Gert-Jan Oskam was living in China in 2011 when he was in a motorcycle accident that left him paralyzed from the hips down.
In a new study, researchers describe a device that connects the intentions of a paralyzed patient to his physical movements.
In an alarming exposé, several women have come forward accusing neuroscientist and celebrated podcaster Andrew Huberman of manipulation, bizarre behavior, and infidelity that may have led to a sexually transmitted infection in at least one of them.
Published by New York Magazine, this deep dive into the disparate public and private lives of the Stanford University neuroscientist illustrates a jarring portrait of a man who promotes physical and mental health and wellness — but engaged in bizarre interpersonal behavior, including secretly dating five women simultaneously.
Much of the story centers around a woman whom NYMag calls Sarah, who spent years dating the “Huberman Lab” host in what she believed to be an exclusive relationship. Along with accusing the 48-year-old podcaster of obfuscating about his other relationships, Sarah described Huberman as being intense and controlling, including — in a particularly unhinged twist — constantly relitigating her romantic and reproductive decisions from back before they were together.
He helped pioneer a branch of the field that exposed hard-wired mental biases in people’s economic behavior. The work led to a Nobel.
Northwestern Medicine investigators have identified a metabolism-related gene that may play a role in recruiting immune cells to support the growth of aggressive brain tumors, according to a study recently published in Nature Communications.
Gut bacteria and a diet rich in the amino acid tryptophan can play a protective role against pathogenic E. coli, which can cause severe stomach upset, cramps, fever, intestinal bleeding and renal failure, according to a study published March 13 in Nature.
The research reveals how dietary tryptophan—an amino acid found mostly in animal products, nuts, seeds, whole grains and legumes—can be broken down by gut bacteria into small molecules called metabolites. It turns out a few of these metabolites can bind to a receptor on gut epithelial (surface) cells, triggering a pathway that ultimately reduces the production of proteins that E. coli use to attach to the gut lining where they cause infection. When E. coli fail to attach and colonize the gut, the pathogen benignly moves through and passes out of the body.
The research describes a previously unknown role in the gut for a receptor, DRD2 has otherwise been known as a dopamine (neurotransmitter) receptor in the central and peripheral nervous systems.
The first patient with a Neuralink brain-computer implant played Nintendo’s Mario Kart video game with his mind in an impressive new demo video, calling it “lifechanging” at a company-wide meeting that was posted Friday on the social media platform X-formerly-Twitter.
“It’s been a wild ride,” said Noland Arbaugh, the 29-year-old Neuralink patient, during the celebratory company meeting.
“This is going to change the world,” added Arbaugh, who’s quadriplegic, meaning he’s paralyzed below his neck from a swimming accident, and requires the use of a wheelchair.
#science Where do our dreams come from, why do we have them, and what do they mean? Can we harness them to foster creativity, solve problems, and prepare for the future? What’s happening in the brains of so-called lucid dreamers, and can new developments in this cutting-edge field of research help us unlock the mystery of consciousness itself? Researchers Deirdre Barrett, Ken Paller, and Antonio Zadra join Brian Greene for a discussion about the mystery and power of dreams and where our minds go after midnight. This program is part of the Big Ideas series, supported by the John Templeton Foundation. Footage of the Ken Paller dream study from NOVA Online: Dream Hacking, https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/video/d… ©2021 WGBH Educational Foundation. Participants: Deirdre Barrett, Psychologist Ken Paller, Neuroscientist Antonio Zadra, Psychologist Brian Greene – moderator Official Site: https://www.worldsciencefestival.com/ Twitter: / worldscifest Facebook:
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Viruses sleep with the enemy to help decide whether or not to attack, according to a new study.
A new study has revealed that the size of human brains is getting larger, which means increased brain reserve and decreased chances of developing dementia. The researchers at UC Davis Health reached the conclusion by comparing the size of the brains of people born in the 1930s with those of people born in the 1970s. They noticed that the latter had 6.6 per cent larger brains. The study was published in JAMA Neurology.
“The decade someone is born appears to impact brain size and potentially long-term brain health,” said Charles DeCarli, first author of the study.
He further adds that genetics may also play a major role in determining the size of the brain. “Genetics plays a major role in determining brain size, but our findings indicate external influences — such as health, social, cultural and educational factors — may also play a role,” he said.
The first human recipient of a Neuralink brain implant has shared new details on his recovery and experience of living with the experimental assistive tech, which has allowed him a greater level of freedom and autonomy, including the ability to pull an all-nighter playing Sid Meier’s Civilization 6.
Neuralink co-founder Elon Musk took to X/Twitter in January to reveal that the company had implanted its first brain-computer interface in the head of a human patient, who was “recovering well” following the surgery. The billionaire also hinted at the time that the implant was functioning well and had detected a “promising neuron spike”. In a subsequent February update, Musk commented that the unnamed patient had seemingly made a full recovery, and was even able to use the implant to manipulate a computer cursor with thought alone.
Finally, on March 20, Neuralink posted its own update to X in the form of a nine-minute livestream in which 29-year-old implant recipient Noland Arbaugh used the technology to play a digital version of chess, while discussing how living with the experimental aide had changed his life.
