A framework in your brain for organising the order of things
From Norwegian University of Science and Technology 07/01/24 Scientists at NTNU’s Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience in Norway have discovered a pattern of activity in the brain that can serve as a template for building sequential experiences. “I believe we have found one of the brain’s prototypes for building sequences” says Professor Edvard Moser. He […]
Robots versus humans: Which would children trust more when learning new information?
From Singapore University of Technology and Design 06/01/24 In this digital age, children are exposed to overwhelming amounts of information online, some of it unverified and increasingly generated by non-human sources, such as AI-driven language models. As children grow older, the ability to assess a source’s reliability is an important skill in cultivating critical thinking. […]
Shock wave photographed passing through a single cell
From University of Tokyo 05/01/24 A microscopic shock wave has been photographed passing through a single biological cell, thanks to a new photography technique. Nanosecond photography uses ultrafast electronic cameras to take images at the speed of a billionth of a second. However, image quality and exposure time are typically limited. Now, a team led […]
Aerogel can become the key to future terahertz technologies
From Linköping University 06/01/24 High-frequency terahertz waves have great potential for a number of applications including next-generation medical imaging and communication. Researchers at Linköping University, Sweden, have shown, in a study published in the journal Advanced Science, that the transmission of terahertz light through an aerogel made of cellulose and a conducting polymer can be […]
Theft-deterrent bike where lock is part of the frame
From Superinnovators 05/01/24 Chilean company Yerka, founded in 2013, have developed a bike where the diagonal portion of the frame and the seat pole form an integrated lock. Not only does the design mean you don’t have to carry a lock, but any attempt to break the lock and steal the bike would render the […]
Reindeer sleep while chewing their cud
From Cell Press 04/01/24 Researchers report December 22 in the journal Current Biology that the more time reindeer spend ruminating, the less time they spend in non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) sleep. EEG recordings revealed that reindeer’s brainwaves during rumination resemble the brain waves present during non-REM sleep, and these brainwave patterns suggest that the reindeer […]
How jellyfish regenerate functional tentacles in days
From University of Tokyo 04/01/24 At about the size of a pinkie nail, the jellyfish species Cladonema can regenerate an amputated tentacle in two to three days — but how? Regenerating functional tissue across species, including salamanders and insects, relies on the ability to form a blastema, a clump of undifferentiated cells that can repair […]
Texas A&M team develops polymers that can kill bacteria
From Texas A&M University 04/01/24 Antibiotic-resistant bacteria have become a rapidly growing threat to public health. Each year, they account for more than 2.8 million infections, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Without new antibiotics, even common injuries and infections harbor the potential to become lethal. Scientists are now one step […]
Gravity-powered automatic farm gate
From Superinnovators 04/01/24 Australian company Oz Autogate, founded in Warwick, Queensland in 1993, manufactures gravity-powered automatic farm gates that open vertically when vehicles drive onto an angled metal plate. The gate stays vertical for 7 seconds after the weight has left the ramps and closes within 20 seconds damped through the use of a hydraulic […]
Hubble sights a galaxy with ‘forbidden’ light
From NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center 04/01/24 This whirling image features a bright spiral galaxy known as MCG-01-24-014, which is located about 275 million light-years from Earth. In addition to being a well-defined spiral galaxy, MCG-01-24-014 has an extremely energetic core known as an active galactic nucleus (AGN) and is categorized as a Type-2 Seyfert galaxy. […]