Coyotes turn out to have face muscles that look capable of making that big-eyed, sad-puppy face that dogs have used to melt human hearts for eons. That discovery supports a…
Category: Life
ChatGPT Matches Radiologists in Brain Tumor Diagnosis Accuracy
Summary: Researchers compared the diagnostic accuracy of GPT-4 based ChatGPT and radiologists using 150 brain tumor MRI reports. ChatGPT achieved 73% accuracy, slightly outperforming neuroradiologists (72%) and general radiologists (68%).…
Reduced Brain Response to Visual Cues Linked to Psychosis in Parkinson’s
Summary: People with Parkinson’s disease (PD) who experience visual hallucinations have reduced brain responses to unexpected visual changes, a marker known as visual mismatch negativity (vMMN). Using EEG, researchers compared…
Bird nests made with a toxic fungus seem to fend off attacking ants
When building a bird nest in ant territory, the best defense could be an offensive fungus. Swollen-thorn acacia trees are aggressively defended by multiple species of ants. And yet, several…
Viewpoint: Chemophobic demonizing of DEET — Boston Museum of Science’s fact-free endorsement of ’non chemical’ insect repellent alternatives
I’m sure you know by now that I often speak about the harms of the appeal to nature fallacy and messaging that exploits chemophobia (the unfounded and irrational fear of…
AI Detects Depression Through Eyes and Facial Cues
Summary: Researchers are developing AI-driven smartphone applications to detect signs of depression non-invasively. One system, PupilSense, monitors pupillary reflexes to identify potential depressive episodes with 76% accuracy. Another tool, FacePsy,…
Teens Risk Brain Damage in New TikTok “Chroming” Trend
Videos on TikTok are contributing to a resurgence in “chroming,” the dangerous practice of inhaling toxic fumes from household items like markers or nail polish. The study analyzed over 100…
Huntington’s Protein Mutation Blocks DNA Repair
Summary: Researchers have discovered that the protein mutated in Huntington’s Disease fails to properly repair DNA, leading to reduced brain cell healing. The huntingtin protein normally stimulates the production of…
