellular composite with record lightness and stiffness using an epoxy resin. This marks the first time that epoxy is used for...
View ArticleBio-printing transplantable tissues, organs: another step closer
Researchers have made a giant leap towards the goal of 'bio-printing' transplantable tissues and organs for people affected by major diseases and trauma injuries, a new study reports. Scientists from...
View ArticleNASA’s Solar Observatories Capture Unusual Eruptions on Sun
The Sun’s outermost atmosphere, the corona, is made of plasma that has a temperature of millions of degrees and extends millions of kilometers into space. On January 17, 2014, the SOHO spacecraft...
View ArticleControlling Muscles with Light: Neuroscientists Inhibit Muscle Contractions
Can you imagine controlling muscles with light? MIT neuroscientists have shown that they can do just that by applying optogenetics, a technique that allows them to control neurons' electrical impulses...
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