Summary: New research reveals that individuals who experience vision loss before age 10 struggle more with judging sound distance compared to those who lose sight later in life. This difficulty…
Category: Life
Consciousness in AI: Distinguishing Reality from Simulation
Summary: A new study examines the possibility of consciousness in artificial systems, focusing on ruling out scenarios where AI appears conscious without actually being so. Using the free energy principle,…
Why do some animals have bigger brains than others?
Thanks to our large brains, humans and non-human primates are smarter than most mammals. But why do some species develop large brains in the first place? The leading hypothesis for…
Functional diversity of neighbors mediates sap flow density and radial growth of focal trees, but in different ways between evergreen and deciduous broadleaved species – Functional Ecologists
In this post, Yongqiang Zhang—a PhD student at Peking University—shares his recently published paper: “Functional diversity of neighbors mediates sap flow density and radial growth of focal trees, but in…
Smaller than microplastics? Nanoplastics are too small to see yet may seriously impact our environment and health
It’s become common to read that microplastics – little bits of plastic, smaller than a pencil eraser – are turning up everywhere and in everything, including the ocean, farmland, food…
New Technique Shows Promise in Fighting Brain Cancer
Summary: Researchers developed a new method, burst sine wave electroporation (B-SWE), to treat glioblastoma, a fast-growing brain tumor. B-SWE disrupts the blood-brain barrier more effectively than traditional methods, allowing cancer…
Mindfulness Can Induce Altered States of Consciousness
Summary: Mindfulness training can lead to altered states of consciousness, such as disembodiment and unity. Researchers found that participants were twice as likely to experience these states compared to a…
Mind-Bending: Psilocybin Reshapes Brain Networks for Weeks
Summary: A new study reveals that psilocybin, the active compound in magic mushrooms, temporarily disrupts brain networks involved in introspective thinking, like daydreaming and memory. These changes persist for weeks,…
Overestimation of Opponents’ Immorality Fuels Political Divide
Summary: A study reveals that Democrats and Republicans overestimate how much the opposing party approves of clearly immoral acts like theft or animal abuse. This “basic morality bias” is evident…
Understanding how biodiversity in ecosystems changes over time by considering the arrival and departure of species – Functional Ecologists
In this blog post, Lucie Kuczynski – a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Oldenburg, Germany – presents her research “Functional diversity loss and taxonomic delays of European freshwater fish…
